Cost and Pricing Manager

The Cost and Pricing Manager will work as part of a high performing team to ensure that MSH consistently delivers at or above long-term revenue goals. The Cost and Pricing Manager plays a key role in all aspects of costing, pricing, and contracting for new business acquisition at MSH. They will supervise Cost and Pricing team staff, manage assignments, manage process and tool updates, and strengthen capacity both within the Cost and Pricing team and throughout the organization. They will directly manage key proposals, lead budgeters and associates as they develop cost proposals, manage pricing strategy development and pre-award contractual arrangements, and troubleshoot proposal roadblocks. They will serve as MSH's key expert on particular donor segments, oversee MSH's small bid processes and implementation, and support MSH's strategic initiatives as well as effective collaboration across the organization.

Specific responsibilities include:

Team Effectiveness and Management (15%)

• Supervise Cost and Pricing team staff, supporting team members' quality execution of job responsibilities and capacity strengthening.
• Continuously provide mentorship and feedback to the entire Cost and Pricing team. Ensure all the members of the team have the tools they need to be successful in their roles.
• In coordination with MSH work teams, maintain and revise content, tools, and templates for the Cost and Pricing team including training materials, job aides, and other resources. Contribute to the development of budgeting protocols, systems, and innovative approaches to ensure continuous improvement of MSH's cost proposal development processes.
• Keep abreast of updates from contracts, finance, other CFO group teams, and other organizational teams, collaborating as needed on various initiatives.
• Provide support as assigned to Cost and Pricing staff as necessary, including supporting workplanning, attending meetings, managing consulting agreements, etc.
• Conduct domestic and international travel as required.

Proposal Development and Strategy (45%)

• Manage budgeters and associates who complete cost proposals for MSH, ensuring proposals' competitiveness, compliance, risk management, feasibility for implementation, profitability, and alignment with technical strategy. Ensure cost assumptions and pricing strategies for budgets meet quality standards.
• For key and complex proposals, take on more direct budgeting role, completing budgets and documentation as needed.
• Manage pricing strategy development for certain proposals, and support pricing officers to do the same.
• During the proposal phase, manage contractual requirements, as well as agreements and contracts with donors and partners, and identify risks and issues, making mitigation plans and raising issues as appropriate to senior management, and support pricing officers to do the same.
• Use or develop expertise on donors to ensure proposal teams are educated on relevant donor requirements and regulations and that final cost proposal submissions conform to donor requirements, performing quality checks and reviews and creating/revising templates as needed.
• Lead the review of draft and final award documents for consistency of financial data and reasonable contractual terms, provide written and oral analysis, negotiate the contract with the funder, and support pricing officers to do the same on other proposals.
• Support or oversee finance support for project start-up, especially in initial workplan budgeting, if indicated.
• Oversee or lead budget negotiations with subcontractors as a part of the proposal process, ensuring final submissions are responsive to donor requirements and MSH quality standards. Ensure appropriate risk mitigation and planning for eventual subcontracts and provide assistance in budgeting and other proposal work to partner organizations when helpful. Support Cost and Pricing team to do the same.

Advance MSH's Global Partnerships (5%)

• Serve as lead organizational expert on particular donors in terms of cost, pricing, and contracts.
• Collaborate cross-organizationally on MSH initiatives related to advancing MSH's Global Partnerships (for example, supporting pricing alignment with donor preferences/requirements), representing SBDP and providing cost and pricing expertise.

Country Engagement (15%)

• Contribute to MSH's partnering strategies, SOPs, and tools, especially in regard tocommunication and expectation-setting and developing budget templates that are donor compliant and user-friendly for easy and rapid implementation.
• Collaborate cross-organizationally on MSH initiatives related to country engagement (for example, increasing the sophistication of MSH's processes for engaging local partners), representing SBDP and providing cost and pricing expertise.
• Strengthen capacity across MSH's country teams, providing ongoing formal and informal training and mentoring on cost and pricing processes, partner engagement, SOPs, tools and templates, and other relevant issues.

Pipeline Management (5%)

• Support SBDP reporting, including corporate budget reporting.
• Manage proposal assignments for the team.

Business Strategy (15%)

• Develop pricing models for different donors, contract types, and business segments.
• Support development of MSH business models.
• Strengthen capacity across the organization, providing ongoing formal and informal training and mentoring to various members of proposal teams on cost and pricing processes, partner engagement, SOPs, tools and templates, and other relevant issues, including trainings for small bid development.
• Draw on/build network of counterparts in business development and pricing to contribute to MSH keeping pace with industry standards and best practices in business proposal development with various donors.
• Oversee pricing, costing, and contracting on small bids and oversee the small bids process development in these areas.

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED MINIMUM EDUCATION

• Required: Postgraduate degree in a relevant field or relevant equivalent experience

REQUIRED MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

• Required: 7+ years of directly relevant experience.
• Thorough knowledge of a variety of concepts, practices, and procedures within cost proposal development, pricing, USG and other donor and partner contracting and contract review, as well as applicable laws, regulations, and general instructions is required.
• Deep expertise working with a range of donors, particularly USAID; experience with CDC, MCC, FCDO, Gavi, UN agencies, The Global Fund, BMGF, and other donors, as well as experience with a variety of contract types with various donors, highly preferred.
• Extensive experience in developing all elements of cost proposals including competitive pricing strategies, budgets, partner cost proposals, cost narratives, cost documentation, and answers to donor questions.
• Experience in the international development sector (especially in public health) and experience in program implementation are desirable.
• Experience in managing and coaching staff and capacity strengthening.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Strong computer skills, advanced knowledge of Excel formulas, ability to use macros and pivot tables, and ability to learn and apply additional financial software.
• Ability to provide expertise across the entire business development lifecycle, specifically developing complex cost proposals with increasing levels of responsibility for multilateral, bilateral, and corporate donors, and foundations.
• Significant knowledge of USG rules and regulations and cost principals for contracts and cooperative agreements, contract mechanisms and associated requirements and implications for business, and various donor requirements.
• Advanced financial and business analysis and modeling skills.
• Attention to detail and advanced organizational skills with an ability to manage competing priorities across time zones.
• Written and oral communication is clear, strategic, effective, persuasive, and respectful.
• Strong written and verbal English language skills required. Other languages (especially French or Spanish) will further distinguish candidates.

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to initiate and organize work, establish priorities in a time-sensitive environment, meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Ability to work and manage effectively in a matrixed environment, building buy-in across the organization for various proposals and initiatives.
• Ability to learn and analyze requirements for new donors and develop compliant, competitive, and beneficial pricing strategies and cost proposals for them.
• Ability to mentor, coach, and supervise others in cost proposal development and donor contractual requirements.
• Innovative thinker with the ability to adapt to new and/or unplanned situations and creatively problem-solve.
• Ability to manage diverse teams and cultivate and maintain effective relationships across our multicultural and geographically diverse organization, as well as with local and international partners.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to handle the high stress environment of business development with diplomacy and a sense of humor while following through on deliverables.
• Mission-driven and self-directed with passion, integrity, and a positive attitude.
• Understanding of financial elements of the business, ability to analyze and evaluate risk, ability to communicate complex financial concepts and situations simply and directly (including use of graphics), and facilitation skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to perform basic office operations including extensive keyboard and computer use, pulling drawers, and lifting papers