Cost Analyst
Job Description:
- Ability to dynamically structure major cost analysis products to respond to probable what-if questions anticipated and identified by the Program Office.
- Ability to develop all cost estimating products by working with and through an integrated product team of functional and program management specialists designated by the design and system engineers, manufacturing, test, logistics, procurement, and budget specialist.
- Ability to use the Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools (ACE-IT) Program to estimate and document major cost estimating products (primary estimates and major tradeoff and what-ifs).
- Ability to make cost estimating a more integral part of day-to-day program management and financial management.
- Ability to time phase estimates using ACE-IT in accordance with the latest budget rules and regulations, broken out by application, and by fiscal year in each estimate/what if/trade-off, as necessary.
- Secret and Top Secret Clearance apply.
- Cost Estimating and Cost Analysis
- Independent cost estimates: Understand the system and establish estimating objectives - Identify system risk issues and cost impacts - Collect data and develop and validate base case estimates - Review estimates for reasonableness and adjust the model accordingly - Document results and methodology.
- Cost and technical data collection: Collect data from primary sources (systems developers) - develop data book to document program cost and technical information - Develop databases to manage data collection efforts and house the collected data.
- Model and methods development and calibration: Develop cost estimating relationships (CERs) - Develop system complexity/cost factors - Calibrate commercial models - Develop cost estimating risk models.
- Estimating Research: Examine production cost variance and probability distributions - Create and Investigate historically-based cost improvement curves - Investigate causes of software code growth - Perform statistical cost analyses - Perform Inflation studies.
- Independent Program Assessment: Information gathering to support cost analysis - Identification of cost to complete - Schedule analysis - Cost benefit analysis - Cost trade studies - Resource requirements analysis.
Experience And Education:
Minimum Four-Year College Degree - Experience with a wide variety of Cost Estimating Tools including PRICE Estimating Suite, ACE-IT, COCOMO, and other cost models - Engineering background a plus - Ability to interface with clients, and prepare and present technical papers - Must be an excellent communicator and willing to travel.
