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Cost Engineer
Job in
Berkeley, Alameda County, California, 94701, USA
Listed on 2026-10-16
Listing for:
Aston Carter
Full Time
position Listed on 2026-10-16
Job specializations:
-
Engineering
Procurement / Purchasing, Manufacturing Engineer
Job Description & How to Apply Below
Description
Should-cost strategy and modeling
- Build and continuously improve should-cost models for raw materials, fabricated components, and capital equipment, using activity-based costing, parametric modeling, and process-based cost breakdowns. Set the standard for how Form estimates cost before a supplier quote exists.
Benchmarking and market intelligence
- Establish cost benchmarking practices against industry best practice in automotive, aerospace, electronics, and industrial manufacturing, adapted to a novel chemistry with a developing supply base. Track commodity, labor, and overhead trends that move Form's cost structure and bring that intelligence into sourcing and design decisions early.
Supplier negotiation leadership
- Use cost models to evaluate supplier quotations, identify negotiation leverage, and lead or directly support high-stakes negotiations alongside Global Supply Managers. Hold suppliers to a standard of cost transparency, not just price.
Design-to-cost influence
- Partner with product and manufacturing engineering early in the design cycle so cost is a design input, not a post-hoc audit. Translate cost model output into specific, actionable design and process feedback that changes outcomes.
Cross-functional cost visibility
- Feed cost forecasts and risk into the Sales and Operations Planning forum and the annual build plan, giving Finance and the executive team a clear, defensible view of unit economics as volume scales.
Building the function
- Establish the tools, data structure, and methodology for cost engineering at Form, and build and lead a team of cost engineers and analysts as the group scales with production volume.
Additional
Skills & Qualifications
8+ years in cost engineering, finance, manufacturing engineering, or strategic sourcing, including should-cost modeling and supplier cost negotiation, ideally in automotive, aerospace, electronics, or industrial manufacturing
Direct experience building or scaling a cost engineering capability, not only operating within an established one
Fluency in activity-based costing, parametric cost modeling, and cost breakdown analysis from BOMs, drawings, or samples
A track record of using cost models to change supplier negotiations and design outcomes, not just to report variance
Comfort operating with limited market data and building estimation methodology where none exists, which mirrors Form's position with a novel chemistry and a developing supply base
People leadership experience or clear readiness to build and lead a team
Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, or materials engineering, or equivalent experience; an advanced degree or continued technical credibility is a plus
Comfort operating in a fast-moving, first-of-a-kind manufacturing environment where the answer is not always in a database
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Berkeley, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $57.69/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Berkeley, CA.
Final date to receive applications
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 21, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Berkeley,CA.
About Aston Carter
Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading…
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