The Program Manager will serve as a key leader in identifying, prioritizing, and advancing Cost Engineering opportunities while building a robust pipeline of future savings initiatives to support 2026 and beyond. This position requires strong cross-functional collaboration, global stakeholder alignment, disciplined project execution, and executive-level communication.We offer:
- Career Development
- Competitive Compensation and Benefits
- Pay Transparency
- Global Opportunities
Learn More Here: https://www.dematic.com/en-us/about/careers/what-we-offer/
Dematic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
The base pay range for this role is estimated to be $109,600 - $137,000 at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined by various factors such as work location, education, experience, knowledge, and skills.
Tasks and Qualifications:What You Will do in This Role:
- Lead the development and execution of Cost Engineering programs to achieve annual cost reduction and productivity targets.
- Deliver sustainable year-over-year cost savings and operational improvements across the Modular Conveyor Systems portfolio.
- Create, maintain, and own the Variable Cost Productivity (VCP) scorecard for MCS, including regular updates and presentations to executive leadership.
- Build, manage, and continuously expand the Cost Engineering project pipeline to support future savings objectives.
- Coordinate and drive cross-functional teams to successfully execute prioritized cost reduction projects.
- Establish, improve, and enforce governance processes related to project identification, execution, savings validation, and reporting.
- Facilitate brainstorming workshops and ideation sessions to identify new value engineering and cost optimization opportunities.
- Collaborate globally with Sales, Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Operations teams to identify and implement cost reduction and market-driven initiatives.
- Partner closely with Engineering and Product Management to develop strategies that reduce component and piece-part costs while maintaining product performance and quality.
- Develop business cases, financial analyses, and ROI evaluations to support strategic investment and project prioritization decisions.
- Monitor project performance, risks, and savings realization to ensure business objectives are achieved.
What We’re Looking For:
- Proven ability to partner across organizations and foster collaboration to achieve shared business objectives.
- Energetic, self-directed professional who takes initiative and drives outcomes.
- Thrives in fast-paced environments with evolving priorities, effectively operating in situations with limited structure or guidance.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools and related productivity applications.
- Proficient in dashboard development, data visualization, and performance analytics to support decision-making.
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in project management, value engineering, cost optimization, or related business functions.
- Proven experience leading and collaborating with cross-functional teams across domestic and international organizations to achieve business objectives.
- Demonstrated success in developing, presenting, and securing approval for business cases that support project investment and execution decisions.
- Working knowledge of Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) methodologies, including planning, facilitating, and driving follow-up actions from ideation workshops.
- Experience monitoring project performance, managing risks, and tracking savings realization to ensure targeted business outcomes and financial objectives are achieved.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or similar field is desired, however, equivalent experience may be substituted.
- PMP certification or equivalent experience in project management
- Must be able to work cross-regionally and travel up to 20% as needed.
- This role aligns to the Grand Rapids, Mi office and allows for a hybrid mode of working with an expectation of 50% in-office presence aligning to the Be Where You Are Needed initiative.
Skills Required
- Ability to partner across organizations and foster collaboration to achieve shared business objectives
- Self-directed, proactive approach and ability to drive outcomes in fast-paced environments
- Ability to operate effectively with evolving priorities and limited structure or guidance
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools and related productivity applications
- Proficiency in dashboard development, data visualization, and performance analytics
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in project management, value engineering, cost optimization, or related business functions
- Experience leading and collaborating with cross-functional teams across domestic and international organizations
- Demonstrated success developing, presenting, and securing approval for business cases supporting project investment and execution decisions
- Working knowledge of Value Analysis/Value Engineering methodologies, including facilitating ideation workshops and driving follow-up actions
- Experience monitoring project performance, managing risks, and tracking savings realization
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a similar field
- PMP certification or equivalent project management experience
- Ability to work cross-regionally and travel up to 20% as needed
- Ability to work in hybrid mode with 50% in-office presence at the Grand Rapids, Michigan office
What We Do
Looking to make your move? Then you’ve come to the right place! We are the KION Group, and the world of intralogistics is our home. Our solutions ensure the smooth flow of materials and information in production plants, warehouses, and distribution centers in over 100 countries. We have around 41,000 employees who make a real difference, helping us to become who we are today: the biggest manufacturer of forklift trucks and warehouse handling equipment in Europe, and one of the world’s leading warehouse automation providers. Successful? We are, but it’s all down to the motivated, highly trained, and multi-talented people that work for us. Would you like to be part of an international, diverse team? We can offer you interesting jobs and exciting career opportunities in an innovative, rapidly-growing, and forward-looking industry. With us, you benefit from numerous development opportunities in a globally active group, including the possibility of working at one of our locations abroad on a temporary basis. No matter which of our sites you work at, the KION values—integrity, collaboration, courage, and excellence—shape our individual action and our collaboration with colleagues, managers, customers, suppliers, and applicants both nationally and internationally. Who makes up the KION Group? With our international brands Linde Material Handling, STILL, and Baoli, as well as regional brands Fenwick and OM, we stand for exceptional technology and service expertise for forklift trucks and warehouse handling equipment around the world. Dematic expands the portfolio with its automated material handling solutions for intralogistics processes in warehouses, production, and sales
