COST PROPOSAL SPECIALIST

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.
CARE is seeking the Cost Proposal Specialist (CPS), who will be an integral member of the Institutional Funding and Strategy (IFS) department of CARE USA. Reporting to either the Senior Cost Proposal Manager or Cost Proposal Manager, the CPS advises, coordinates and/or leads the preparation of high-quality cost proposal applications primarily for USG Competitive Bids and to some extent other non-USG bids, depending on needs of internal clients and/or what is necessary per CARE’s strategic purpose. She/he analyzes and determines the essential cost elements needed for each USG proposal submission, in relation to the donor’s requirements, and provides timely and effective leadership, guidance and support to Country Offices (COs) and HQ throughout the proposal development process. The CPS generally takes the lead role for the development of the RFP/RFA business management/cost proposal component. This individual works on deadline and collaborates with proposal response teams and CARE’s external teaming partners while ensuring that CARE’s costs are fully recovered in budgets and ensuring that donor and CARE requirements are met. S/he tailors budget/cost templates to assist CARE in proposal submissions and ensures that all relevant forms, representations, certifications, and other forms are understood and included as appropriate. S/he is also responsible for building the capacity of appropriate HQ and Country Office staff on the business/cost proposal process in accordance with CARE policies, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for contracts, and OMB Circulars and CFR’s for grants and cooperative agreements. S/he is expected to assist in the collaboration among IFS, Legal, Award Management Solutions, and others on changes in USG requirements, advocating for necessary improvements as needed to promote USG compliance and effective project implementation.

Responsibilities:

• Cost and Pricing Lead – provide technical assistance to the proposal team (CO, HQ, external partners) and lead the cost proposal development for multiple and simultaneous USG solicitations and task orders including overall budgeting, CARE and USG compliance and other requirements for successful application as well as operation and management of a project.
• Management of proposal risks, compliance and competitiveness concerns – Stay abreast of changes in donor regulations and collaborate with the IFS Cost Team members, Legal Department, Award Management Solutions, and other key stakeholders on USG compliance issues related to cost proposal development.
• Capacity building of CARE cost proposal budgeting and development – coordinate/assist in IFS’ capacity building efforts on cost proposal development. Build the capacity of CARE staff to improve their budgeting and cost proposal development skills, and relate their knowledge of relevant donor regulations.
• Other cost and pricing assistance – respond to periodic requests for assistance, after winning a bid (pre-award or post-award) including start-up planning of newly signed awards, to interpret and share knowledge on the budget implications during the program implementation for COs, HQ Grants Management, Technical Assistance Team, and Award Management Solutions.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Public/Business Administration or related field
• 3 years of grant/contract experience
• 5 years of budget development/analysis experience
• 5 years of financial analytical experience and proven skills
• 2-3 years of experience coordinating proposal development activities
• Communicating technical information to non-technical audience
• Providing guidance and technical expertise