Research Analyst - Cost Estimator

Institute for Defense Analyses; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 113,000 - 277,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in the United States is seeking a Research Staff Member - Cost Estimator in its Cost Analysis and Research Division (CARD). The role spans multiple defense programs and requires building cost models, validating data, and performing risk analyses.

You will present results to sponsors and contribute to methodological improvements. Qualified candidates have advanced degrees in quantitative fields and strong programming/data skills; U.S.

Qualifications

• 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 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience developing or directly supporting cost estimates, budget analyses, or comparable quantitative analyses of complex systems or programs in government, FFRDC, industry, or research settings.
• Working knowledge of several cost estimating methods - parametric or regression-based estimation, analogy, engineering build-up, or learning-curve analysis - and ability to learn others.
• Strong quantitative and data-handling skills, including spreadsheet-based modeling and familiarity with Python, R, or equivalent.
• Ability to learn unfamiliar technical subjects quickly and work across programs in different domains.
• Attention to documentation and analytic reproducibility.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a project team, managing time across concurrent tasks.
• Clear written and oral communication, including ability to explain quantitative results to non-specialists.
• Ability to interact professionally with government and industry representatives.
• Travel may be required.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance is required.
• Experience supporting DOD/FFRDC programs and knowledge of acquisition processes (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Develop cost estimates and cost element structures for defense programs with technical project leaders.
• Collect, normalize, and validate cost, schedule, technical, and programmatic data from government and contractor sources.
• Build, document, and maintain cost models using parametric, analogy, and engineering build-up methods.
• Conduct cost-risk, uncertainty, and sensitivity analyses and examine affordability under different funding profiles.
• Assess reasonableness of government and contractor estimates and underlying data.
• Apply toolkit across varied programs, adapting methods to maturity and data availability.
• Document methods, data lineage, and results for transparency and reproducibility.
• Draft sections of briefs and reports; present results to project leaders and sponsors.
• Contribute to improvements in analytical methods, models, data collections, and tooling.
• Support multiple tasks and meet sponsor deadlines.

Skills

Cost estimation methods

Parametric estimation

Data handling

Python/R

Communication

Adaptability

Project collaboration

Security clearance

Education

PhD in OR/ Economics/ Statistics/ Engineering/ Applied Math/ Physics/ Finance

Masters +3+ years relevant experience

Tools

ACEIT/CEAC

@RISK

Crystal Ball

Job description

Overview

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 a Research Staff Member - Cost Estimator. 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, and sustainment domains, as well as cross-cutting policy and resourcing questions.

This is a broadly scoped role. The estimator 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.

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

Minimum Job Qualifications

Education/Experience: 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 3+ years of relevant experience.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Experience developing or directly supporting cost estimates, budget analyses, or comparable quantitative analyses of complex systems or programs, in a government, FFRDC, industry, or research setting


• Working knowledge of several cost estimating methods - parametric or regression-based estimation, analogy, engineering build-up, or learning-curve analysis - and a willingness to develop the others


• Strong quantitative and data-handling skills, including spreadsheet-based modeling and familiarity with Python, R, or an equivalent language for data preparation and analysis


• Ability to learn unfamiliar technical subject matter quickly and work across programs in different domains


• Attention to documentation and analytic reproducibility


• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a project team, managing time across concurrent tasks


• Clear written and oral communication, including the ability to explain quantitative results to non-specialists


• Ability to interact professionally with government and industry representatives


• Travel may be required


• U.S. citizenship is required


• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance is required

Preferred Qualifications

The following are valued but not required. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications are encouraged to apply regardless of how many of these they bring.

• Experience supporting DOW or other U.S. Government acquisition programs, particularly Major Defense Acquisition Programs


• Familiarity with 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


• Experience with cost estimating or risk analysis tools, such as ACEIT/CEAC, @RISK, Crystal Ball, or equivalent simulation software


• Coursework or applied experience in econometrics, regression modeling, or statistical inference


• Experience with schedule analysis or joint cost and schedule risk analysis


• 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 or progress toward one (ICEAA CCEA or PCEA, DAWIA Business - Cost Estimating, or equivalent)


• Active U.S. government security clearance


• Interest in developing toward project leadership and independent sponsor engagement

Compensation

We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation program and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range based on data-driven market analysis for each position. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $113,353 - $277,494. Individual salary within this range will be commensurate with the incumbent's experience, unique skills and qualifications, and other relevant factors.

Eligibility and Equal Opportunity

U.S. Citizenship is required

Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance is required

IDA is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a fair recruiting process and working environment free from discrimination. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Accommodations

IDA is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an email to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and contact information.

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