Product Cost Engineer

Main responsibilities and tasks:

• Lead Value Engineering studies on cast, machined and forged compressor parts and commodities, in close cooperation with Engineering, Product Management and Category Managers (Procurement).
• Develop and maintain detailed bottom-up should-cost models for castings, forgings and machined parts – covering raw material, process routing, cycle times, Machine Hour Rates (MHR), labour, energy, tooling, yield/scrap, overheads and profit structures – to define the cost baseline and identify use cases.
• Build and maintain MHR databases, commodity cost modules and cost libraries with documented assumptions.
• Benchmark supplier quotations against internal should-cost models and support fact-based cost negotiations.
• Validate manufacturing assumptions with Engineering.
• Assess manufacturing feasibility and drive Design-to-Cost / Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) improvements across casting, machining and forging (e.g. material substitution, near-net-shape, process routing, tolerance and tooling optimisation).
• Train buyers and engineers on cost drivers.
• Establish close relationships and a safe environment with project stakeholders to discuss insights, align on targets and agree savings opportunities.
• Produce the documents required to present should-costing study results, including a final report with cost evaluation, recommendations and study finalisation.
• Provide clarifications and assistance to decision makers during the decision-making process.
• Prepare project charter, project closure, regular reports, KPI tracking and planning for the assigned projects.
• Report on progress and roadblocks to project stakeholders and the Value Engineering Global Manager.
• Attend follow-up sessions with Management when required.
• Support process implementation and interface definition across the Systems Division of Burckhardt Compression.
• Drive forward the Value Engineering and should-costing process with suppliers and 3rd parties.

Education, Experience and Languages:

• Graduation / Post-Graduation in Mechanical Engineering or similar.
• Atleast 8 years' experience in manufacturing engineering and/or value engineering, with in-depth hands-on knowledge of casting (sand/investment), machining and forging processes.
• Proven expertise in should-costing methodology and cost-estimation tools (e.g. Excel, CostData, aPriori, Facton, Teamcenter Product Cost Management or equivalent).
• Core technical competencies: cycle-time calculation, Machine Hour Rate (MHR) development, CAD drawing interpretation, GD&T and manufacturing tolerances, and data analytics.
• Solid knowledge of Value Analysis / Value Engineering methodology and international standards (e.g. API, ASME, ASTM); able to read technical drawings, GD&T and material specifications for cast, machined and forged parts.
• Basic know-how of Master Data and SAP transactions.
• MS Office and Power BI.
• AI tools and AI Agent creation
• Ability to travel up to 20% of work schedule.
• Language: local language and fluent English; basic technical vocabulary in both languages.

Burckhardt Compression creates leading compression solutions for a sustainable energy future and the long-term success of its customers. The Group is the only global manufacturer that covers a full range of reciprocating compressor technologies and services. Since 1844, its passionate, customer-oriented and solution-driven workforce has set the benchmark in the gas compression industry.