Proposal Manager

The Proposal Manager plays a crucial role in the development and submission of proposals in response to requests for proposals (RFPs), requests for quotes (RFQs), and other solicitations from potential clients or funding organizations. This role involves overseeing the entire proposal process, from initial planning and coordination to final submission, ensuring that proposals are completed on time, within budget, and meet the requirements set forth by the client. The Proposal Manager collaborates closely with various internal teams, including Business Development, Operations, subject matter experts (SMEs), and writers, to develop compelling p

This position is full time in-person, and based at our headquarters in Meridian, Idaho. 

Benefits

• ESI covers 100% of the medical premium for all employees and families.
• Competitive 401k match
• Lucrative bonus potential
• Great upward mobility for career growth

Responsibilities

• Lead the proposal development process, including kick-off meetings, proposal strategy development, and timeline creation.
• Demonstrates a passion for strategic pursuit planning, compelling writing, creative thinking, and an eye for design and page layout. 
• Partners with senior Business Development and Operations leaders on tracking opportunities and developing strategies to capture work in competitive markets; creating persuasive proposals, presentations, and marketing materials; and maintaining systems and tools to promote overall efficiency and effectiveness.
• Proposal / Presentation Development: Partner with pursuit teams on pursuits for public and private construction projects to advance our positioning and deliver proposals that resonate with our customers. Responsibilities include coordinating all elements of pursuits: strategy development, messaging, formatting, proofreading, coordination with graphics and teaming partners, editing, quality reviews, compliance, brand adherence, and efficient and timely production.
• Analyze RFPs/RFQs and similar enquiries and ensure that responses meet all requirements while adhering to ESI standards for branding and quality.
• Continually look for ways to improve the quality of our proposal submissions, as well as our proposal tools and processes.
• Collect and organize proposal-related information, including project descriptions, resumes, proposal language, and more. This information should be kept up-to-date, well-written, sensibly organized, cleanly formatted, and easily accessible to the entire proposal team.
• Help to enforce go/no-go process with the goal of allocating resources to the highest probability pursuits.
• Manage and lead simultaneous proposal responses from start to finish. Expect anywhere from two to five proposals ongoing at any given time, with varying deadlines and requirements.
• Manage the proposal repository, including templates, boilerplate content, and past proposal materials, to streamline future proposal development efforts.
• Ensure compliance with all proposal requirements, including formatting, content, and submission guidelines.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of proposals to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with client expectations.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for client inquiries related to the proposal process, clarifying requirements, and providing timely responses to ensure a positive client experience.
• Produce work of the highest quality and accuracy. Produced materials should be well-written, cleanly and consistently designed, and give off an overall impression of expertise, good taste, and professionalism.
• Research and write original material, including project descriptions, resumes, technical language, and more. Writing should be clear and compelling, while adhering to company standards and style.
• Perform other duties associated with the above responsibilities, as well as additional duties assigned by supervisor, Director of Marketing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related field or equivalent; or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• 5+ years of experience in proposal and presentation planning and coordination, page layout, drafting tailored proposal content, graphics development, and editing. Experience in the A/E/C engineering industry is highly preferred.
• Is highly organized and can prioritize multiple, simultaneous projects in a fast paced, deadline driven environment.
• Demonstrate discretion, judgment, and wisdom when communicating with clients, partners, and colleagues.
• Knowledgebase administration and graphic design editing skills are preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with emphasis on superior persuasive writing and presentation ability. Experience coaching others in interviews/presentations preferred.
• High degree of proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud/Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.)
• High degree of proficiency with MS Office Suite.
• Highly organized; establish priorities and a course of action for handling multiple tasks.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work independently as well as in team environments, often under tight deadline situations.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of what a Proposal Manager will encounter while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Fast-paced working environment.
• Working environment may be busy and noisy.
• Manage several projects at one time.
• Interrupted frequently to meet the needs and request of team members, clients, and subcontractors.

Physical Demands

• Flexibility in working hours may be required, including evening and weekend work as needed.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 70% of the time.
• Regularly uses computers, including keyboards, mouse, and other office devices, to perform daily tasks.

Travel Requirements

• Occasional travel to national office buildings, job sites, customer meetings, and industry events.

Disclaimer

The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor are they intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Management may, at its discretion, assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The duties and responsibilities in this job description may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. It is ESI’s commitment to incorporate Equal Opportunity and diversity principles in all aspects of work.