DIRECTOR, PRICING AND COST ESTIMATING

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Director of Pricing & Cost Estimating will lead pricing strategy, cost estimation, and margin optimization efforts across the organization. The Director will partner closely with Commercial, Operations, Technical, and Finance teams to support rapid growth, improve quote accuracy, and drive EBITDA expansion.

This position plays a critical role in supporting new business development, contract negotiations, and long-term customer partnerships through robust financial modeling and data-driven insights.

PURPOSE:

• Lead the development and execution of pricing strategies aligned with company growth objectives, margin targets, and private equity value creation goals
• Direct and coordinate all cost estimating activities, including proposal support, RFQs, and contract pricing for pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturing programs

• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized cost models, including:

• Standard cost rates (labor, overhead, machine rates)
• Bill of materials (BOM) costing
• Process and formulation cost modeling
• Campaign and lifecycle costing

• Partner with Business Development and Commercial teams to:

• Support customer proposals and pricing negotiations
• Evaluate deal profitability and risk
• Structure pricing models (e.g., cost-plus, fixed fee, milestone-based, volume tiering)

• Build and maintain full-cost and profitability models to assess product, customer, and program-level margins
• Analyze actual vs. estimated costs, providing variance analysis and identifying key cost drivers, risks, and margin improvement opportunities
• Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, and Technical teams to validate assumptions, understand capacity constraints, and improve cost accuracy
• Provide ongoing reporting and insights to Site and Executive Leadership on pricing performance, pipeline profitability, and win/loss analysis
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes by incorporating pricing assumptions, pipeline conversion, and margin expectations
• Establish and enforce pricing governance, policies, and approval frameworks to ensure consistency, discipline, and compliance
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and accuracy of pricing and estimating processes
• Ensure alignment with financial controls, audit requirements, and company policies in all pricing methodologies
• Develop tools, dashboards, and analytics to improve visibility into cost structures, pricing decisions, and financial performance
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Pricing & Cost Estimating team
• Support ad-hoc strategic initiatives, including M&A diligence, customer contract reviews, and integration activities

CRITICAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute pricing strategies that drive revenue growth and EBITDA expansion in a private equity environment
• Deep expertise in cost accounting, standard costing, and pricing within a CDMO, pharmaceutical, or life sciences manufacturing setting
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, including batch processing, scale-up, and supply chain cost drivers
• Advanced analytical and financial modeling skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable business insights
• Proven ability to partner cross-functionally with Commercial, Technical, and Operations teams
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to present complex pricing concepts to non-financial stakeholders and executive leadership
• Strong leadership and team development capabilities
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for modeling, scenario analysis, and automation
• Experience with ERP and quoting/pricing systems (Oracle NetSuite preferred)

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or related field; MBA and/or CPA preferred
• 10+ years of experience in pricing, cost estimating, finance, or related roles, with significant leadership experience
• Prior experience in a CDMO, pharmaceutical, or life sciences organization strongly preferred
• Experience working in a private equity-backed or high-growth environment is highly desirable
• Proven track record supporting commercial teams with complex deal structures, pricing strategies, and margin optimization
• Experience with ERP systems such as Oracle NetSuite preferred