Director, Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering (Automotive)

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, or Novi, Michigan; 4–5 days per week in the office with regular in-person meetings and business travel.

Salary: $160,000–$192,500 annual base salary, plus eligibility for an annual performance bonus.

Company

hirify.global is building electrified trucks and rugged SUVs while developing a modern automotive company around the Scout brand.

What you will do

• Lead product cost excellence and value engineering across product development programs and platforms.
• Partner with Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, and Supplier Development.
• Establish governance, operating cadence, KPI tracking, and roadmaps for cost optimization initiatives.
• Lead cost optimization workshops with internal teams and suppliers, balancing cost, customer value, quality, timing, and technical feasibility.
• Apply design-to-value, competitive benchmarking, teardown insights, should-cost analysis, supplier cost breakdowns, and total cost of ownership methods.
• Build business cases and lead a team of product cost optimization and value engineering specialists.

Requirements

• 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 knowledge of vehicle systems, product development, supplier cost structures, industrialization, and lifecycle cost drivers.
• Experience translating technical and commercial opportunities into business cases, implementation plans, stakeholder decisions, and measurable financial outcomes.
• Strong financial, analytical, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Ability to work in the office 4–5 days per week in Charlotte or Novi and travel for company events.

Nice to have

• Experience with digital tools, advanced analytics, AI-enabled workflows, or data-driven decision-making in product development or cost optimization.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to build products and an automotive company from the ground up.
• Medical, dental, vision, and income protection plans.
• 401(k) with employer match and immediate vesting.
• Paid time off, company and floating holidays, and up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Corporate vehicle program with one assigned vehicle and a mobility stipend.