Associate Director, Pricing and Profitability (Hybrid in Durham, NC, Chicago, IL, or Washington, DC)
The Associate Director of Pricing and Profitability on the Operational Excellence team is an experienced operations professional who manages key components of the pricing and profitability workstreams for Partner Solutions (PS).
The Associate Director manages the team’s production and execution of analysis, routine and non-routine reports, dashboards, pricing templates, and PS-wide resources and trainings. Additionally, the Associate Director will support the Pricing and Profitability Director and the Solutions Management team in the execution and implementation of new and existing policies and best practices, while supporting the exploration of a new pricing model.
This position reports to the Pricing and Profitability Director on the Operational Excellence team and partners closely with the Solutions Management team, Executive, and PS leadership. Additionally, the Associate Director will oversee the work of and manage the Pricing and Profitability Associate.
Essential Responsibilities
Pricing
- Implement the annual pricing strategy processes aimed at driving business revenue and profit margin growth for PS’s line of business by managing or delegating tasks related to the maintenance of and implementation of improvements to the firm’s pricing tools, resources, systems, templates, and processes that support efficient and accurate pricing
- In partnership with the Executive Leadership, PS Leadership, and the Solutions Management teams and the Pricing and Profitability Director, prepare data for the annual PS bill rate model and help to assess the performance of annual rates
- With the Pricing & Profitability Director’s partnership, prepare guidance and provide trainings to partner teams and staff on pricing-related topics, processes, and tools, building the capacity of Account Managers to accurately price/reprice projects, navigate the annual repricing process, and manage projects’ profitability
- Support the Pricing and Profitability and the Solutions Management teams in exploring a new PS pricing model, by running or delegating analysis on, sharing findings and forming recommendations from historical pricing data, project-level workload factors, and profitability analysis
- Work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to identify, plan for, and implement operational changes in the way we manage pricing, including business operations, bill rate adjustments, and discount policies
- In partnership with the Pricing and Profitability Director, help in designing, implementing, and communicating the operational changes for the new pricing model known as the “pricing engagement plan”
Profitability
- Lead the workflow of the department’s quarterly profitability report, ensuring consistent, accurate reporting
- Identify and implement internal profitability reporting tool improvements as well as workflow enhancements for account managers’ review and report-out process
- In partnership with the Executive Leadership, PS Leadership, the Solutions Management teams and the Pricing and Profitability Director, identify ways and form recommendations for establishing and implementing a new profitability strategy for Partner Solutions
- Serve as a resource for PA Account Managers review projects’ quarterly profitability and determine repricing action to take to cover projects’ costs in light of pricing strategies and project context
- Conduct pricing analysis and performance assessments to form recommendations that:
- Inform new strategy, pricing solutions, pricing decisions, and recommendations
- Measure the effectiveness and financial impact of current and evolving pricing models, policies, and changes
- Support the Business Desk’s decision-making function related to revenue, pricing, profitability, and discounts – prepare data for PS leaderships’ decision-making process and ensure proper documentation agreed-upon decisions
- Data Analysis and Reporting
- Oversee the Pricing & Profitability Associate’s creation and maintenance of the pricing tool database
- With the Pricing and Profitability Director support,
- Identify and design more efficient data processes, automated systems, and technology to support analysis and decision-making
- Support in exploring technology and data solutions with the Solutions Management team needed to achieve long-term pricing objectives, strategies, and goals that enables account team managers to monitor project profitability and recoup costs to service projects
People Management
- Oversee and manage performance accountabilities including setting individualized goals and managing role expectations for each direct report
- Ensure performance accountabilities for skip-level direct reports
- Contribute to professional growth and satisfaction of staff in specialized roles within Operational Excellence by providing appropriate direction, support, guidance, and mentorship for staff at all levels
- Promote a firm culture that centers equity and belonging; develop and share relevant skills and issue‐area expertise
- People manage junior staff member, including performance management and a focus on developing, motivating, and mentoring direct reports
- Oversee timekeeping for direct report(s); liaising with assigned capacity director as needed
- Convey, support, and as appropriate, translate firm messages from leadership to direct reports
Other Responsibilities
- Participate in specialized team initiatives as assigned
- Support the development of more efficient processes, systems, and technology as assigned
- Participate in training and learning activities throughout the year
- Increase knowledge of fiscal sponsorship pricing trends and for-profit business best practices
- Implement and adhere to department and organizational policies and procedures
To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need
- 6-8 years of relevant professional experience
- Experience with operational policies and processes such as finance, HR, compliance and legal in the nonprofit, philanthropic, or business sector
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, in particular Excel, and CRM database management
- Demonstrated analytical skills of large collections of data
- Excellent written and verbal communication, working with team members of all levels
- Ability to flex between analytical, strategic, and operational aspects of the job
- Problem-solving to identify trends and recommend strategies
- Interest in financial and operational modeling
- Experiencing managing direct reports
- Strong project management and elevated stakeholder management skills, including delegation, conflict management, and management of highly sensitive situations
- Excellent time management skills, effective prioritization, ability to meet deadlines, and drive multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovation and creative solutions
- Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with diverse teams and audiences
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate difficult messages; adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs
- Ability to use available resources and feedback to continually pivot, adapt, and grow
- Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with diverse teams and audiences
Preferred
- Familiarity and/or experience working within a fiscal sponsorship structure is a plus.
- Familiarity with for-profit business best practices
- An appreciation for efficient processes and a desire to improve them
- Ability to facilitate team-level learning
Our Core Competencies
- The ability to provide excellent service, including being able to address complex service matters, implement and communicate service changes to everyone involved, and to coach teammates on how to apply the firm’s service standards
- The ability to manage large-scale and cross-firm projects, including delegating and managing all resources, identifying and implementing improved processes, monitoring consistency across project teams, and providing direction and support to teammates
- The ability to facilitate and negotiate among stakeholders with conflicting needs and to generate consensus among decision makers
- The ability to help effectively communicate difficult messages; to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various needs; and to coach teammates on crafting content.
- The ability to work cooperatively and inclusively with others to achieve shared goals, including encouraging and facilitating effective compromise, drawing on the capabilities of all team members, and leading team-level knowledge sharing
- The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually develop mastery in your role and facilitate team and project-level learning, including coaching others
- The ability to solve complex challenges by identifying innovative solutions and facilitating coordination with others
- The ability to elevate the voices of marginalized colleagues and mitigate power dynamics with staff with less formal authority
Working with Us
While this position must be based in Durham, NC, Chicago, IL, or Washington, DC, please note that all Arabella Advisors’ offices have reopened, and we work in a hybrid environment.
We reopened our offices in Summer of 2022 and work with a hybrid workplace strategy to ensure continued flexibility for our staff, while deepening our strong culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. We expect that after their initial onboarding, all Arabellans will have the choice of two hybrid schedules. Our hybrid schedule options include Flex, with 1-2 days per week in the office, or Office-based, with 3+ days per week in the office (or more if preferred) and the remaining days working at home/remotely. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers
page to learn more.
About Arabella Advisors
Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.
About Arabella’s Partner Solutions Team
The Partner Solutions Team provides operations and back-end services and support to fiscally sponsored projects housed at multiple 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. Projects range from new and innovative public interest organizations to donor collaborative initiatives to grants administration programs and cover a diverse range of focus areas. Candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to better understand the complex infrastructure and role of our team.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click
here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.
Total Rewards (compensation and benefits)
This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our compensation ranges are based on salary ranges for similar sized organizations in the professional services sector and adjusted for local labor market rates and differentiated by geography.
Annual Pay Ranges for This Position
Durham: $75,000 - $85,000
Chicago: $80,000 - $90,000
DC: $85,000 - $95,000
All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:
- Health insurance- On average Arabella pays 86% of the medical premium, 80% of the dental premium, and 100% of the vision premium
- Paid time off- 16 days’ vacation, 10 personal days, 11 company holidays (7 federal and 4 more from a list of inclusive cultural and religious holidays and your birthday), 20 hours volunteer leave, 8 weeks parental leave
- 401(k) retirement plan- We offer a 4% employer match on a dollar-per-dollar basis, and there is no waiting or vesting period; all funds contributed by you and Arabella are yours to keep on day 1
- Reimbursements for your personal cell phone plan and fitness
- Pre-tax withholding for transportation and parking
- Bonus incentive opportunities
- Access to professional development opportunities
Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.
Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know. We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions.
Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.
unable to pay for relocation expenses, and all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.
We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.
