The USAID Cost Proposal Manager will report to the Director of Project Management and will directly contribute to the achievement of Opportunity’s goals to raise funding from the US Government. The role will ensure the competitiveness and accuracy of pricing proposals through applying USAID rules and regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards, and Opportunity International’s policies and procedures. Relationship management is a critical component of this role to ensure strong collaboration across a multi-functional and geographically dispersed group of team members.
RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Develop conforming and competitive cost proposals in response to Request For Applications (RFA) and Request For Proposals (RFP) for USAID and other institutional donor-funded proposals.
- Ensure responsive and competitive cost proposals receive approval by the Government Services, Business Development, Program and Finance departments before submission.
- Collaborate with the Finance Department during proposal development to ensure alignment and accuracy of figures and cost narrative.
- Review, interpret and summarize the solicitation requirements and in conjunction with proposal team respond to identified requirements.
- Calculate and advise the proposal team and senior management on potential risk and return on new business proposals using the RFA and RFP data.
- Develop the pricing cost narrative for each cost proposal in accordance with solicitation requirements.
- Negotiate budgetary items with subcontractors or subrecipients with guidance from technical staff.
- Create subrecipient cost proposal instructions, including budget development and budget narrative templates, cost parameters in line with roles, scopes of work, and budget development and budget narrative templates, and cost parameters in line with roles, scopes of work, and established levels of effort.
- Review subrecipient cost proposals to support teaming agreements.
- Prepare and review budgets in collaboration with internal stakeholders to ensure Opportunity’s costs are fully recovered, and all donor requirements and policies are fulfilled.
- Provide additional information and revisions of submitted information during the Best and Final Offer stage of a proposal and pre-and post-award process, as needed.
- Help identify financial or operating risks associated with the execution of the contract or project.
- Review actual project spend versus initial budget information gathered from Program Managers and Implementing Departments, to identify budgeting trends and improve overall quality of cost estimates.
- Assist technical staff in completing budget realignments and cost modifications.
- Support the Finance Department with recommendations on developing standardized costing tools or negotiated rates, e.g., benefits rates.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or 5 Years equivalent work experience
- Knowledge of Cost Accounting Standards and Federal Acquisition Regulations with a focus on USAID specific regulations.
- Familiarity with USAID priorities, legal and policy restrictions, and compliance requirements.
- Experience in dealing with non-routine and complex funding opportunities.
- Proficiency in analyzing government solicitations for compliance.
- Strong written communication skills, especially technical writing skills
- High proficiency in Excel and excellent analytical skills, attention to detail and accuracy
- An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and core values of Opportunity International
LANGUAGE SKILLS
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
ABOUT OPPORTUNITY
Opportunity International is a global non-profit that has been empowering people to work their way out of poverty since 1971. Opportunity provides 18.7 million people with innovative financial resources, training, and support to grow their small businesses and send their children to school. In 2022, Opportunity International and its partners helped fund 5,600 schools that reached 1.6 million children, and they released more than $2.6 billion in capital across 30 countries. Discover more at opportunity.org or join the conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter
