VAVE

Job Title: Senior Consultant VAVE Program

Location: Cottage Grove, MN (Each location to be visited once. USA (CA, NE, ND, NC, OH) and Tijuana (Mexico). May add few more locations.)

Onsite/ Hybrid/ Remote: Hybrid

Role Summary:

The Senior VAVE Consultant will lead, anchor, and execute the end to end VAVE program directly at the suppliers facility for Industrial products.

This role ensures that the supplier generates credible, feasible, and implementable cost reduction ideas without compromising quality, reliability, performance, or regulatory compliance.

Consultant will work closely with the Program Manager, the client’s cross-functional teams, and the suppliers crossfunctional teams to ensure the program delivers validated savings.

Key Responsibilities

1. VAVE Strategy, Planning Alignment

• Translate client expectations, product scope, and savings targets into a structured VAVE execution roadmap for the supplier.
• Establish clear governance, cadence, workshop plans, and decision gates for supplier side execution.
• Ensure supplier leadership and cross functional teams (Design, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality etc.,) are aligned, resourced, and accountable.
• Define VAVE workstreams: material, design, process, standardization, and specification optimization.

1. Technical Analysis& Baseline Preparation

• Review suppliers current product cost structure, BOM, routing, manufacturing processes, tooling.
• Perform structured analyses: functional analysis, cost driver mapping, teardown insights, benchmarking, alternate material/process feasibility.
• Identify major value levers and prioritize highimpact VAVE zones.

1. Facilitation of Workshops Ideation Sessions

• Lead and facilitate on site VAVE workshops using industry standard methods (FAST, DFMA, 7step VAVE, idea funneling etc.,).
• Drive supplier participation, ensuring ideas originate from their teams.
• Promote creative but practical ideation, leveraging benchmarks and cross industry best practices.
• Maintain a traceable idea register.

1. Technical &Cost Feasibility Development

• Guide supplier engineers in developing VAVE concepts to a technically defensible level.
• Review supplier calculations: BOM impact, Labor/cycle time changes, Tooling implications, Yield and scrap effects, Supply chain and logistics impacts
• Ensure savings assumptions are realistic, evidence‑backed, and auditable.
• Coordinate suppliers risk assessments (DFMEA/PFMEA updates).

1. Validation Planning &Coordination

• Work with supplier teams to define prototype, test, and qualification needs for each shortlisted idea.
• Coordinate trials, PPAP/FAI readiness, and supplier internal testing.
• Ensure ideas meet clients quality, regulatory, safety, and performance standards.

1. Reporting, Documentation Stakeholder Management

• Maintain up‑to‑ date documentation—idea funnel, business cases, risks, decisions, and validation progress.
• Provide weekly progress reports to the Program Manager with clear risks, dependencies, and decisions needed.
• Present VAVE outputs to client engineering, procurement, and leadership stakeholders.
• Drive alignment between supplier and client during reviews.

1. Implementation Readiness and Handover

• Ensure ideas approved by client are ready for implementation (complete drawings, process updates, validation evidence).
• Support supplier to prepare implementation timelines, investment requests, and transition plans.
• Ensure a clean handover into implementation tracking.

REQUIRED SKILLS &Experience

Experience

• 15 years in VAVE/Value Engineering, NPD, Manufacturing Engineering, Cost Reduction, or Industrial Engineering.
• Proven experience leading VAVE programs at tier‑1 or tier‑2 suppliers in relevant industries (electro‑
• mechanical, industrial, automotive, electronics, consumer products, etc.).
• Strong background in product cost breakdown, design‑for‑manufacture/assembly, and manufacturing processes.

Technical Skills

• Deep understanding of BOM, cost modeling, manufacturing processes, tooling, materials, and supply chain economics.
• Skilled in structured VAVE tools and methodologies:
• FAST diagrams, DFMA, Tear‑down/value analysis, Benchmarking, Cost driver modeling
• Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, engineering change documents.

Behavioural Skills

• Strong workshop facilitation and cross‑functional leadership.
• Excellent stakeholder management across supplier teams and client teams.
• Able to handle conflicts, push for accountability, and maintain neutrality.
• High clarity in communication, documentation, and presentations.

Typical Deliverables of this Role

• VAVE roadmap &execution plan
• Baseline cost analysis &teardown insights
• VAVE workshop outputs and idea funnel
• Technical and commercial feasibility packs
• Savings validation documents
• Risk register, validation plan
• Final VAVE report for client approval
• Implementation readiness package