Value Engineering and Cleansheet Specialist

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka. 

We’re proud of our award-winning culture and distilleries. Our Louisville office has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” four times, and our Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned the title of “world’s most award-winning distillery” through the dedication of our craftsmen for well over 200 years. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, Sazerac provides extraordinary opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, entrepreneurial industry.

Lucerne, Switzerland (Hybrid working model)

We are seeking a results-driven, hands-on, and technology-savvy procurement professional to join our Global Procurement team at our global office in Lucerne, Switzerland as Value Engineering and Cleansheet Specialist. This role will champion the development of a core capability within our Centre of Excellence to lead Value Engineering efforts to optimize our material specifications as well as the creation of a systematic approach to cleansheet material unit cost into its respective components. This role will be critical in driving cost transparency, enabling fact-based negotiations, and unlocking sustainable value across our supply base. The ideal candidate will combine engineering knowledge, cost modeling expertise, and strong business acumen to lead cross-functional initiatives that support cost optimization, supplier collaboration, and design-to-cost strategies. This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive, results-driven professional who thrives at the intersection of procurement, technology, and process excellence, and who wants to be part of a transformational journey shaping the future of procurement.

Key Responsibilities

Value Engineering

• Lead and manage cross-functional Value Engineering projects to identify and implement cost-saving opportunities across products, components, and services.
• Partner with Engineering, Product Development, Operations, and Quality teams to influence early-stage design decisions that drive cost efficiency without compromising performance or quality.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and value optimization throughout the organization.
• Support category managers and buyers with hands-on development and execution of VE project orchestration and execution
• Track and report on impact performance metrics (e.g., material savings, productivity, margin improvement, revenue growth).
• Explore capabilities to provide integrated systems capabilities aligned to the Procurement digital ecosystem
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and developments in Value Engineering methodologies and make recommendations for improvements as needed.

 Cleansheet modelling

• Develop and maintain cleansheet cost models for key categories (e.g., mechanical parts, electronics, plastics, logistics, etc.).
• Conduct should-cost analysis to provide Procurement teams with a detailed understanding of true cost drivers.
• Standardize and scale cleansheet methodology across categories and geographies.
• Collaborate with category managers and suppliers to validate models and identify cost gaps.
• Develop training materials and roll out best practices across the Procurement and Engineering teams.
• Track performance metrics (e.g., cost savings, cycle time, model accuracy) and report progress to senior leadership
• Explore capabilities to provide integrated systems capabilities aligned to the Procurement digital ecosystem
• Serve as the cost modeling expert during supplier negotiations, using cleansheet insights to challenge supplier quotations and build fact-based negotiation strategies.
• Support make-vs-buy decisions and sourcing strategies with cost data and engineering input.
• Stay current on market trends in procurement technology and recommend improvements.

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Must-have qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in Procurement, Cost Engineering, Manufacturing, or Value Engineering.
• Proven experience building and using cleansheet cost models in a procurement or product development context.
• Strong analytical and modeling skills, with proficiency in tools like Excel, Power BI, or cost estimation software (e.g., aPriori, FACTON, ShouldCost, etc.).
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams (engineering, design, operations, finance).
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills; ability to work across cultures and functions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional teams
• Self-starter with a result-driven, hands-on mindset and strong drive for continuous improvement.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken); additional languages are a plus.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 20%.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a manufacturing or engineering-driven industry (e.g., automotive, aerospace, industrial, consumer products).
• Familiarity with DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) principles.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or training in cost optimization methodologies.