Business Development Specialist II, Pricer

The Business Development Specialist (BDS) II, Pricer supports the agency in acquiring new business by providing high-quality business development surge support on strategic funding opportunities. Lead the production of high-quality applications and proposals, with a specific focus on cost proposals, for funding in support of CRS' engagement with institutional donors and initiatives to serve the poor and vulnerable. Utilize knowledge and skills to provide specialized assistance related to pricing and budgeting in all dimensions of the BD cycle to cross-disciplines and cross-functional teams.

• Provide BD expertise, with a particular focus on pricing strategy and cost inputs in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific opportunities with institutional donors government, multi-laterals as well as foundations, corporations and other awarding non-governmental organizations.
• Serve as pricer and budget lead on proposal teams, working with key stakeholders to integrate inputs into a responsive, cost competitive and detailed budget and budget narrative. 
• Collaborate with proposal teams to ensure an understanding of the proposal requirements and to establish competitive and reasonable cost and pricing data to develop cost proposals in accordance with relevant proposal specifications. Create or modify budget spreadsheet templates in accordance with client requirements.
• Provide support to the proposal budget processes, including compliance reviews, to ensure adherence to the solicitation, donor rules and regulations and internal CRS policies and cost standards.
• Manage partners as a part of the proposal process and perform activities including developing budget templates, providing budget assumptions, negotiating budgets, reviewing budgets and notes, and ensuring final submissions comply with donor requirements.
• Lead proposal teams in collecting, preparing, and analyzing historical cost data for use in budgeting.
• Advise on the developing or updating relevant cost proposal tools, resources and training modules, including CRS’ Cost Application Guidance. Develop templates and tools for efficient and effective cost proposal preparation according to donor and industry best practices.
• Support BD Knowledge Management and Learning (KML) initiatives and continuous improvements efforts as related to cost and pricing.
• Collaborate with proposal teams to ensure the timely submission of high-quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS' technical and cost standards
• Train and mentor staff, as needed, to improve their skills in cost proposal and pricing strategy development across a variety of donors.
• Guide and advise on partner identification and negotiating CRS' role on proposal consortia. Ensure a competitive position for CRS that adheres to the agency's partnership principles and strategic directions. 
• Actively contribute to CRS' Business Development Community of Practice and advance CRS' Business Development practices through contributions to strategic initiatives and annual summits. Cultivate collaborative relationships with other key stakeholders, including global finance staff. 
  • Bachelor's degree in international development, international relations, finance, economics, or related field. 
  • Minimum eight years of proposal development and/or budgeting experience.
  • Three years' experience working in multi-cultural and/or multilingual work contexts.
  • Experience developing cost proposals for private corporations and foundations, including using strategic approaches to capture direct and indirect costs within non-traditional budget structures and requirements.

    Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's degree in international development, international relations, finance, or related field.
  • At least three years’ experience working in a developing country.
• Demonstrated experience utilizing diverse, proactive strategies to competitively position an organization for new funding and productive institutional relationships.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required Languages: Fluency in English required; working ability in Spanish and/or French preferred.

Travel: Willingness to travel up to 35%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.