Job Description
Job Description
“Create a Lasting Competitive Advantage”
Shipley Associates is a global professional services firm that focuses on helping companies win business. Founded in 1972, we provide a comprehensive suite of services including business development consulting, training programs, and AI enablement to improve clients' abilities to compete for and win contracts.
To learn more, visit Shipleywins.com.
Title: Proposal Manager
Status: Contract
Reports to: Bid Lead
Location: Remote – Anywhere in the contiguous United States
Compensation: TBD
Job Summary
The Proposal Manager is a key role, responsible for leading the end-to-end development and delivery of high-quality, customer-focused proposal documents. This individual will collaborate closely with sales and account teams to understand customer needs and manage a proposal support team to produce compelling and compliant responses to RFPs, proactive proposals, sales presentations, Statements of Work (SOWs), and other customer-facing materials. The Proposal Manager will leverage their expertise in proposal best practices and industry standards to drive successful proposal pursuits and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service offerings, including the application of AI-driven solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
Proposal Leadership: Lead the entire proposal process from pre-RFP planning and strategy through post-submission activities, ensuring timely and effective execution.
Customer Collaboration: Work directly with sales and account teams to thoroughly understand customer requirements, key objectives, and win themes, translating this understanding into compelling proposal narratives.
Team Management: Lead and direct a proposal support team, including Proposal Coordinators, Writers, Graphic Designers, Desktop Publishers, and Technical Resources, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities, and effective collaboration.
Best Practice Adherence: Follow industry standards and best practices for proposal excellence as defined by organizations like Supplier and APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals).
Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as the proposal subject matter expert, providing guidance and strategic direction to organize and execute competitive RFP pursuits efficiently and effectively.
Compliance Assurance: Ensure meticulous compliance with all customer requirements, evaluation criteria, and proposal submission guidelines.
Quality Advocacy: Actively participate in quality programs and initiatives designed to enhance the quality and effectiveness of deliverables for customers.
Content Development & Support: Support the writing, editing, proofreading, design, and formatting of various customer-facing deliverables, including executive summaries, win themes, capability statements, orals/demos, presales presentations, SOWs, graphics, and special projects. This may involve direct contribution or effective delegation to Proposal Writers.
Win Theme Facilitation: Facilitate Win Theme workshops, effectively coordinating outputs with Proposal Writers to develop compelling customer-focused executive summaries and overall proposal responses.
Collaboration Platform Management: Set up and manage collaboration sites to facilitate efficient communication and document sharing.
Proposal Platform Management: Create and manage the proposal site and/or the proposal management platform.
Responsive Management: Manage applicable proposals within the platform (training provided), ensuring data accuracy and efficient workflow.
Communication and Coordination: Schedule and facilitate regular proposal status calls to keep stakeholders informed of progress and potential risks.
Planning and Organization: Create and manage critical proposal documents such as the proposal schedule, compliance matrices, author assignments, and response outlines/templates.
Final Deliverable Production: Oversee the production of final customer deliverables in both electronic and hard copy formats, ensuring accuracy and professional presentation.
Content Repository Contribution: Collaborate with Content Managers to ensure submitted proposal content is accurately captured and available for input into the reusable IP content repository.
Reporting and Analysis: Complete weekly reports on deal status, providing clear and concise updates to relevant stakeholders.
Post-Submission Activities: Lead post-submission activities such as lessons learned meetings, proposal satisfaction surveys, and the development of success stories for client’s references.
Special Projects: Participate in special projects aimed at growing and enhancing the overall service offering.
AI Application: Explore and apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and methodologies to improve proposal activities, creating new and effective ways of working and producing enhanced outcomes relevant to proposal management responsibilities.
Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree (BS/BA) or equivalent professional experience.
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APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) certification is preferred.
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Minimum of 6 years of progressive experience in proposal management.
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Demonstrated domain expertise in the Professional Services Industry (Support, Consulting, Sales, Operations).
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Proven track record of effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present information clearly and persuasively.
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Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) is essential.
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Ability to travel as needed, both domestically and internationally, up to 10% of the time.
Employer Information
Benefits may include medical dental or vision insurance, life insurance, PTO, holiday pay, gym/fitness membership reimbursement, company matched 401(k).
Shipley Associates is a proud equal opportunity workplace – all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, protected genetic information, political affiliation, or any other characteristics protected by local laws, regulations, or ordinances.
Company DescriptionOriginally established as a communications consulting and training organization in 1972, Shipley has evolved into the leading professional services firm focused on helping clients win business. Today, you can find Shipley consultants in various sectors and verticals all over the world. Companies depend on Shipley for thought leadership, training, and business development support to help them compete for and win business.
Company Description
Originally established as a communications consulting and training organization in 1972, Shipley has evolved into the leading professional services firm focused on helping clients win business. Today, you can find Shipley consultants in various sectors and verticals all over the world. Companies depend on Shipley for thought leadership, training, and business development support to help them compete for and win business.