Defense Cost Analyst – Part-Time Research Specialist

RPMGlobal; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 113,000 - 277,000; Part time

Job summary

Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in Alexandria, VA, seeks an Adjunct Research Staff Member – Cost Analyst to develop cost estimates and risk analyses for defense programs across multiple portfolios. This part-time role requires strong data handling and collaboration with government sponsors.

The position emphasizes learning new systems quickly, supporting several programs, and mentoring junior cost analysts while ensuring transparent, reproducible results.

Qualifications

• PhD 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 fluency with parametric cost estimation and defendable methodological choices
• Experience with cost‑risk and uncertainty analysis and decision support
• Leadership and execution of analysis projects with quality control of others’ work
• Ability to work independently in unstructured environments and to brief senior government audiences
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills; professional interaction with government and industry representatives
• Willingness to travel; U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance

Responsibilities

• Develops cost estimates and cost element structures for defense programs in 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
• Conducts cost-risk, uncertainty, and sensitivity analyses and examines affordability under various funding profiles
• Assesses reasonableness of government and contractor cost estimates and underlying assumptions
• Applies analytic toolkit across a varied portfolio and adapts methods to each program
• Documents methods, data lineage, and results for transparency and reproducibility
• Drafts sections of briefings and reports and presents results to project leaders and sponsors
• Contributes to improvements in analytical methods, models, data collections, and tooling
• Supports multiple tasks and meets sponsor deadlines
• Mentors and trains junior cost analysts

Skills

Cost estimation

Quantitative analysis

Data modeling

Risk analysis

Communication

Team leadership

Python

@RISK

ACEIT/CEAC

Education

PhD in a quantitative field

MS with 10+ years experience

Tools

ACEIT/CEAC

@RISK

Crystal Ball

Python

R

Job description

Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in Alexandria, VA, seeks an Adjunct Research Staff Member – Cost Analyst to develop cost estimates and risk analyses for defense programs across multiple portfolios. This part-time role requires strong data handling and collaboration with government sponsors.

The position emphasizes learning new systems quickly, supporting several programs, and mentoring junior cost analysts while ensuring transparent, reproducible results.