Ratecard

Configuration

Read .jobops/config.json. If missing, stop with:

JOBOPS NOT CONFIGURED Run /jobops:setup (then /jobops-ic:setup) to initialize your workspace.

Use config.directories.contractor_root for output paths in this skill. Use config.preferences.default_currency for pricing if applicable.

Arguments

Generate professional rate card from service definition with pricing validation.

• $1: Format (default: md): md | pdf | html
• $2: Currency (default: CAD): CAD | USD
• $3: --include-justification to add credentials/ROI section

Phase 1: Validate Prerequisites

1.1 Find and Load Service Definition

Find most recent: {config.directories.contractor_root}/services/service_definition_*.md

If not found:

PREREQUISITE MISSING: Service Definition

Run /defineservices first to create service catalog and pricing.

Load and validate:

• rate_card (hourly/daily rates for minimum/target/premium tiers)
• consultant identity (name, tagline, credentials)
• services catalog (>=1 service)
• payment_terms

If rate_card missing:

INVALID SERVICE DEFINITION: Missing Rate Card

Required structure:
## Rate Card
### Hourly Rates
- **Minimum**: $[X]/hr
- **Target**: $[Y]/hr
- **Premium**: $[Z]/hr
### Daily Rates
- **Minimum**: $[A]/day
- **Target**: $[B]/day
- **Premium**: $[C]/day

Fix with: /defineservices --update

1.2 Load Source Data (if --include-justification)

For rate-card generation, read these source files:

• Preferences/Vision.md — explicit rate preferences if user has stated them (overrides market research)
• Technology/TechStack.md — identify Expert-level skills (judged in-context from WorkHistory mentions, not from a precomputed enum)
• Technology/Certifications.md — Active certifications only
• WorkHistory/*.md — for years of experience, leadership scope, budget magnitude

Compute years_total_experience from earliest WorkHistory Start date to today. Do NOT load candidate_profile.json — removed in v2.2.0.

• If source files missing: Warn but continue without justification section

Phase 2: Pricing Validation

2.1 Validation Checks

Check 1: Daily Rate Consistency

• Rule: daily_rate ~ hourly_rate x 8 (+/-10% tolerance)
• If fails: Offer auto-correction or keep with explanation

Check 2: Rate Tier Progression

• Rule: minimum < target < premium (both hourly and daily)
• If fails: Refuse generation, require manual fix

Check 3: Premium Multiplier

• Rule: 1.3x <= premium/target <= 2.0x
• If outside: Advisory warning only, continue

Check 4: Retainer Discounts (if applicable)

• Rule: Discounts increase with commitment length
• Warn if discount <5% or >40%

2.2 Validation Summary

Display results:

PRICING VALIDATION COMPLETE
- Daily rates align with hourly x 8
- Rate tiers ascending
- Premium multiplier reasonable (1.3x-2.0x)
[Advisory warnings if any]
[Auto-corrections if any]

Phase 3: Generate Rate Card

3.1 Parse Arguments

• Format: Default md, fallback to md if invalid
• Currency: Default CAD, assume CAD if unspecified in service definition
• Justification: Check for --include-justification flag

3.2 Currency Conversion (if needed)

If output currency != service definition currency:

1. Web search for current CAD/USD exchange rate
2. Convert all monetary values
3. Add footnote with conversion rate and date

3.3 Markdown Rate Card Structure

YAML Frontmatter:

consultant: "[Name]"
effective_date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
valid_until: [+6 months]
currency: [CAD|USD]
generated_on: [ISO8601]
pricing_validated: [true/false]
source_definition: "{config.directories.contractor_root}/services/service_definition_[Date].md"

Sections:

1. Header: Consultant name, tagline, credentials
2. Service Offerings: Top 5 services with descriptions, deliverables
3. Engagement Models & Rates:
   • Hourly: Standard/Premium with use cases, minimum engagement
   • Daily: Standard/Premium (8-hour equivalents)
   • Retainer (if applicable): Part/half/full-time with effective rates and discounts
   • Project-Based (if applicable): Typical ranges by service type
4. Volume & Term Discounts: 3/6/12-month retainer, project thresholds, referrals
5. Expense Policy: Included (standard tools, local travel) vs. Billed separately (travel, specialized licenses)
6. Terms & Conditions:
   • Payment terms (retainers, projects, hourly, late fees)
   • Cancellation policy (30-day notice retainers, prorated projects, 48-hour session notice)
   • Confidentiality & IP (standard confidentiality, work product ownership, anonymized case studies)
   • Rate validity (6 months, annual review)
7. Why These Rates? (if --include-justification):
   • Credentials (certifications, years experience, publications, speaking)
   • Proven ROI (top 3-5 proof points with business impact)
   • Unique value proposition
8. Contact & Next Steps: Contact details, 4-step engagement process
9. Footer: Version, generation date, source file

Save to: {config.directories.contractor_root}/rate-cards/rate_card_[YYYYMMDD].md

Phase 4: HTML/PDF Generation (if requested)

4.1 HTML Template

CSS Styling (embedded):

• Professional B2B aesthetic: Blue (#2c5282) gradient header, clean tables
• Layout: 900px container, 2.5rem content padding
• Typography: System fonts, 1.6 line-height
• Tables: Header (#2c5282), alternating row backgrounds
• Print styles: Letter size, 0.75in margins, page-break-avoid for headings/tables

HTML Structure:

• Header: Gradient background with name/tagline/credentials
• Content sections: Parse markdown to HTML with styled classes
• Contact: Gray background callout box
• Footer: Metadata (version, date, source)

4.2 PDF Generation with Playwright

If format is pdf:

1. Save HTML to /tmp/ratecard_temp_[timestamp].html
2. Navigate: mcp__playwright__browser_navigate to file://[tmp_html]
3. Wait: 2 seconds for content load
4. Generate PDF via browser_run_code:

   await page.pdf({
     path: '{config.directories.contractor_root}/rate-cards/rate_card_[YYYYMMDD].pdf',
     format: 'Letter',
     printBackground: true,
     margin: { top: '0.75in', bottom: '0.75in', left: '0.75in', right: '0.75in' }
   });
   

5. Close browser and cleanup temp file

If PDF fails: Fallback to HTML with manual conversion instructions

If format is html:

• Save to {config.directories.contractor_root}/rate-cards/rate_card_[YYYYMMDD].html and skip Phase 5

Phase 5: Final Report

5.1 Success Report

PROFESSIONAL RATE CARD GENERATED

**Output:** {config.directories.contractor_root}/rate-cards/rate_card_[YYYYMMDD].[format] ([XX] KB)
**Source:** service_definition_[Date].md

**Pricing:**
Hourly: $[min]-$[premium]/hr ([Currency])
Daily: $[min]-$[premium]/day
[Retainer: $[min]-$[max]/mo]

**Services:** [X] offerings ([List names])

**Validation:**
- Daily = hourly x 8 (+/-10%)
- Tiers ascending
- Premium multiplier: [X.X]x
[Auto-corrections: [count] | Warnings: [count]]

**Validity:** [Start] to [End] (6 months)
[Currency conversion note if applicable]
[Credentials section if --include-justification]

**Next Steps:**
1. Review for accuracy
2. Customize: Company-specific terms, volume discounts, special tiers
3. Distribute: Email PDF, host HTML, include in proposals
4. Maintain: Quarterly reviews, annual updates
5. Related: /defineservices --update, /proposaltemplate, /findclient

**Rate Card Summary:**
================================================================
[CONSULTANT] | [CURRENCY] | VALID: [Start] to [End]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hourly:    $[min]/hr | $[target]/hr | $[premium]/hr
Daily:     $[min]/day | $[target]/day | $[premium]/day
[Retainer: Part-time $[X]/mo, Half-time $[Y]/mo, Full-time $[Z]/mo]
----------------------------------------------------------------
PAYMENT: [Deposit]% upfront, Net [days] | MINIMUM: [hours]
================================================================

Error Handling

Missing Prerequisites:

• No service definition -> Run /defineservices
• Missing rate_card section -> Show required structure, suggest /defineservices --update
• Missing source files (with --include-justification) -> Warn, continue without justification

Validation Failures:

• Invalid rate progression (min > target > premium) -> Refuse generation, require manual fix
• Daily != hourly x 8 (>10% variance) -> Offer auto-correction (yes/no/cancel)

Generation Failures:

• PDF generation fails -> Fallback to HTML with manual conversion instructions
• Currency conversion unavailable -> Keep original, warn user
• Invalid format -> Default to markdown

Implementation Notes

Pricing Validation Philosophy:

• Auto-correct: Daily rate alignment, minor rounding
• Refuse: Rate progression violations, missing required fields
• Warn but continue: Premium multiplier outside 1.3x-2.0x, unusual retainer discounts

Rate Card Best Practices:

• 6-month validity, annual reviews
• Version control in YAML frontmatter
• Keep old versions for reference
• Professional B2B aesthetic: blue/gray, clean tables, generous whitespace

Playwright PDF Pattern: Same as /formatresume - HTML with embedded CSS -> temp file -> navigate -> page.pdf() -> cleanup

Now executing rate card generation with format $1, currency $2, and justification flag $3...