Role Purpose And Overview
The Senior Budget Development Advisor is responsible for leading IRC’s efforts in improving public donor budgeting and developing pricing strategies to strengthen business development competitiveness. In collaboration with the Program finance and Controller and the proposal leadership team, the role will develop strategies and practices and introduce new budget preparation tools, templates, processes, and trainings to ensure that IRC can achieve its ambitious organizational goals.
In close collaboration with Finance, tThis position provides training on new and established tools, processes, priority donor requirements, as well as developing continuous learning modules for improving competitive pricing at the country and global levels. Additionally, the role will provide guidance, reviews, and technical assistance throughout the business development lifecycle, ensuring a delicate balance between cost recovery, risk mitigation, price competitiveness, and compliance with internal policies and donor regulations. On occasion the role will serve as a pricing lead for strategic or complex proposals.
The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of working on new business efforts in international development with donors such as the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, UK FCDO, ECHO, EU, or US Government. As a member of the Business Development Quality and Systems Team they will contribute to strategic and operational initiatives across the Global BD Team.
Responsibilities
Pricing Systems, Tools and Processes
- Lead the strengthening and implementation of pricing and cost strategies across IRC in collaboration with Finance, Proposal Leadership, and other key stakeholders, balancing cost competitiveness and cost recovery.
- In collaboration with Global Finance and Pricing team, introduce and/or strengthen budget preparation tools, templates, processes, and workflow within IRC to support IRC’s ambitious business development goals.
- Conduct an analysis of different cost recovery models (including INGOS, contractors, UN, etc.) to establish improved and viable cost models.
- Conduct research and evaluate key cost drivers in relation to different management/delivery structures, highlighting risks and opportunities for cost optimization to ensure competitiveness in an increasingly shrinking market. This includes aspects such as labor rates, employment regulations, travel expenses, training venue costs, operational cost, local inflation rates, procurement of equipment and supplies, and security requirements.
- Lead the development or modification of pricing related tools seeking to deliver high-quality cost and business application materials.
- Contribute to Business Development management and strategic operationalization as part of the Business Development Quality and Systems Team.
Capacity Building
- Develop training and other Capacity Building tools to strengthen IRC pricing and costing capacity at the global, regional, and country level.
- Integrate tools and training into the BD Process review.
Quality Assurance
- Review complex priority budgets for competitiveness of pricing, fee arrangements, the feasibility of implementation, and the overarching strategy to secure the proposal successfully.
- Provide guidance and strategies for creating intricate budget templates (e.g., breaking down activities by desired outcomes) to present cost-related aspects most efficiently for select competitive proposal.
- Forecast financial risks associated with commercial contracts and formulate or review fee rates that are specific to the nature of each solicitation and operational environment.
- Review released complex and priority solicitations to advise budget lead on whether cost-related considerations might hinder the development of a competitive, compliant, and viable bid.
- Participate in Lime and Green Reviews for high priority bids to ensure financial soundness, as well as competitiveness.
- As assigned and needed, serve as a pricing lead for strategic or complex proposals
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or public administration, finance, international development or similar discipline or equivalent work experience required.
- Minimum 7 years relevant experience in developing budgets, identifying costing strategies for international development efforts and implementing appropriate systems and processes.
- Proven knowledge of budget development and cost analysis, good practices; familiarity with project design methodologies, price-to-win approaches and proposal development processes is a plus.
- Experience with key international donors, such as USG, World Bank, FCDO, European and other donors experience.
- Experience with all aspects of price and cost proposal preparation, including business risks, pricing to win strategies, payment by results, and estimating practices.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively manage a variety of relationships in a multicultural environment.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate equally effectively with colleagues in ‘remote’ and diverse teams, including as team leader for proposals.
- Demonstrated ability to contribute to strategic and operational thinking as member of a critical resource team.
- Ability to travel internationally; (up to 10% of time)
- Fluency in English required. French, Spanish or Arabic a plus.
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