Material Cost Associate

Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has a long tradition of dramatic innovations. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.

Brief Role Description

 

This position is Career Level 17P, located in Chattanooga, TN, with a Role Classification of Hybrid.

Role Summary

 

• The Material Cost Controlling Associate is supporting economic success of the Product Engineering Process (PEP) of their responsible parts with a lifetime decision value up to $250 Million USD.
• A key responsibility is providing cost analysis and insights to enable financial decision-making aimed at achieving economic profit targets for VW projects.
• He / She will be assigned to specific parts within the engineering structure of the vehicle (Fachgruppe), managing material costs at the part by part level and reporting cost progress throughout the lifecycle of the PEP.
• He/She will be the representative from finance for both the Fachgruppe meeting and Aeko round for all Chattanooga projects.
• This function is part of the North America Region (NAR) Finance Product Controlling and reports to the head of the Material Cost Controlling team.
• This role can apply for internal combusion engine vehicles (ICE) or battery electric vehicles (BEV)

Role Responsibilities

 

Material Cost Management (40%)

• Manage the part numbers and technical details for the parts that he/she is responsible for
• Align and steer material cost alignment activities for each project with the other departments (ie Engineering, Project Management, and Purchasing partners)
• Update the material cost for each project according to the Product Engineering Process (PEP)
• Prepare financial data presentations and report to Fachgruppe & Product Team level committees
• Prepare material cost comparison overviews and benchmark prices from other projects
• Support purchasing processes from sourcing to SOP, including supplier nominations, engineering changes (aeko), lifecycle introduction, and business case evaluation
• Manage parts resulting in an annual spending between $150 million to $250 Million USD.

 

Material Cost Daily Activities (25%)

• Act as the finance representative in the Fachgruppe & Set team meetings for his/her responsible parts
• Act as the finance representative in the AEKO Round for his/her responsible parts
• Support additional financial evaluations for various business cases
• Support escalation topics related to material cost

 

Product Cost Optimization (PKK) Workshops (15%)

• Support weekly PKK meetings to discuss cost optimization ideas to reduce the material cost of the project

 

Special topics (10%)

• Various special subjects

Qualifications

 

Years of Experience:

0 to 3 years experience.

 

Required Education:

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Engineering, Business, or Accounting

 

Skills:

• Good analytical capability
• Willingness to learn and take initiatives
• Good communication, organization and teamwork skills
• Good attitude in a new learning environment
• Experience in using MS Office
• Additional foreign language experience (Spanish/German) is advantageuos 

 

Required Skills:

• Excellent motivation
• Excellent communication skills (Written & verbal)
• Great MS Office knowledge (especially Excel & PowerPoint) and overall computer skills

 

Desired Skills:

• Entry level experience with the Bill of Materials or 2D/3D drawings
• Entry level knowledge about purchasing processes and systems
• Any internship, Co-Op, or other experiences

 

Work Flexibility:

• Varying working hours due to project driven workload
• Good stress resistance
• Willingness to travel per business needs (domestic and international)

 

 

 

 

Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marita