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Lead Cost Analyst Cost Engineering Manager

Planet
San Francisco, California
Full Time
Posted December 4, 2025
$128k - $161k
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Job Description

The role involves leading cost analysis and financial modeling for satellite hardware and manufacturing projects, collaborating with engineering and supply chain teams to optimize product profitability and support strategic decision-making in a fast-paced space technology company.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and review accurate cost estimates for projects by analyzing project plans and specifications.
  • Partner with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to model product and production costs across development stages.
  • Translate engineering and production plans into financially rigorous build and ramp scenarios, identifying financial risks and reallocation opportunities.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure effective cost control measures throughout project lifecycles.
  • Drive marginal cost analysis and margin forecasts for products.
  • Identify levers to improve unit economics through cost-down roadmaps in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
  • Support strategic tradeoff decisions such as make vs. buy, tooling investments, and design for manufacturing options with financial impact analysis.
  • Own and manage forecast and budget cycles for manufacturing and engineering spend areas, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Build financial dashboards and tooling to improve visibility into BOM drivers, absorption trends, and cost performance.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
  • 10 years of experience in a cost engineering, financial analysis, or program finance role, preferably supporting an Aerospace hardware, manufacturing, or consumer electronics environment.
  • Solid foundational understanding of manufacturing processes, product lifecycle management (PLM), and cost accounting principles such as standard costing and variance analysis.
  • Exceptional analytical and financial modeling skills, with expertise in building complex, multi-variable cost models.
  • Advanced proficiency in data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Microsoft Excel.
  • Ability to review project plans and specifications to develop accurate and reliable cost estimates for key projects.
  • Experience partnering with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to model product and production costs across development stages, including Bill of Materials (BOM), tooling, labor, and overhead.
  • Ability to translate engineering and production plans into financially rigorous build and ramp scenarios, identifying financial risks and reallocation opportunities.
  • Experience collaborating with program managers, engineers, and stakeholders to ensure effective execution of cost control measures throughout project lifecycles.
  • Ability to drive marginal cost analysis and margin forecasts for new and existing products.
  • Experience driving cost-down roadmaps in collaboration with Design, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams, identifying levers to improve unit economics.
  • Ability to perform cross-functional tradeoff analysis such as make vs. buy, tooling investments, and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) options with clear financial impact analysis.
  • Experience performing ad hoc analysis to support leadership initiatives and strategic decisions.
  • Ownership of forecast and budget cycles for manufacturing and engineering spend areas, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Ability to build financial dashboards and tooling to improve visibility into BOM drivers, absorption trends, and program-level cost performance.
  • Application for this role requires access to export-controlled information, and employment is contingent upon the ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing.
  • This position is a full-time, hybrid role requiring working from the San Francisco office at least 3 days per week.

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Home Office Reimbursement
Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
Equity
Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
Discretionary short-term and long-term incentives (bonus and equity)
Salary range: $128,400 - $160,500 USD (dependent on experience, skills, and location)

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