Job Title: Container Cost Engineer
Job Description
The Container Cost Engineer serves as a Packaging and Containers Cost Specialist responsible for developing, analyzing, and validating cost estimates and cost targets for logistics packaging systems. This role supports a global logistics and packaging organization across returnable and expendable packaging, containers, engineered racks, dunnage, pallets, totes, and related material-handling solutions. You will create ground-up, fact-based cost estimates that consider materials, manufacturing processes, labor, overhead, logistics, tooling, capital investment, maintenance, repair, and other commercial assumptions. Working closely with engineering, logistics, manufacturing, purchasing, supply chain, finance, and vehicle program teams, you will translate technical packaging concepts and manufacturing processes into clear financial evaluations and actionable recommendations. This position offers a high level of autonomy and ownership over multiple estimates and cost-reduction initiatives, with the opportunity to influence next-generation vehicle programs and enterprise packaging strategies.
Responsibilities
- Develop detailed, bottom-up should-cost estimates and target costs for returnable and expendable packaging, containers, engineered racks, dunnage, pallets, totes, and related logistics equipment.
- Analyze supplier quotations and commercial proposals, validate assumptions, identify cost gaps, and support fact-based negotiations with purchasing teams.
- Evaluate packaging concepts for material selection, design complexity, manufacturing processes, labor content, overhead, tooling, capital, maintenance, repair, packaging density, transportation, and total landed cost.
- Build cost models for common packaging processes, including steel fabrication, tube and wire forming, stamping, machining, welding, fastening, coatings, plastics conversion, corrugated and expendable packaging production, dunnage assembly, and final packaging-system integration.
- Assess the financial impact of design changes, production volume, capacity, regional manufacturing differences, commodity pricing, freight, return loops, packaging utilization, and supplier footprint.
- Partner with packaging and logistics engineers to identify cost-reduction opportunities while protecting part quality, ergonomics, safety, cube utilization, material flow, sustainability, and program timing.
- Serve as an active partner to internal purchasing teams by providing fair, competitive, and transparent cost targets for packaging and container-related sourcing decisions.
- Support sourcing activities, supplier selection, design reviews, launch readiness assessments, supplier performance discussions, and post-launch cost-improvement initiatives.
- Analyze, organize, and interpret large volumes of technical, operational, and financial data, and condense findings into concise recommendations for cross-functional teams and leadership.
- Develop, refine, and maintain cost-estimating tools, databases, benchmarks, and process assumptions to improve consistency, accuracy, and speed across cost estimates.
- Communicate cost drivers, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders across regional and global teams.
- Collaborate with global GPSC and logistics organizations to align cost targets and assumptions with broader business strategies and market conditions.
- Travel occasionally to supplier facilities, manufacturing locations, and other relevant sites to support cost reviews, process validation, launch activities, and sourcing collaboration.
- Exercise independent judgment, initiative, and creativity in managing multiple cost estimates and cost-reduction activities simultaneously.
- Contribute to the development of next-generation packaging strategies that support evolving automotive industry trends, including sustainability and reusable packaging systems.
Essential Skills
- Experience evaluating the financial impact of technical concepts, with a comprehensive understanding of manufacturing and logistics processes.
- Experience developing or validating cost estimates, supplier quotations, should-cost models, target costs, or business cases for industrial products, packaging, containers, logistics equipment, or automotive components.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and assignments with a high degree of autonomy, organization, and accountability.
- Ability to lead change, resolve conflicts, and influence decisions without direct authority.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to address unique and complex cost or process challenges.
- Ability to assimilate large amounts of cost and operational data and clearly communicate conclusions, assumptions, and next steps to broader cross-functional teams.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills to build productive relationships with global team members, cross-functional partners, and suppliers.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office, including advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities.
- Experience with Power BI or similar data-visualization tools.
- Ability to use or learn CO$T and other cost-estimating systems and tools.
- Willingness and ability to travel occasionally to support supplier and manufacturing-site activities.
- At least five years of relevant experience in automotive cost estimating, packaging or container manufacturing, logistics engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing, product design, purchasing, supplier development, or a related field.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Business, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Experience in estimation and cost estimating for packaging, containers, or automotive-related products.
- Experience with program management in an industrial or automotive context.
- Hands-on experience with packaging engineering, containerization, and manufacturing processes related to packaging and containers.
- Strong skills in cost analysis and cost estimate development, including cost model building for packaging and container systems.
- Proficiency with MS Office tools, particularly Excel, for data analysis and modeling.
- Experience with returnable container systems and associated cost and lifecycle considerations.
- Experience with Siemens TCPCM software or similar cost estimating tools.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience developing supplier quotations or cost breakdowns for an automotive OEM, Tier 1 supplier, Tier 2 supplier, packaging provider, or logistics service provider.
- Experience with packaging-system design, containerization, material flow, launch activities, plant operations, or supplier implementation in automotive or industrial environments.
- Experience with returnable packaging, expendable packaging, engineered racks, dunnage, pallets, totes, bulk containers, and packaging repair or lifecycle management.
- Knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes used in packaging and containers, including metal forming, tube and wire forming, stamping, welding, cutting, machining, fastening, plastics conversion, corrugated production, coatings, painting, and dunnage fabrication or assembly.
- Understanding of technical cost factors such as material, labor, burden, capacity utilization, scrap, yield, tooling, capital recovery, maintenance, repair, packaging lifecycle, freight, logistics, SG&A, profit, and other commercial considerations.
- Knowledge of regional differences in manufacturing processes, labor, material, logistics, commercial assumptions, and supplier operating models.
- Experience with data analytics, dashboard development, cost databases, Power BI, SQL, or other analytical tools.
- Familiarity with automotive industry trends, including electrification, autonomous driving, advanced materials, additive manufacturing, automation, sustainability, and circular or reusable packaging systems.
- Master's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical Management, or a related field.
- Professional certification in cost engineering, value engineering, supply chain, project management, or a related discipline.
- Experience with cost estimating tools beyond CO$T, including Siemens TCPCM and other specialized cost modeling software.
- Demonstrated interest in continuous improvement of cost-estimating methods, tools, and databases.
- Ability to work effectively within a large engineering organization and collaborate across multiple vehicle and part lines.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in documenting assumptions, methodologies, and cost models.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Warren, MI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $48.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Warren,MI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.