Cost Planning Chief Engineer

What Makes a Honda, is Who makes a Honda

Honda has a clear vision for the future, and it’s a joyful one.  We are looking for individuals with the skills, courage, persistence, and dreams that will help us reach our future-focused goals. At our core is innovation. Honda is constantly innovating and developing solutions to drive our business with record success.  We strive to be a company that serves as a source of “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative and that helps people expand their own potential. To this end, Honda strives to realize “the joy and freedom of mobility” by developing new technologies and an innovative approach to achieve a “zero environmental footprint.”

We are looking for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, continuous improvement values, and a strong work ethic to join our team.

If your goals and values align with Honda’s, we want you to join our team to Bring the Future!

Job Purpose

To achieve HDMA business targets, it is critically important to determine whether a given part/system design is cost competitive and a reasonable value for the money.
The Cost Planning Chief Engineer is the recognized Technical Leader for the Design and Performance Category.  All cost related issues requiring adjudication or direction setting come to him as final decision-making authority.  He is well aware of emerging technologies in his field and demonstrates technical competence, breadth of knowledge and leadership in deciding direction and method to address matters relating to Cost.  He has the experience to recognize and quantify a proposal’s effect to cross functional areas and understand the downstream effects to the overall business.

Key Accountabilities

• Expertise and Credibility:
  • Possesses a thorough knowledge of standard and novel manufacturing process used to produce parts in his field.  Through his own experience, can recognize whether a part is efficiently designed for ease of manufacture and optimized for cost.  Can also recognize the innovation point or enabling technology that makes for a winning design.  Conversely, can identify areas where improvement opportunities exist and by what means.  He stays abreast of latest developments and technologies trending in his field.  Has a thorough understanding of Regulations, Market competitiveness, Cost and Weight and accounts for these factors in his decision making.  
• Verification and Judgement:
  • Evaluates reasonableness of cost targets and VA/VE proposals by carefully examining the logic and assumptions that were used in creating them.  
  • Can judge the Feasibility of a proposal including the path necessary for implementation (ex. DR-theme, new supplier QAV, Factory investment) and application timing.  
  • Determines the Ranking and Judgement of cost related items.
  • Gives Approval or issues instruction as needed.  
• Correlation activity
  
  • On-site attendance at benchmarking workshop providing background, context and leadership in the discussions with vendor.
  • Consults regularly with counterparts in Japan Cost Planning Division.  
  • Consults regularly with Purchasing and key suppliers to understand current situation in supply chain.
  • Collaborates with relevant stakeholders to understand impact on other metrics resulting from Cost proposals (ex. Quality, Ergonomics, Maintenance etc.)  
• Other
  
  • Perform other related duties as assigned or requested by management.  

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Minimum Educational Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering field.
• Minimum Experience
  
  • 20+ years of experience combining product development and design team leadership.  
• Other Job-Specific Skills
  
  • Technical expertise in part materials and manufacturing process.
  • Ability to determine if a design is optimized for cost / investment / customer viewpoint
  • Basic use of CATIA (not expert), Excel, Powerpoint for analysis and reporting.
  • Works well in a Team setting or independently in a fast-paced environment.

Workstyle

• Travel:  Average of 2-3 times annually.  Varies based on project demands / responsibilities.
• Overtime: OT expected but varies based on project demands / responsibilities.

What differentiates Honda and makes us an employer of choice?

Total Rewards: 

• Competitive Base Salary (pay will be based on several variables that include, but not limited to geographic location, work experience, etc.)
• Regional Bonus (when applicable)
• Manager Lease Car Program (No Cost - Car, Maintenance, and Insurance included)
• Industry-leading Benefit Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx)
• Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, shutdown
• Company Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability 
• 401K Plan with company match + additional contribution
• Relocation assistance (if eligible)

Career Growth:

• Advancement Opportunities
• Career Mobility
• Education Reimbursement for Continued learning
• Training and Development Programs 

Additional Offerings:

• Lifestyle Account
• Childcare Reimbursement Account
• Elder Care Support
• Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Repayment
• Wellbeing Program
• Community Service and Engagement Programs
• Product Programs
• Free Drinks Onsite

Honda is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.