Job Summary
The Regional Business Development Specialist (BDS) Pricer, in conjunction with regional and country program leadership will provide leadership for resource mobilization efforts to meet long-term goals and annual growth targets. S/he will also support the diversification of revenue from institutional donors and non-traditional funding sources to achieve CRS’ strategic objectives. S/he will operate as a member of CRS’ East Africa Regional Office (EARO) team providing direct support to strategic growth opportunities as well as helping to strengthen BD-related systems, processes, relationships and staff capacities.
As Business Development (BD) Specialist II, Pricer you will lead the production of high-quality applications and proposals, with a specific focus on cost proposals, for funding in support of CRS’ engagement with institutional donors and initiatives involved in international development to serve the poor and vulnerable . Your knowledge and skills will allow you to provide specialized assistance in all dimensions of the BD cycle to cross-disciplines and cross-functional teams. This position requires strategic thinking on high-level pricing strategies, solid hands-on experience building proposal budgets, and the ability to transfer skills and knowledge via training and other capacity strengthening approaches. Options for the position to be based in CRS’ Baltimore headquarters (once permitted), Nairobi, Kenya as well as for the position to be telecommuting will be considered.
Roles And Key Responsibilities
With a particular focus on pricing strategy and cost inputs, provide BD expertise in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific opportunities with institutional donors ( government and inter-governmental award issuing organizations, as well as foundations, corporations and other awarding non-governmental organizations).
Coordinate cost proposal development processes to ensure timely submission of high quality cost proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards. Lead and support proposal budget processes and propose recommendations to develop a competitive proposal.
Serve as cost lead on proposal teams, working with technical staff, management, local finance staff, and partner staff to integrate inputs into a responsive, cost competitive detailed budget and budget narrative. Collaborate with proposal teams to ensure an understanding of the proposal requirements and to establish competitive and reasonable cost and pricing data for the development of cost proposals in accordance and alignment with relevant proposal specifications. Create or modify budget spreadsheet templates in accordance with client requirements.
In close collaboration with proposal coordinators and technical leads, lead or contribute to the writing of competitive cost proposal narratives.
Support to proposal budget processes, including compliance reviews and cost competitive analyses, to ensure adherence to the solicitation, donor rules and regulations and internal CRS policies and cost standards.
Manage partners as a part of the proposal process and perform activities including developing budget templates, providing budget assumptions, negotiating budgets, reviewing budgets and notes, and ensuring final submissions comply with donor requirements.
Lead proposal teams in collecting, preparing, and analyzing historical cost data for use in budgeting.
Support senior management to cultivate and strengthen institutional relationships with institutional donors, partner organizations and other stakeholders.
As appropriate and time permitting, serve in other lead or supporting role on a proposal team, working with proposal teams to ensure the timely submission of high-quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards.
Train and mentor staff, as needed, to improve their skills in cost proposal and pricing strategy development across a variety of donors.
Support and guide identification of partners and negotiation of CRS’ role on proposal consortia, ensuring a competitive position for CRS that adheres to the agency’s partnership principles and strategic directions.
Lead in developing and/or updating of relevant cost proposal tools, resources and training modules. Develop templates and tools for efficient and effective cost proposal preparation according to donor and industry best practices (e.g. Excel budget templates and cost notes).
Actively contribute to CRS and EARO Business Development Communities of Practice and advance CRS’ Business Development practices through contributions to strategic initiatives and annual summits. Cultivate collaborative relationships with other key stakeholders, including HQ and regional finance staff.
Required Languages – Fluency in English required
Travel – Willingness to travel up to 50% a plus.
Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience preparing complicated spreadsheets and budgets.
Ability to manage multiple ongoing responsibilities and strong organization and prioritization skills.
Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture.
Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
Excellent negotiation skills.
Strong communications and presentation skills.
Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, detail-oriented and results-oriented.
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Key Working Relationships
Internal: EARO Business Development Team, Regional Finance Officer and regional finance staff, Country Program Finance Managers and other finance and operations staff, Heads of Programs and other program quality staff, Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Institutional Donor Engagement & Advancement unit.
External: Business development and finance staff of collaborating partner organizations; select donor representatives as appropriate.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in international development, international relations, finance, economics, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum five years of international development experience, with at least three years’ experience in a developing country.
Five years of proposal development and/or budgeting experience, with familiarity with USAID.
Preferred Qualifications
Demonstrated experience utilizing diverse, proactive strategies to competitively position his/her organization for new funding and productive institutional relationships.
Demonstrated experience leading and producing competitive cost applications and proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS. Strong preference for experience leading complex US government contract proposal processes.
Proficient in the application of relevant cost principles, budgeting methodologies, and cost presentations of US government donor agencies (USAID, CDC, Department of State). Preference for similar knowledge with other non-US government donors (e.g. FCDO, EU, and World Bank).
Possesses working knowledge of all US government contract types, including CPFF, CPAF, FFP, T&M, and IDIQ
Familiarity with relevant institutional donor regulations, policies, procedures and priorities. Must understand Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), AIDAR, USAID Standard Provisions, 2 CFR 200 and 700, and other relevant federal regulations.
Demonstrated experience developing complete cost proposals (including detailed budgets, budget narratives and other supporting cost information) for a variety of donors, including USAID; experience with both cooperative agreement/grant and contract mechanisms strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience managing teams and processes, leading teams to produce deliverables under tight deadlines and at exceptional quality. Experience providing remote support to diverse teams strongly preferred.
Experience in developing content for and facilitating trainings related to key business development practices. Knowledge of adult learning approaches desired.
Knowledge of CRS programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles a plus
Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.
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