Senior Cost and Pricing Advisor

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Position Title: Senior Cost and Pricing Advisor
Location: Dakar
Country: Senegal
Deadline Date:

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization that is dedicated to alleviating poverty, suffering, and oppression while working to build secure, productive, and just communities. Established in 1979, Mercy Corps operates in over 40 countries worldwide, employing a diverse team of professionals who are committed to making a positive impact in the communities they serve. The organization values diversity and inclusion, believing that a better world is possible when teams are diverse and every member feels a sense of belonging.

Job Overview:
The Senior Cost and Pricing Advisor will play a crucial role within the Cost and Pricing team, focusing on supporting strategic program development efforts. This position involves leading or assisting in the creation of realistic and cost-competitive proposal budgets and cost applications, which include subawards and subcontract budgets. The advisor will provide essential cost and pricing guidance to Mercy Corps proposal teams and external partners, ensuring adherence to best practices and applicable donor regulations. Additionally, the advisor will be responsible for developing proposal cost and pricing guidance and tools, as well as designing and delivering related training. The role requires close collaboration with various teams, including HQ Finance, NI, and Compliance teams, as well as country leadership and finance teams.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead or support the development of realistic and cost-competitive proposal budgets and cost volumes for strategic, high-value, and complex new business opportunities, including multi-country and multi-sector efforts.
• Provide cost and pricing guidance to Mercy Corps proposal teams and consortium partners, facilitating the development of prime, sub-award, or subcontract budgets and associated budget narratives.
• Review partner budgets and related inputs, providing feedback and supporting negotiations as needed.
• Serve as a liaison between Mercy Corps’ country teams and the International Finance Team to ensure an efficient budget development process, including internal reviews and approvals.
• Collaborate with country teams and HQ proposal leads to ensure accurate and competitive costing of staff time, activities, office costs, and other direct costs.
• Review proposal budgets and cost applications for accuracy, quality, and compliance with Mercy Corps’ policies and donor regulations.
• Analyze new solicitations and provide guidance on cost and pricing requirements and compliance issues.
• Lead or support the development of budgeting guidance, tools, and templates to enhance agency capacity in proposal budgeting.
• Develop and deliver training related to proposal budgeting for country teams or HQ staff. 1
• Assess gaps in agency proposal budgeting capacity and recommend areas for improvement.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in international development or a related field, with preference given to candidates with overseas experience.
• Deep understanding of the proposal budgeting process for complex donor-funded programs over $20 million, particularly as a prime awardee, including familiarity with USAID and other institutional donors.
• Strong knowledge of USAID funding rules and regulations is essential.
• Experience in budgeting for US Government grant and cooperative agreement proposals is required.
• Familiarity with contract mechanisms such as firm fixed price, cost reimbursement, and time & materials is preferred.
• Proven ability to work productively with diverse stakeholders to facilitate participatory budgeting processes and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience leading or supporting budget and partnership negotiations at the proposal stage with US and international organizations.
• Experience developing Excel budget templates for proposals and related cost and pricing tools is a plus. 1
• Advanced proficiency in Excel is required.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required for this position. The educational background should ideally be in a field related to finance, economics, international development, or a similar discipline that provides the necessary analytical and quantitative skills required for the role.

Experience:
Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in international development or a related field. Preference will be given to those who have experience living and/or working overseas, as this background is crucial for understanding the complexities of international program development and budgeting.

Languages:
Fluent spoken and written English and French are required for this position. Working-level proficiency in Spanish is considered a plus, as it may enhance communication with diverse stakeholders and partners in various regions.

Additional Notes:
This position is a full-time role based in Dakar, Senegal, and may require approximately 10% travel to field locations, which could involve rugged living conditions or volatile environments. Team members must be prepared to deploy to field environments on short notice in response to emergencies or crises. The role emphasizes ongoing learning, with team members encouraged to dedicate 5% of their time to personal and professional development activities. Mercy Corps is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and actively seeks to build a team that reflects a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The organization also adheres to strict safeguarding and ethical standards, ensuring a respectful and dignified environment for all individuals involved in its work.