Howmet Aerospace

Manufacturing Engineer - Cost Specialist

Howmet Aerospace$75K — $95K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in automotive or high-volume production
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing cost structures and component cost modeling
  • Experience with process improvement, workflow optimization, and structured problem-solving
  • Ability to interpret engineering drawings and understand manufacturing requirements
  • Strong communication, analytical, and organizational skills
  • Authorized to work in the USA without visa sponsorship or restrictions

Responsibilities

  • Build complete manufacturing cost models for components, including labor, materials, equipment, tooling, overhead, and process flow
  • Analyze cost drivers and identify opportunities for reduction through process changes
  • Support leadership with data-based cost insights to guide investment decisions
  • Evaluate current manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, throughput, and consistency
  • Lead improvement projects focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost
  • Provide hands-on engineering support to resolve production issues and maintain stable operations
  • Translate automotive best practices into new manufacturing environments

Benefits

  • Opportunities for cross-industry experience and professional growth
  • Hands-on involvement in high-impact projects
  • Collaboration with cross-functional teams
  • Access to new technologies and equipment advancements
  • Contributions to process improvement and efficiency enhancement initiatives
Full Job Description
Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineer with a strong automotive background who is ready to bring their expertise into a new industry. This role is ideal for an engineer who understands high-volume production, cost-driven decision-making, and disciplined process control - and is looking to apply those strengths in a fresh environment with new challenges and technologies.

If you excel at building the cost of manufacturing a component from the ground up, optimizing processes, and driving measurable improvements, you'll thrive here.

Role Overview

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will take ownership of production processes, cost structures, and continuous improvement initiatives for a key product area. You'll apply your automotive experience - including workflow optimization, cost modeling, and quality-focused engineering - to help us strengthen efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall manufacturing performance.

This role is perfect for someone who wants to broaden their industry experience while still leveraging the technical and financial skills developed in automotive manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

Costing & Financial Insight
  • Build complete manufacturing cost models for components, including labor, materials, equipment, tooling, overhead, and process flow.
  • Analyze cost drivers and identify opportunities for reduction through process changes, tooling improvements, workflow adjustments, or sourcing strategies.
  • Support leadership with clear, data-based cost insights to guide investment decisions and operational priorities.
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to validate cost assumptions and ensure alignment with production realities.

Process Improvement & Optimization
  • Evaluate current manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, throughput, and consistency.
  • Apply automotive-grade problem-solving and continuous improvement methods to reduce waste and strengthen process reliability.
  • Lead improvement projects focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
  • Support the development of standard work, process documentation, and training materials.

Production Support & Daily Operations
  • Provide hands-on engineering support to resolve production issues and maintain stable operations.
  • Collaborate with operations, quality, maintenance, and supply chain to ensure smooth workflow and timely issue resolution.
  • Monitor key performance indicators and help teams understand daily progress toward goals.

Tooling, Equipment & New Technology
  • Support tooling and equipment improvements that enhance quality, reduce cost, or simplify production.
  • Participate in equipment evaluations, vendor discussions, and implementation of new technologies.
  • Assist with capital project justification through cost modeling and operational impact analysis.

Cross-Industry Adaptation
  • Translate automotive best practices into new manufacturing environments.
  • Bring fresh perspective to process discipline, cost control, and high-volume production methodologies.
  • Help build stronger systems, documentation, and workflows by applying proven automotive approaches.


Qualifications

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in automotive or other high-volume production
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing cost structures and component cost modeling
  • Experience with process improvement, workflow optimization, and structured problem-solving
  • Ability to interpret engineering drawings and understand manufacturing requirements
  • Strong communication, analytical, and organizational skills
  • Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
  • This position entails access to export-controlled items and employment offers are conditioned upon an applicant's ability to lawfully obtain access to such items.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience transitioning between industries or supporting diverse product lines
  • Background in tooling, fixtures, or equipment improvement
  • Familiarity with lean manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies
  • Strong financial literacy and comfort presenting cost-based recommendations


About Howmet Aerospace

Howmet Aerospace is a global leader in engineered metal products. The company provides aerospace components, such as jet engine and industrial gas turbine components, as well as forged wheels for commercial transportation. Howmet Aerospace has a strong focus on research and development, and has been awarded numerous patents for its innovative products and processes. The company has a global presence, with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Howmet Aerospace was formerly known as Arconic Inc. and changed its name to Howmet Aerospace Inc. in April 2020.
Learn more about Howmet Aerospace
Size
19,900 employees
Market Cap
$16 billion
Industry
Net Income
$261 million
5 Year Trend
-16.7%
Revenue
$5.2 billion
NASDAQ

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