Cost Engineer

Do you build should-cost or clean-sheet models and use them to challenge supplier pricing?

NAPA Auto Parts is hiring a Senior Manager, Cost Engineering & Should-Cost to lead cost analysis and supplier cost optimization across a multi-billion-dollar procurement portfolio. This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who understands what a product should cost—and can use that analysis at the negotiating table.

About the Company

NAPA Auto Parts is a leading U.S. automotive aftermarket distributor and wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), a $23.5B global distribution leader. With 20,000+ employees, NAPA distributes more than 800,000 automotive replacement parts, accessories, and service items to retail and commercial customers nationwide. As GPC prepares to separate its Automotive and Industrial businesses into independent public companies by 2027, NAPA will become the standalone Automotive platform—creating greater focus, agility, and investment to accelerate growth and innovation across the automotive aftermarket.

Why This Role Matters

The Senior Manager of Cost Management will play a critical role in protecting NAPA’s economics and optimizing cost of goods sold across a multi-billion-dollar procurement portfolio and global supplier network. With inflation, tariffs, commodity shifts, and global events creating ongoing cost pressure, this leader will bring the analytical rigor, supplier negotiation expertise, and commercial judgment needed to validate cost changes, identify savings opportunities, and drive informed business decisions.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced cost management leader who combines strong analytical expertise with commercial judgment. They will bring hands‑on experience in should‑cost modeling, commodity analysis, and supplier negotiations, with the ability to quickly identify savings opportunities and turn analysis into action. Collaborative, decisive, and results‑oriented, this leader will take ownership of the function, develop the team, and help advance NAPA’s Cost Management capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end cost management across a multi-billion-dollar procurement portfolio and diversified global supplier network Lead high-stakes supplier negotiations to secure the best total cost without compromising quality or service.
• Develop and maintain detailed should‑cost and product cost models to analyze, validate, and forecast cost changes.
• Monitor commodity markets, indices, inflation and deflation, tariffs, and other global cost drivers; translate movements into actionable cost models and business insights.
• Lead complex, data-driven supplier negotiations to achieve the lowest sustainable total acquisition cost without compromising quality, service, or operational requirements.
• Identify cost-optimization opportunities and lead cross-functional cost-reduction initiatives that consistently deliver year-over-year value capture.
• Partner with Engineering on product teardown and should‑cost analysis to understand manufacturing processes and underlying product cost drivers.
• Partner with Category Management and Sourcing to refine sourcing strategies, establish accurate cost baselines, and strengthen negotiation approaches.
• Collaborate with Finance and business partners to establish annual cost-out budgets, track initiative performance, analyze variances, and adjust actions as needed.
• Develop and improve cost-analysis tools, processes, reporting, and stakeholder communications to increase accuracy, transparency, and speed.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership by translating complex cost analysis into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Lead, coach, and develop a growing Cost Management team, fostering accountability, knowledge sharing, continuous learning, and strong execution.

Professional Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant progressive experience, with direct hands‑on cost management, cost modeling, cost engineering, manufacturing cost estimation, product cost analysis, procurement, or global sourcing experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in should-cost modeling and the ability to build or adjust cost models based on commodity pricing and other underlying cost drivers.
• Significant supplier negotiation experience, including data-driven contract and cost negotiations in a global or complex supplier environment.
• Strong financial acumen with advanced Excel modeling and data-analysis capability.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, supply-chain dynamics, commodities, and product cost drivers.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with Category Management, Sourcing, Engineering, Finance, and senior business stakeholders.
• Ability to lead multiple priorities and cost-reduction initiatives with a high degree of ownership and limited oversight.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree is a plus.

Leadership & Personal Characteristics

• Commercially Minded - Balances analytical rigor with practical business judgment and understands that the best achievable commercial outcome may differ from the theoretical model.
• Analytical & Data Driven - Builds credible cost models, understands commodities and cost drivers, and uses facts to influence decisions and negotiations.
• Collaborative Influencer - Builds productive relationships across Category Management, Sourcing, Engineering, Finance, Suppliers, and Leadership.
• Owner & Team Builder - Takes accountability for results while developing associates, delegating effectively, and creating a high-performing cost-management capability.

This role offers the opportunity to join an established company while helping strengthen a relatively new and strategically important capability. The environment is fast-moving and highly cross-functional, with significant exposure to issues that are visible at the highest levels of the organization. Success will require someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, can work independently, and combines technical cost expertise with a collaborative, practical approach to getting results.

NAPA offers a competitive compensation package including a base salary, annual bonus opportunity, and comprehensive employee benefits.