Design to Value (DTV)/Cost Engineering Consultant

Outsized; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,700,000; Part time

Job summary

Outsized is seeking a Design to Value (DTV) / Cost Engineering Consultant in Mumbai for a 10-month engagement. The role focuses on identifying cost-reduction opportunities across direct materials, manufacturing and indirect costs within consumer durables, including fans, water heaters, lighting and other appliances.

The consultant will work with R&D, quality, sourcing and manufacturing to translate teardown insights into practical engineering changes that improve margins without compromising

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in product design, R&D, or cost engineering in consumer durables.
• Experience with fans, water heaters, lighting, or appliances.
• Excel-based cost modelling and BOM costing.
• Read engineering drawings and assess feasibility.

Responsibilities

• Conduct product teardowns of client and competitor SKUs and develop BOMs.
• Build should-cost models for motors, blades, castings, and PCBs.
• Identify DTV opportunities via substitution and standardisation.
• Collaborate with R&D, quality and sourcing to assess feasibility.
• Support supplier discussions, prototypes, and manufacturing trials.
• Track savings through the programme value tracker.

Skills

Cost modelling

BOM costing

Teardown analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in mechanical/electrical/electronics engineering

Tools

Excel

Engineering drawings

Job description

Design to Value (DTV)/Cost Engineering Consultant

Experience Mid Level (6-10 years) | Senior (11-15 years)

Duration 10 Months

Global Consulting Firm

India

Required Skills Consumer Electronics Product Design Product Management R&D Management Research and development Research & Development Cost Reduction Product Engineering Product Development Design Engineering

Project Overview

A leading global consulting firm is supporting a consumer electricals manufacturer on a margin improvement programme spanning direct materials, manufacturing and indirect costs. The client manufactures and sources fans, water heaters, lighting and other household appliances, working with both in-house facilities and contract manufacturers.

As part of the Design to Value (DTV) workstream, the consultant will identify and implement product-level cost optimisation opportunities across priority SKUs. Working closely with R&D, quality, sourcing and manufacturing teams, the consultant will translate teardown insights and cost benchmarks into practical engineering changes that improve margins without compromising product performance, quality or regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct product teardowns of client and competitor SKUs alongside the teardown partner, developing component-level Bills of Materials (BOMs), specifications and cost benchmarks.
• Build should-cost models for key components, including motors, blades, castings, sheet metal, PCBs, LED drivers, moulded plastics and packaging.
• Identify and evaluate DTV opportunities through material substitution, specification rationalisation, component and platform standardisation, and packaging optimisation.
• Collaborate with R&D, quality and sourcing teams to assess feasibility and ensure proposed changes meet BEE, BIS and product reliability requirements.
• Support supplier discussions, prototype samples and manufacturing trials, tracking initiatives from validation and sign-off through implementation.
• Work hands-on with plant teams and R&D labs, maintaining cost models and tracking realised savings through the programme value tracker.

Your Background

• Experience: 5-8 years in product design, R&D, value engineering (VAVE) or cost engineering within consumer durables, FMEG or appliance OEM/ODM environments.
• Industry exposure: Hands-on experience with fans, water heaters, lighting, kitchen appliances, air coolers or related consumer electrical products; experience with leading consumer durables companies is preferred.
• Technical expertise: Practical knowledge of motors, sheet metal fabrication, die-casting, injection moulding and power electronics, including LED drivers and BLDC controllers.
• Core skills: Demonstrated experience in product teardowns, BOM costing, should-cost modelling and identifying product cost reduction opportunities.
• Implementation experience: A track record of taking DTV/VAVE initiatives beyond ideation through validation and implementation.
• Tools and qualifications: Strong Excel-based cost modelling skills, with the ability to read engineering drawings preferred. A bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, electrical or electronics engineering is required.
• Working style: Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally and working hands-on in manufacturing plants and R&D environments.

Other Info

• Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, with visits to nearby client manufacturing plants as required
• Work arrangement: On-site and hands-on, with regular plant and R&D lab visits
• Contract Duration: 10 months