Lead, TPL –Cost & Governance

The role

You will lead program execution, issue resolution, and cross-functional alignment for vehicle programs. You will manage cost calculations, budget forecasting, and financial governance across R&D and cross-functional teams.

What you will do

• Lead development of bottom-up cost calculations across vehicle main system teams and departments
• Assess and validate the plausibility of budget requests
• Consolidate and communicate approved budgets across MSTs and departments
• Drive cost forecasting activities and track actual spend against approved budgets
• Perform ongoing budget risk assessments
• Establish and enforce financial governance and accountability
• Support resource allocation decisions aligned with project scope, priorities, and timing
• Monitor and track progress against Top Goals and KPIs
• Identify cost-driven risks and trade-offs
• Drive cross-functional alignment on financial assumptions, priorities, and recovery actions

Required qualifications

• 12+ years of professional experience in the automotive industry, with a focus on program finance, cost engineering, controlling, or program management
• Bachelors in engineering
• Proven experience developing bottom-up cost estimates and managing program budgets in a cross-functional environment
• Strong understanding of automotive program financial structures, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost tracking
• Demonstrated ability to assess budget plausibility and challenge assumptions using data-driven analysis
• Experience managing financial forecasting and actuals tracking, including variance analysis and risk identification
• Proven ability to drive accountability across senior stakeholders, including influencing without direct authority
• Experience in resource planning and allocation, aligned with program scope and timelines
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Proficiency with financial planning and reporting tools and advanced Excel or equivalent analytical tools
• Solid understanding of cross-functional automotive development processes and their financial implications

Nice to have

• Experience in automotive controlling, cost engineering, or program finance leadership roles
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent
• Experience working in Agile or hybrid development environments
• Experience in EV architectures or software-defined vehicle platforms
• A good understanding of the Volkswagen PEP Product development system

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with employer match and immediate vesting
• 20 days planned PTO, as accrued
• 40 hours of unplanned PTO
• 14 company or floating holidays, annually
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave

Before you apply

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older
• This role is not eligible for remote work in New York City

About the company

Scout Motors is an iconic American brand electrifying and digitizing its heritage to create rugged SUVs and trucks. The company empowers inclusive and entrepreneurial teams to innovate in the electric pick-up truck and rugged SUV marketplace.