Proposal Manager

We are seeking a qualified candidate to join our team in the Itasca Office. This position assists in managing and coordinating the proposal development process from concept to completion while partnering with marketing, administrative, and technical staff. Responsible for day-to-day marketing support through organizing, coordinating, and tracking activities involved in the preparation of marketing proposals, presentations, and submittals including DOT and City Agency prequalifications under the supervision of the Director of Operations.

Responsibilities:

Lead overall proposal development process from opportunity to “win,” which may include:

• Lead finding activities
• Review RFP/RFQ documents to ensure client requirements are clearly understood.
• Lead kickoff meetings to establish priorities and target dates for information gathering, writing, review, and approval
• Track and communicate the progress with key stakeholders
• Coordinate with contributors and subconsultants
• Provide guidance to proposal team (content strategist and graphic designer)
• Organize all technical written material supplied by support staff including organization of sections, tables, graphs, images, exhibits, and attachments
• Ensure responsiveness to RFP/RFQ, thoroughness, accuracy, quality, using a persuasive and active-voice writing style.
• Lead interview presentation teams through the development of key messages, themes, differentiators, including technical components, and ensure consistency from proposal through presentation.

Regularly assist in updating proposal collateral (project profiles, employee resumes & bios, client testimonials, reference lists)

Assist with CRM, social media, website, newsletter, and other business development efforts

Perform other duties as needed

Skills and Experience:

• Three to eight years of experience in a related position with a professional services firm is preferred 
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, English, Journalism, Communications or a related field. 
• Excellent verbal communication, presentation, active listening skills and interpersonal skills. 
• Excellent business writing and grammar skills, as well as strong editing and proofreading skills. 
• Ability to adapt writing style to different audiences. 
• Ability to exercise excellent creative, communication, and problem solving skills focusing attention on details. 
• Energetic team player who can work comfortably with people of diverse skills, experience and opinions, including senior management. 
• Excellent multi-tasking, time management and organizational skills with the ability to balance short-term deadlines against long-term goals; ability to understand and organize large volumes of information. 
• Self-starter with ability to recognize ideas and create social media content. 
• Display a social presence and persuasiveness to feel comfortable meeting with all personality types and enjoy the process of working as a team while contributing individually. Able to network and connect with internal stakeholders, teaming partners, and professional organizations as-needed. 
• Computer literacy for all major business programs and email systems, proficiency in Microsoft Office programs required, knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs required, familiarity with customer relationship management databases (i.e. Deltek Vision/Vantagepoint), and content management systems preferred.

Compensation:

• Commensurate with experience.