Manager, Cost Engineering

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Full Time Regular Full-Time Santa Monica, CA, US

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To $90,000.00 Annually

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular brands and children's toy licenses in the world, currently seeks an experienced, energetic, self-starter for the role of Cost Engineering Manager
for our headquarters in Santa Monica, CA.

• Lead cost engineering activities from concept through production, ensuring products achieve target cost, margin, and profitability objectives while supporting design innovation and product quality.
• Partner with Product Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Purchasing, and Asia teams to provide strategic cost guidance during concept development and throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Develop, review, and approve product cost estimates, cost models, and cost validations to support business decisions, pricing strategies, and financial planning.
• Lead value engineering initiatives by identifying opportunities to optimize product design, material selection, manufacturing processes, tooling, and assembly methods without compromising product performance or quality.
• Review and negotiate factory quotations, cost breakdowns, and manufacturing assumptions to ensure competitive pricing and cost transparency.
• Drive cross-functional cost reduction initiatives by evaluating alternative materials, components, manufacturing technologies, and supplier capabilities when target costs are not achieved.
• Establish and maintain cost estimation methodologies, historical cost databases, benchmarking tools, and reporting systems to improve forecasting accuracy and support future product development.
• Oversee tooling cost estimation, validation, and budget management to ensure tooling investments are optimized and projects remain within approved budgets.
• Monitor product cost performance throughout development and production, proactively identifying risks, cost variances, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and global manufacturing partners to drive collaboration, accountability, and timely execution of cost objectives.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in cost engineering, product development, manufacturing engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing product cost models, value engineering initiatives, and manufacturing cost optimization.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including injection molding, tooling, electronics, metal fabrication, assembly, and packaging.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence engineering, sourcing, and manufacturing decisions.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and project management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and cost analysis tools
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers, particularly in Asia, is highly preferred.
• Toy industry experience is preferred but not required.
• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, disability, life & accident insurance and employee assistance program
• Savings: 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs
• Compensation
  : JAKKS Pacific offers a competitive salary. Compensation for this role commensurate with experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $80,000-$90,000.

A leading…