Lead Value Engineer

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

The Lead Value Engineer leads enterprise value engineering and cost optimization work across products, components and business processes.

This job is accountable for building the opportunity pipeline, leading high-value cross-functional projects and establishing methods that improve operating earnings without compromising customer, quality or business requirements.

The job partners with Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Product Management, Operations and Finance to prioritize opportunities, resolve tradeoffs and deliver sustainable value.

What You Will Do at Graco

• Build and prioritize the enterprise value engineering and cost optimization pipeline using clear selection criteria and business priorities.
• Establish governance for project decisions, escalation, benefit commitments and sustainment.
• Provide leaders with clear visibility to committed, completed, at-risk and remaining opportunities.
• Recommend portfolio priorities and resource actions based on value, feasibility, timing and risk.

• Lead high-value cross-functional projects involving product design, sourcing, manufacturing, product management and operations.
• Coordinate technical decisions, resources, risks, timing and customer or quality tradeoffs through implementation.
• Align value engineering, design-to-value, complexity reduction, product line simplification and cost reduction work.
• Ensure project plans define ownership, required decisions, measurable benefits and sustainment expectations.

• Develop and maintain value analysis and value engineering methods, standards and review practices.
• Coach project teams in opportunity definition, business case quality, cross-functional decision making and implementation discipline.
• Create reusable tools and learning that improve the quality and consistency of value engineering across Graco.

• Partner with Finance and program analysis resources to strengthen business cases and validate savings.
• Partner with functional leaders to identify barriers, resolve priorities and maintain accountability for results.
• Communicate portfolio performance, decisions and risks in a clear manner for operational and executive audiences.

What You Will Bring to Graco

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, business or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of product cost, value engineering, sourcing, manufacturing engineering or cross-functional program leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading cost reduction or value creation projects from opportunity through implementation.
• Knowledge of product cost, financial analysis, value methodology, design tradeoffs and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to lead through influence, resolve cross-functional tradeoffs and communicate with technical, financial and executive audiences.

Accelerators

• SAVE International certification or formal value methodology training.
• Master’s degree, MBA or Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with engineered products, design-to-value, product line simplification or complexity reduction.
• Experience managing an enterprise cost optimization portfolio.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent and unrestricted basis. This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., H-1B, TN, E-3, O-1, L-1, or employment-based permanent residence sponsorship). Candidates working under temporary employment authorization, including F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, or similar programs, are not eligible for this position. 

At Graco, you truly make a difference. Your unique talents contribute to our organizational growth and future. Not only do you make a difference, but Graco’s culture empowers employees to create their own career path. Whether you choose to advance within your current department or explore new opportunities in different divisions, you have the ability to build your future. Our managers are here to provide support and guidance as you continue to grow within your career.

Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco’s comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.

Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment and eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.

The base pay range for this position is listed below, exclusive of fringe benefits or other compensation.  If you are hired, your final base hourly rate will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, competencies, education, and/or experience.  In addition to those factors, we will also consider internal equity of our current employees.  Please keep in mind that the range provided is the full base salary range for the role.  Hiring at or near the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth.