Mechanical Category Cost Specialist

Mechanical Category Cost Specialist

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world's toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

DESCRIPTION:

Join our team at Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, where you'll implement strategic procurement initiatives that make a meaningful impact on global healthcare, research, and environmental protection. As a Category Cost Specialist, you'll develop complex category strategies and collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize supply chain performance, reduce costs, and ensure continuous improvement. You'll leverage your expertise to develop and execute effective sourcing solutions while building strong supplier relationships that advance our mission of making the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

LOCATION:

This is a fully onsite position based at one of three sites. Site Options:
Morrisville, NC;
Pittsburgh, PA; or Austin, TX - Unfortunately, relocation assistance is NOT provided.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Strategy & Execution

• Lead the development and execution of cost modeling strategies across the category.

• Conduct detailed cost breakdowns, benchmarks, and total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses.

• Identify cost drivers and improvement levers to support sourcing decisions.

Supplier Engagement for Cost Improvements

• Engage directly with suppliers to review cost structures, challenge assumptions, and identify cost-reduction opportunities.

• Lead supplier cost workshops and technical reviews to drive transparency and value engineering initiatives.

• Collaborate with suppliers on alternative materials, processes, and continuous improvement opportunities.

Negotiation Support & Leadership

• Provide fact-based cost insights to strengthen negotiation strategies.

• Build negotiation frameworks and scenarios based on cost models and market intelligence.

• Participate in supplier negotiations with a focus on cost elements and value-engineering opportunities.

Cost Modeling & Analytics

• Develop, validate, and maintain advanced cost models for key commodities and components.

• Analyze supplier cost drivers, challenge cost submissions, and identify savings opportunities.

• Present cost analytics and recommendations to category leadership and stakeholders.

SPCI / CMVA Governance, Direction & Collaboration

• Support CMVA projects and workshops by supplying necessary cost data and category analytics through the lifecycle of the projects.
• Ensure CMVA focus areas and deliverables accelerate category objectives, support upcoming negotiations, supplier segmentation decisions, and/or strategic initiatives
• Challenge and validate CMVA analytical methods, assumptions, and outputs to ensure accuracy, objectivity, and alignment with procurement's business requirements
• Partner with Category Managers to ensure CMVA contributions pull through to enable and support larger scale supplier negotiations
• Support the development of dashboards, insights, and governance materials.

Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Business Units on cost expectations and improvement initiatives.

• Maintain strong interactions with CMVA (Cost, Value & Manufacturing Analytics), NPI (New Product Introduction), and DPP teams to support cost modeling, product development, and design optimization on specific products.

• Serve as the technical cost subject-matter expert within the category and support key project reviews.

• Ensure adherence to Thermo Fisher procurement policies, compliance standards, and sustainability initiatives.

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications

• Advanced Degree plus 6 years of experience, or Bachelor's Degree plus 8 years of experience in procurement/sourcing cost…