Program Manager, Cost Reduction

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalise and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

Slate Auto is on a mission to build an affordable, capable truck for everyday Americans. The Cost Reduction Program Manager is a critical role in making that mission a reality. This position is responsible for leading the cost reduction workstream end to end, converting the pipeline into signed, supplier-validated, governance-tracked commitments, and coordinating the cross-functional team to execute batch implementation of cost reduction items prior to Job 2 and through the Job 2 launch.

• The Cost Reduction Program Manager is responsible for the cost reduction operating cadence: governance meetings, a supplier-by-supplier commitment register, accountability per targeted component, and launch-risk flags on every open item.
• This role is responsible for maintaining clear separation between bookable SOP savings and pipeline items in all leadership materials, and for driving the workstream from identification through feasibility, supplier confirmation, and commercial close.

• Responsible for leading the planning and execution of batch cost reduction implementations ahead of Job 2 and within the Job 2 program.
• This role drives cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Purchasing, Cost Engineering, Quality and Manufacturing to sequence change actions in a way that minimises disruption to production, consolidates supplier change events and maximises the number of items implemented cleanly at defined production milestones.
• Responsible for the implementation tracker and ensuring every item has a confirmed timing commitment against a production build event.

• Responsible for leading the Job 2 workstream through planning, execution and launch across the primary cost-down programmes.
• This role drives programme timing, supplier feasibility and quote confirmation, and validation and re-certification sequencing and ensures Job 2 exits with a clean, fully implemented BOM.

• This role partners directly with the Chief Engineer to align on priorities, sequence change actions and drive implementation decisions across the program.
• Working alongside the Chief Engineer, this role is responsible for aligning Purchasing, Cost Engineering, FP&A, Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality around a shared implementation plan and holding each function accountable to their commitments.
• Responsible for surfacing cost and timing conflicts early, escalating where needed and ensuring cost reduction does not become a source of launch risk.
• This role represents cost reduction status in Ops/Business Reviews and Industrialisation Governance.

• Experience managing engineering change and cost-down programmes in an automotive or EV launch environment.
• You understand how to move items from engineering estimate to supplier commitment to production implementation and you know how to coordinate a cross-functional team around a shared plan when everyone has competing priorities.
• Comfort with BOM-level cost structures, change management governance and supplier commercial negotiations.
• You communicate clearly with executive leadership and hold owners accountable without losing the relationship.
• You operate effectively at a startup pace with incomplete data and moving targets.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills.

• Minimum of five years of programme or project management experience in automotive, EV or adjacent manufacturing environments, with direct involvement in cost reduction, VAVE or engineering change programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional work streams across engineering, purchasing, manufacturing and finance simultaneously, with clear ownership and accountability structures.
• Experience with supplier commercial negotiations, should-cost analysis and BOM-level cost tracking.
• Familiarity with change management governance processes including CR/CN workflows, tooling lead times and supplier delivery commitments.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills.
• Ability to synthesise complex programme status into clear leadership-facing materials and drive alignment across functions with competing priorities.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment where processes are still being built.
• Willingness to own the workstream end-to-end, not just coordinate it.
• Experience with aPriori, Project X or similar cost engineering tools is a plus.
• PMP or equivalent programme management certification is a plus but is not required.

At Slate, affordability is not a constraint. It is the…