Senior Manager, Cost Proposals

JOB SUMMARY:
The Senior Cost Proposal Manager (SCPM) will report to the Director of Cost Proposal and Business Management of the Institutional Funding & Strategy (IFS) Unit and will directly contribute to the achievement of CARE's goals to raise funding from the US Government for humanitarian and development assistance.
The SCPM will be responsible for developing and submitting COST PROPOSALS for complex USG bids (multi-sector, locally led, cooperative agreements/contracts) leading key team members/stakeholders across the full business development cycle (capture, live, BAFO). To be successful in this role, the SCPM will need subject matter expertise to ensure responsiveness and compliance to donor and CARE policies and procedures as well as to ensure competitiveness of cost and pricing proposals. As a senior member of the team, the SCPM will be responsible for quality assurance of the team's outputs as well as initiatives to strengthen systems and processes within the team including instituting best practices/standard operating procedures (SOPs), knowledge management, and capacity building. Relationship building is critical in this role to ensure strong collaboration across a multi-functional and geographically dispersed group of proposal team members. The SCPM will also be responsible for people management supervising the work of two (2) Cost Proposal Managers. The SPCM will co-lead efforts to improve employee morale and engagement, coaching/mentoring for professional development and talent retention/acquisition.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Cost and Pricing Lead

• Responsible to deliver responsive and competitive cost and pricing applications on complex USG cooperative agreements and contracts.
• Oversee planning and organization of cost proposal development and submission identifying/assigning roles/responsibilities, key deliverables and timelines of the cost proposal process.
• Lead on: (a) overall strategy, budgeting, and consolidation of cost applications highlighting issues to consider in decision to pursue the funding, (b) budget justifications, (c) gate reviews, d) as well as working with Award Management Solutions and other CARE departments as needed to obtain assurance of compliance with donor and CARE requirements including startup and other implementation risks.
• Review the solicitation requirements, advise proposal team leads on the interpretation of requirements, and recommend, or when necessary lead, responses to meet those requirements.
• Provide tailored cost/pricing templates for proposals. Conduct budget orientation for HQ Technical Assistance teams, Country Office (CO) teams, and implementing partners to ensure harmonization and consistency of assumptions and cost elements in the proposal budgets.
• Undertake budget negotiations between the HQ Technical Assistance team and the CO as well as external partners to ensure that an appropriate level of effort for technical oversight and monitoring are included in the budget.
• Prepare and/or review budgets and collaborate with the Country Office to ensure CARE costs are fully recovered and all donor requirements and policies are fulfilled.
• Collaborate with the technical team to ensure the budget is aligned with the technical proposal taking into consideration design, SOWs for CARE and partners, staffing recruitment etc.
• Prepare and/or review the required certifications. To succeed in this work, the SCPM will need effective problem solving, negotiation skills as well as understanding of when to escalate issues.

People Management

• Provides critical oversight of the functioning and well-being of two (2) Cost Proposal Managers in delivering quality cost and pricing proposals. Regularly collects 360 degree feedback from key proposal team members, conducts gap analysis, and constructively communicates results to direct reports and to the cost team in general to collectively identify areas for process improvement and staff needs and development. Guided by CARE initiatives on DEBI, work-life balance and wellness, in conjunction with efforts by the cost team and IFS leadership, ensures a wholesome work environment that recognizes staff needs, talent, and contributions. This position also leads the recruitment and on-boarding of potential staff and sourcing of consultants.

Knowledge management and capacity building

• Collaborates and coordinates with cost team leadership in managing, leading, and organizing knowledge management and capacity building efforts on cost/pricing proposal development and its interface with the overall proposal development cycle. Gathers and analyzes data obtained from Issues Letters during donor negotiations, After-Action Reviews, and ad hoc feedback from CARE donors and clients to inform knowledge management and capacity building efforts. Builds the capacity of CARE staff (IFS and non-IFS) and cost support consultants to improve their budgeting and cost proposal development skills, and their knowledge of related donor regulations and CARE cost recovery policies. Develops materials and delivers cost/business proposal development training to appropriate HQ and Country Office staff. Develops and maintain cost/pricing templates and trains others in their development and use. Leads the annual consolidation of recurring cost questions from donors' Issues Letters along with CO and HQ staff's budgeting concerns, consequently builds non-technical quick reference guides.

Donor Funding Trends, Compliance and Competitiveness

• Stays abreast of changes in donor regulations and collaborates with cost team and IFS leadership, with Legal Department, Award Management Solutions, and other key stakeholders, on matters of cost and pricing proposal risks, compliance and competitiveness concerns. Leads/co-leads in advocating for improvements in USG regulatory environment as well as in CARE processes and cost recovery policies. Carries out research including the use of available data in CARE systems as appropriate to provide evidence-based solutions to issues/concerns identified.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance or related field
• Over 10 years of combined experience and proven skills in budget development, agreements and contracts management, financial analysis and management accounting, project management of cost and pricing proposal development activities
• 3 to 5 years of effective people management with at least 2 direct reports/staff
• Ability to work effectively with others on a team
• Clear writing and communication skills
• Excellent problem-solving and budget negotiation skills
• Excellent skills in Microsoft Office applications particularly Excel and Word
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast -paced and extremely time-sensitive environment (can handle pressure)
• Self-starter
• Ability to understand non-profit accounting
• Ability to facilitate training and/or workshops and design/develop relevant materials
• Ability to understand the details without neglecting the bigger picture
• Familiarities with U.S. Government grant and contract regulations