Rajendra Behera

Working as a Cost Controller within the R&D division, responsible for driving cost estimates for R&D products,
preparing business cases to recommend on the financial viability of lunching new products to management, and leading the cost improvement initiatives for commercial products. Key responsibilities include:
• R&D Product Costing & Business Case Preparation
◦ Collaborating with product development teams to understand product attributes (e.g., formulation strength, IP processes, batch size, cycle time) and gather accurate Bill of Materials (BOM).
◦ Participating in cross-functional team (CFT) meetings to finalize cost drivers and recommend target product costs.
◦ Preparing business cases to assess financial viability (NPV/IRR) and support go/no-go decisions by management.
• Quarterly Cogs Variance Analysis Report for R&D phase product
◦ Preparing quarterly cogs variance reports for underdevelopment products based on latest commercial price visibility for key materials and latest plant overhead rates,
◦ Presenting key insights and recommended actions to leadership; monitor follow-up implementation of corrective measures.
• Make v/s Buy evaluation
◦ Evaluated the COGS and overall financial viability of third-party manufactured products, recommending in
house production opportunities to management for cost optimization and margin improvement.
• Cost Optimization & CIP Execution
◦ Driving the evaluation and implementation of cost improvement plans (CIP) for commercial products through collaboration with various cross-functional teams such as packaging, logistics, supply chain, and operations to discuss various cost drivers and ideate possible cost optimization strategies.
◦ Conducting cost-benefit assessments of alternate raw material sources, batch scale up, and process
improvements to achieve sustainable cost reductions.

Worked as a Cost & Pricing Analyst within the Business Development team, responsible for developing cost models and pricing strategies for both commercial and defence aerospace programs, including U.S. Government projects under FAR compliance. Where my role included:
Commercial Proposals
• Prepared business cases and pricing proposals for RFPs from aerostructure and aeroengine OEMs.
• Collaborated with SCM, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Logistics teams to compile accurate cost estimates and determine product COGS.
• Built business case financial models for the RFP performance period, including projected Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement based on the estimated COGS. Optimized pricing strategy to meet PAT and IRR requirements. Evaluated capex needs and payback period, and analysed margins and P&L cost elements relative to revenue to identify opportunities for cost control and improvement, and presenting the business case to Heads of Departments and Plant Heads to secure approval on cost estimates, pricing, delivery schedule, and program viability.
Defence Proposals (Federal Acquisition Regulation -
• Developed FAR-compliant pricing proposals ensuring cost elements were factual, verifiable, and reasonable as per FAR 15 guidelines.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams (Finance, SCM, Industrial Engineering, HR) to gather relevant cost data, including trial balances, BOMs, price reasonableness documents, production hours, and employee pay details.
• Built overhead rates (MAT OH, MFG OH, G&A OH) based on the last three years of trial balance data. Identified cost drivers, prepared detailed projections for the expense general ledger, and allocated trial balance costs to relevant cost categories to develop overhead rates for product allocation.
• Built the direct labour rates for the plants based on the historical financial actuals and average y-o-y escalations.
• Determined unit selling prices and developed detailed cost models to ensure FAR-compliant proposals in response to RFPs for the specified period of performance.
• Supported FAR proposal audits with OEMs and DCAA auditors, presenting and justifying the basis of estimates for each cost elements, supported by comprehensive calculations and detailed documentation.

• Assessed client creditworthiness through detailed analysis of operational, financial, and management profiles,
engaging with senior management to understand business risks and performance drivers.
• Conducted comprehensive industry and peer analysis to evaluate trends, market outlook, and cyclicality impacts on
liquidity and cash flow.
• Evaluated business and financial risks by analyzing integration levels, procurement dependencies, concentration risks,
order books, and capex plans.
• Reviewed financial statements and key ratios, performing sensitivity and scenario analysis to assess credit strength
and DSCR impacts.
• Prepared detailed credit rating reports summarizing company profiles, key risk factors, financial projections, and peer
comparisons for rating committee presentations.
• Coordinated due diligence with bankers and auditors to validate information and ensure timely credit reviews.
• Mentored analysts in financial modelling, CMA data preparation, and interpretation of business performance trends.