Manufacturing Cost Engineer

SANTIAGO DE QUERETARO, Querétaro, Mexico

Full Time

Finance

Experienced

About KI Industries Inc. KI Industries, founded in 1964, specializes in the design and manufacture of decorative plastic and die cast components for the automotive and appliance industry. Our attention to aesthetics and technical expertise creates components that our customers know will provide their end consumers with a high-quality interface experience. Those elements, in combination with our outstanding customer service and passion for delivering high quality product, make KI a trusted leader in the decorative parts industry. KI Industries is headquartered in Berkeley, Illinois, USA; we also have a regional office and production facilities in Asia and two manufacturing facilities in Querétaro, Mexico. Our wide global footprint provides extensive opportunity for growth and expansion. Across all our locations KI strives to find talented individuals who are highly motivated to work in a fast-paced yet rewarding work environment. We seek creative, hard-working, and innovative personnel who will believe in the KI brand and the service & products we provide. For further information, please visit our website at

About the Job:

Join our dynamic team as a Manufacturing Cost Engineer where you'll play a critical role in driving profitability and operational excellence. You'll be responsible for conducting comprehensive cost and feasibility analyses for new tooling programs while ensuring we meet customer expectations and maintain competitive positioning. This role offers the opportunity to work cross-functionally with Sales, Engineering, Operations, and Purchasing teams to optimize our quoting processes and support continuous improvement initiatives. You'll be at the forefront of evaluating manufacturing feasibility, developing cost models, and identifying opportunities to enhance productivity across our operations.

Responsibilities:

Cost Analysis & Feasibility Assessment: Determine adequacy and manufacturing feasibility of customer-supplied part data, ensuring optimal costing of new tooling programs
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with sales teams to review customer information, part geometry, and technical requirements
Tooling & Process Development: Develop mold specifications for tooling quotation procurement, assess impact on molding machine selection and processing parameters
Supplier Management: Prepare customer data for quotation with supply base, assist in supplier selection based on core competencies, and review supplier quotations for design reasonableness and cost effectiveness
Technical Documentation: Prepare comprehensive technical documentation for customer quotations, including detailed cost element analysis, data sources, assumptions, and methodologies
Cost Optimization: Apply innovative thinking to manufacturing processes to provide customers with optimal cost estimates and identify productivity improvement opportunities
Project Support: Support project teams with pre-production activities at toolmakers and ensure quotes reflect continuous improvement initiatives
Process Improvement: Collaborate with Engineering and Operations to enhance quoting models using lessons learned from current manufacturing programs

Qualifications:

Experience: Minimum 7-10 years of related experience in cost engineering, manufacturing, or similar technical role
Technical Skills: Proficiency in CAD software, preferably Creo or SolidWorks
Materials Knowledge: Familiarity with resins commonly used in injection molding (PBT, PC, ABS, PP, PA)
Manufacturing Experience: Hands-on experience in injection molding arena with preferred experience in tooling and processing
Secondary Processes: Knowledge of decorative finishes including Paint, PVD, Pad Print, Laser Etching, and sonic welding
Analytical Skills: Excellent analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving abilities
Software Proficiency: Solid understanding of spreadsheet applications, particularly MS Excel
Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and cross-functional collaboration

Education:

Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or related field.

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Question 1: Injection Molding & Materials Experience (4 points)
Scenario: A customer has provided part specifications for a new automotive component requiring injection molding. The part geometry is complex with thin walls (1.2mm) and requires high dimensional accuracy.
a) What are the key material considerations when selecting between PBT, PC, ABS, PP, and PA for this application? Briefly explain your reasoning.
b) What specific tooling design factors would you evaluate to ensure manufacturability and cost-effectiveness for this part?*

Question 2: Cost Analysis & Quotation Development (4 points)
You receive a customer RFQ for a medium-complexity plastic component with the following requirements:

Annual volume: 500,000 pieces
Material: PC/ABS blend
Secondary operations: Pad printing and sonic welding
Customer target price: $2.50/piece

a) List the 5 most critical cost elements you would analyze when developing your quotation. Explain why each is important.
b) How would you approach supplier selection and quotation review to ensure both technical feasibility and cost competitiveness?*

Question 3: CAD Software & Technical Documentation (3 points)
a) Describe your proficiency level with CAD software (Creo, SolidWorks, or others). Provide a specific example of how you've used CAD analysis to influence a costing decision or improve manufacturability.
b) What key technical documentation would you include in a customer quotation to support your cost analysis and demonstrate manufacturing feasibility?*

Question 4: Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement (4 points)
Scenario: Your analysis reveals that a current production part has a 15% lower margin than originally quoted due to longer cycle times and higher scrap rates than anticipated.
a) What systematic approach would you take to identify the root causes and quantify the cost impact?
b) How would you work with Engineering and Operations teams to develop and implement solutions? What metrics would you track to measure improvement?*

Question 5: Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving (3 points)
A potential customer approaches KI with a low-volume, high-complexity project (10,000 pieces/year) that would require significant engineering resources and specialized tooling.
a) What factors would you consider when evaluating whether this opportunity aligns with KI's business strategy?
b) How would you structure your cost model to ensure all hidden costs and risks are captured in your quotation?*

Years of Experience in Cost Engineering:*

Years of Experience in Injection Molding*

Primary CAD Software Used:*

Salary expectations - MXN / Month.*

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