PROPOSAL WRITER II

Summary

Responsible for overall project management when leading, scheduling, and overseeing the full proposal lifecycle in response to non-standard and complex Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs), and Requests for Information (RFIs) determined to be within the company’s scope and field of operations. Responsible for independently managing deliverables and deadlines of the solicitation response, with minimal direction, guidance and oversight required from this position’s manager. Develops proposals and other responses that are fully compliant and customized to meet the customer requirements, and the Proposal Development Team’s processes. This position focuses on project management responsibilities, meeting deadlines, developing responses, managing boilerplate and past performance information per RFP instructions. This position will interface cross-functionally with Subject Matter Experts (SME), facility management, corporate executives and management, and various departments to respond to questions and complete proposals in a timely manner.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for all aspects of assigned proposals, including proposal design, written and graphic content, accurate completion of proposal forms, and inclusion of supporting documentation. Based on complexity of assigned proposal(s), may be responsible for leading multiple projects simultaneously. Develops customized, compliant, and compelling content for non-standard and complex proposals by conducting research and collaborating with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Works with graphic designers to translate concepts into informative images. Creates new proposal boilerplate and updates existing boilerplate on a continual basis. Contributes to the creation of new templates and tools that add to team efficiency. Coordinates and submits questions to procurement officials regarding the solicitation and may interact with procurement officials via phone calls during proposal development.
• Manages timelines and communicates status to leadership and to those impacted by project. Communicates with Project Team Members to ensure deliverables are being provided on- time and compliant with RFP requirements. Edits documents for grammar, style, and content. Assimilates materials into a final presentation to ensure a complete, professional package.
• Coordinates the development of job descriptions, resumes, facility organization charts, and staff deployment plans with various departments and assists in the development of staffing charts and narratives in conjunction with operations department. Works with Project Team members to update boilerplate on a continual basis and maintain resource library and proposal archives.
• Oversees production phases of project to maintain consistency, provides overall quality control including completeness, color correction, formatting, accuracy, tabbing, binding, packaging, and compliance with proposal submission guidelines. Plans and coordinates the assembly and shipment aspects of proposals to ensure proposal packages are professional and compliant with solicitation requirements, including letters of transmittal, proposal covers, binders, tabs, labels, boxes, CDs, etc.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Criminal Justice, Marketing, or related field required. Work experience in a related field/position may be considered.
• Four (4) years of experience in Proposal Development, Proposal Management, or relevant field such as Project Management, including communication, leadership, team management, negotiation, organization, and risk management skills.
• Strong writing and project management experience required.
• Strong knowledge of the MS Office Suite with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word. Familiarity with Qvidian and Salesforce.com preferred. Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat.
• Excellent research, editing, organizational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent facilitation, time management skills, including the ability to schedule and manage the proposal development lifecycle and process. Attention to detail required.
• Ability to analyze the requirements of solicitations, such as RFPs, RFQs, ITBs, RFIs, etc.
• Business writing skills and professional writing experience required and familiarity with Chicago Manual of Style preferred.
• Well-developed reasoning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical abilities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with superior collaboration skills and project management techniques.
• Ability to communicate across the Project Teams working under tight deadlines with wide variety of complex issues.
• Ability to be innovative in finding information and solving problems working cross-functionally.
• Ability to work on multiple assignments with tight deadlines while managing, tasks, projects, and changing demands.
• Experience with government procurement preferred.
• Proficient with negotiation, presentation, and meeting facilitation skills.
• Ability to generate proposal copy that demonstrates an understanding of issues faced by customers and illustrates how Company products and services can provide solutions to meet customers needs.
• Ability to work with computers and learn the necessary software typically used by the department.