Cost Management Lead - Role Summary

The Cost Management Lead serves as a vital driver for organizational cost competitiveness across TTL, orchestrating cost control strategies, process efficiency, and productivity enhancements. The incumbent will engage collaboratively with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering to promote a culture of cost awareness, supporting strategic decision-making and seamless operational execution.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Cost Governance:

- Formulate and guide cost management frameworks aligned with strategic objectives.

- Direct benchmarking exercises and conduct competitive cost analyses to uncover areas for refinement.

- Foster the adoption of cost-efficiency principles throughout business functions.

Product & Project Cost Evaluation

- Ensure timely and precise product cost calculation, manage standard costs, and oversee variance investigations.

- Work closely with R&D, Engineering, and manufacturing to assess the fiscal impact of design/process evolution.

- Supply data-driven cost analyses to support pricing and margin strategies.

Operational Efficiency Initiatives:

- Lead efforts targeting cost and productivity improvements across departments.

- Scrutinize operational data for inefficiencies, recommending actionable improvements.

- Oversee continuous improvement and lean transformation initiatives.

Financial Forecasting & Reporting:

- Offer cost-related insights to support budgeting, forecasts, and strategic business planning.

- Create dashboards and track KPIs for cost metrics and realized savings.

- Communicate findings and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Stakeholder Alignment

- Act as a trusted cost advisor to senior management.

- Organize cross-functional sessions and training to embed cost management know-how.

- Maintain robust relationships with internal teams and external partners, facilitating successful cost initiatives.

Performance Indicators

- Benchmark Cost Competitiveness: Track industry position and cost index.

- Cost Target Fulfillment: Record progress against cost-saving goals.

- Accuracy in Product Costing: Monitor variances between projected and actual expenditures.

- Savings from Improvement Projects: Quantify benefits from continuous improvement.

- Reporting Timeliness and Forecast Accuracy: Measure adherence to reporting schedules and accuracy of projections.

- Engagement Metrics: Count initiatives and training deliverables led by the role.

Ideal Profile:

Professional Background

- 15+ years of experience overall, with 10+ years in cost management, FP&A, or operational efficiency.

- Demonstrated expertise in leading cost and productivity initiatives in engineering or manufacturing.

Education

- Recognized qualification as a Cost Accountant or Chartered Accountant.

Key Competencies

- Strategic & Business Insight: Ability to steer cost competitiveness at an enterprise level.

- Operational Mastery: Experience driving process optimization and leading cross-disciplinary teams.

Tech Proficiency: Advanced skills in SAP (costing modules), BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau), and understanding of automation's impact on cost structures.

Change Leadership: Capable of influencing broad organizational adoption of cost-focused behaviors.

Personal Attributes:

Integrity, analytical vigilance, resilience, proactivity, sound judgment, adaptability, and a strong collaborative spirit.