Director, Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering

Here at Scout Motors, we're carrying forward the heritage of one of the most iconic American vehicles in history. A vehicle dating back to 1960. One that forged the path for future generations of rugged SUVs and trucks and will do so once again.

But Scout is more than just a brand, it’s a legacy steeped in a culture of exploration, caretaking, and hard work.

The Scout brand is all about respect. Respect for the past and the future by taking an iconic American brand that hasn’t been around for a while, electrifying it, digitizing it, and loading it with American innovation. Respect for communities by creating a company that stands for its people and its customers. Respect for both work and play, with vehicles that are equally at home at a camp site, a job site, or on a Tuesday commute. And respect for our customers by developing two powertrains that meet their requirements — an all-electric powertrain as well as the Harvester™ range extender powertrain which includes a built-in gas-powered generator with an estimated 500 miles of combined range.

At Scout Motors, we empower our talented, inclusive, and entrepreneurial teams to innovate. What makes a Scout employee? Someone who is a visionary and a leader, who seeks new paths and shares lessons learned. A knowledgeable doer who collaborates across the company to build better. A go-getter with unrivaled passion.

Join us at Scout Motors and be part of shaping the future of transportation. If you're ready to drive change and make history, apply now!

What you’ll do

Scout Motors | Senior Leadership Role | Driving product cost excellence, value engineering, and cross-functional transformation for the next generation of all-electric trucks and rugged SUVs

Scout Motors is building a modern, purpose-driven automotive company rooted in iconic American heritage and focused on the future of electrified mobility. We are looking for a Head of Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering to establish and lead a cross-functional program that improves product cost competitiveness while protecting customer value, quality, performance, and brand integrity.

Become part of an iconic brand that is set to revolutionize the electric pick-up truck rugged SUV marketplace by achieving the following:

Lead Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering initiatives within product development, partnering closely with Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, and Supplier Development.

Drive execution of product cost excellence strategy and contribute to its continuous evolution across programs and platforms.

Drive adoption and improvement of governance, operating cadence, KPI tracking, and roadmaps to monitor cost optimization ideas through approval, execution, and financial realization.

Lead cross-functional cost optimization workshops with internal teams and suppliers to generate practical, high-impact ideas balancing cost, customer value, quality, timing, and technical feasibility.

Apply value engineering, design-to-value, competitive benchmarking, teardown insights, should-cost analysis, supplier cost breakdowns, and total cost of ownership methods to improve cost competitiveness.

Develop business cases for cost optimization initiatives, including savings potential, investment needs, tooling impacts, engineering effort, timing, risks, payback, and overall financial impact.

Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to identify productivity improvements, localization opportunities, logistics efficiencies, material cost improvements, and process optimizations.

Leverage data-driven cost analytics, digital workflows, and emerging technologies to improve visibility, decision quality, and execution speed.

Lead and develop a team of product cost optimization and value engineering specialists.

Location Travel Expectations :

This role may be based out of the Scout Motors corporate headquarters in Charlotte, NC / Novi, Michigan.

This role requires 4-5 days per week in the office, with regular in-person meetings and events.

Applicants should expect that the role will require the ability to convene with Scout colleagues in person and travel to participate in events on behalf of the company from time to time.

What you’ll bring

We expect all Scout employees to have integrity, curiosity, resourcefulness, and strive to exhibit a positive attitude, as well as a growth mindset. You’ll be comfortable with change and flexible in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You’ll take a collaborative approach to achieve ambitious goals. Here's what else you'll bring:

12+ years of experience in automotive engineering, procurement, product cost management, cost engineering, value engineering, manufacturing, or a related field.

Proven success leading cost optimization and value engineering initiatives in complex product development environments.

Strong understanding of vehicle systems, product development processes, supplier cost structures, industrialization…