Adjunct Research Analyst - Cost Analyst

Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)•Alexandria, VA

11d•$113,353 - $277,494

About The Position

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center supporting the Department of War (DOW) and other federal agencies. IDA’s mission is to provide objective analyses of national security issues and related national challenges, particularly those requiring extraordinary scientific and technical expertise. IDA takes great pride in the high caliber and timeliness of its analyses, which are produced in an atmosphere that encourages collaboration, independent thinking, and objective results. An opportunity now exists in the Cost Analysis and Research Division (CARD) for an Adjunct Research Staff Member – Cost Analyst. CARD produces independent cost estimates, affordability assessments, and schedule-risk analyses that inform resource allocation and acquisition decisions across the DOW and other federal agencies. The division’s portfolio spans Major Defense Acquisition Programs and other government programs across the air, space, land, maritime, command and control, communications and intelligence (C3I), nuclear enterprise, software and information technology, health care, and sustainment domains, as well as cross-cutting policy and resourcing questions. This is a broadly scoped part-time role. The analyst is not assigned to a single platform or portfolio; in a given year an analyst may support several unrelated programs, and the ability to learn a new system and its cost drivers quickly matters more than prior familiarity with any one of them. Work at IDA is conducted in a team environment and often involves a multi-disciplinary approach. Researchers work closely with and are in frequent contact with government sponsors. Consequently, strong communication and interpersonal skills will be greatly valued.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Operations Research, Economics, Statistics, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Materials Science, Finance, or a related quantitative field; OR a Master’s degree in one of those fields with 10+ years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated record of conducting or leading cost estimates, resource allocation studies, or comparable quantitative analyses for major government acquisition programs or complex systems
Depth in more than one estimating method, including demonstrated fluency with parametric cost estimation, and the judgment to select among methods and defend that choice under review
Experience with cost-risk and uncertainty analysis and its use in supporting decisions
Demonstrated leadership and execution of analysis projects, including responsibility for the quality and defensibility of others’ work
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision in an unstructured environment
Excellent interpersonal as well as written and oral communication skills, including the ability to brief senior government audiences and defend findings to technically expert reviewers
Proven innovative thinking and problem-solving abilities
Ability to interact professionally with government and industry representatives
U.S. citizenship is required
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance is required

Nice To Haves

Substantial experience with DOW or other U.S. Government acquisition programs, particularly Major Defense Acquisition Programs
Working knowledge of DOW acquisition processes, milestone decision reviews, and the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) cycle
Experience with government cost and technical data sources, such as Cost and Software Data Reports, Software Resources Data Reports, operating and support cost databases, and budget justification exhibits
Proficiency in Python, R, or an equivalent language for cost analytics, data wrangling, and model automation
Experience with cost estimating and risk analysis tools, such as ACEIT/CEAC, @RISK, Crystal Ball, or equivalent simulation software
Experience with schedule analysis or joint cost and schedule risk analysis
Experience developing cost estimating relationships or building and curating cost databases used beyond a single study
Prior experience at an FFRDC, OSW CAPE, a service cost agency (AFCAA, NCCA, ACEIT/CEAC), a cost-analysis consultancy, or a program-office cost shop
Professional certification (ICEAA CCEA, DAWIA Business – Cost Estimating Level III, or equivalent)
Record of publication, peer review, or working-group leadership in the cost analysis community
Active TS/SCI clearance

Responsibilities

Develops cost estimates and cost element structures for defense programs, working in close coordination with technical project leaders
Collects, normalizes, and validates cost, schedule, technical, and programmatic data from government and contractor sources
Builds, documents, and maintains cost models using parametric, analogy, extrapolation-from-actuals, and engineering build-up methods as warranted
Conducts cost-risk, uncertainty, and sensitivity analyses, and examines affordability under alternative assumptions and funding profiles
Assesses the reasonableness of government and contractor cost estimates, including underlying assumptions, methodologies, and data sources
Applies the same analytic toolkit across a varied portfolio of programs, adapting methods to the maturity, data availability, and technical character of each
Documents methods, data lineage, and results so that estimates are transparent, reproducible, and defensible to reviewers and sponsors
Drafts sections of briefings and reports documenting conclusions, findings, and recommendations; presents results to project leaders and, with support, to task sponsors
Contributes to improvements in the division’s analytical methods, models, data collections, and tooling
Supports multiple concurrent tasks and meets sponsor deadlines
Mentors and trains junior cost analysts