Proposal Development Lead

Strategic Steps Inc; Sherwood Park; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

Strategic Steps Inc is seeking a Proposal Development Lead to enhance their consulting efforts across Canada. This role focuses on creating proposals for public-sector clients, requiring strong organizational skills and attention to detail. The ideal candidate will have experience in proposal writing and will work under the Business Operations Manager in a hybrid work setting.

Benefits

Flexible hybrid work environment

Employee health benefits (for full-time staff)

Opportunity to grow your career

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in proposal writing or business development in a professional environment.
• Excellent written communication skills and ability to translate complex information into compelling proposals.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret procurement documents and navigate public-sector processes.

Responsibilities

• Write and assemble compliant proposals for public-sector organizations.
• Search for relevant opportunities and analyze RFPs.
• Organize proposal timelines and ensure submissions are submitted on time.

Skills

Proposal Writing

RFP Management

Strategic Thinking

Technical Writing

Communication

Education

Post-secondary degree in Business Administration, Political Science, Public Administration, Marketing, or Communications

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Acrobat Pro)

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)

Bonfire

MERX

CanadaBuys

Job description

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Location : Hybrid – Sherwood Park, AB (1 day / week in office preferred)

Reports to : Business Operations Manager

Employment Type : Part-time (3 days / week; 0.6 FTE), 4-month contract with potential for extension or transition to full-time

Compensation : Base salary plus commission (see details below)

Who We Are

Location : Hybrid – Sherwood Park, AB (1 day / week in office preferred)

Reports to : Business Operations Manager

Employment Type : Part-time (3 days / week; 0.6 FTE), 4-month contract with potential for extension or transition to full-time

Compensation : Base salary plus commission (see details below)

Who We Are

At Strategic Steps , we work with governments, non-profits, and public-sector organizations across Canada to help them tackle real-world governance challenges. Whether it's strategic planning, governance reviews, or organizational change; our focus is on delivering practical advice that works in a real, complex, and changing world.

Our team is experienced, collaborative, and engaged across multiple provinces and territories. We bring together in-house expertise and trusted associates to offer clients thoughtful, clear, and results-driven solutions. Clients choose us because we listen carefully, communicate clearly, and focus on solutions that create a lasting impact.

We’re currently looking for a Proposal Development Lead to help us grow our business. This is a great opportunity for someone who’s organized, collaborative, and loves the puzzle-solving that goes into crafting great proposals.

About the Role

This position is being offered as a part-time contract role (approximately 3 days per week) for an initial term of four months. This structure allows both you and Strategic Steps to assess fit, collaboration, and workflow.

If the fit is strong and the business need remains, we’re open to discussing a longer-term arrangement or expansion to full-time hours. We see this as the start of what could be a lasting high-impact role.

The Proposal Development Lead plays a critical role in the growth and positioning of Strategic Steps. This role is responsible for identifying relevant procurement opportunities, interpreting complex RFPs, and leading the development and submission of clear, persuasive, and compliant proposals.

You will apply strategic thinking and technical writing expertise in support of our efforts in identifying and securing new consulting engagements. This includes managing timelines, collaborating with staff and associates, and ensuring all submissions reflect our organizational voice, quality standards, and brand.

This is a collaborative role that reports to Strategic Steps’ Business Operations Manager and works closely with the President and Marketing Lead. It requires strong organizational skills, good judgment, and a detail-oriented mindset focused on delivering high-quality, deadline-driven results.

While this role is not a traditional sales position, it requires a strong ability to sell through persuasive writing, strategic positioning, and a clear understanding of what clients need. The ideal candidate will be comfortable identifying opportunities, articulating value, and closing the loop from proposal to signed contract. You'll have the autonomy to shape and execute strategies that directly drive our business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Development (60%)

• Write, edit, and assemble compelling, compliant proposals in response to RFPs and other pricing requests from public-sector organizations (mainly municipal governments).
• Collaborate with consultants, associates, external partners, and company leadership to craft content that reflects our voice, approach, and experience.
• Create, update, and maintain bios, project descriptions, and proposal templates.

RFP Management (25%)

• Proactively search for relevant opportunities on portals such as Bonfire, MERX, Bids&Tenders, and others.
• Read and analyze RFPs to extract key requirements, deadlines, and evaluation criteria.
• Coordinate internal go / no-go decisions, kick-off meetings, and post-submission reviews.

Coordination & Client Follow-up (10%)

• Organize proposal timelines and ensure final submissions are polished and submitted on time.
• Follow up with previous clients to stay top-of-mind and gather intel for future bids.
• Set up kick-off meetings when new projects are awarded.
• Work alongside our Marketing Lead to ensure brand consistency across proposals, capability statements, and presentation decks.
• Contribute to marketing initiatives that support proposal efforts (e.g., social posts related to projects, creation of templates, updates of staff bios, etc.).

What You’ll Bring

You bring a well-rounded set of skills and tools that support high-quality, competitive proposal development. In particular, you have :

• A post-secondary degree or diploma (or equivalent) in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Political Science, Public Administration, Marketing, Communications, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of experience in proposal writing, RFP coordination, or business development in a professional services environment
• A strong ability to communicate value and influence buying decisions, even though this isn't a traditional sales role. You understand what clients need and can position our services in a way that builds trust and drives engagement
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into persuasive, accessible proposals
• Demonstrated ability to interpret procurement documents and RFPs from both government and non-government sectors, with particular strength in navigating municipal and public-sector processes
• Experience developing proposals in a deadline-driven environment with competing priorities
• High attention to detail, including proofreading and layout consistency
• Strong visual presentation skills, with the ability to design professional, on-brand proposals using Canva
• The ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively with leadership and subject matter experts
• An understanding of the consulting environment and the ability to adapt quickly to shifting expectations or client needs
• Comfortable working remotely and using cloud-based platforms to manage documents and feedback

You are proficient with a wide range of proposal development and RFP platforms, including :

• Bonfire
• MERX
• CanadaBuys
• Biddingo
• bidsCanada
• Alberta Purchasing Connection
• BC Bid
• Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Acrobat Pro)
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• Monday.com
• Alchemer (or other survey tool)
• Dropbox

Bonus Points For :

• Experience working in or with municipal governments .
• Experience working for a management consulting firm , especially in a proposal, analyst, or business development role.
• Familiarity with Canada’s public-sector landscape.

Soft Skills That Matter

• Analytical thinking and interpretation of complex documents
• Adaptability and comfort with shifting priorities
• Collaborative team player across departments and functions
• Meticulous attention to detail and proofreading
• Strong time and project management skills
• Self-driven and proactive approach to work
• Resilience under pressure and shifting timelines

Why Join Strategic Steps?

• Flexible hybrid work environment (with potential for full remote depending on location).
• Employee health benefits (Full-time staff)
• Meaningful work that strengthens communities and builds better local government.
• Small, values-based team that believes in integrity, usefulness, and clarity.
• Base salary plus commission for sourced and successful proposals, rewarding initiative and impact.
• Opportunity to grow your career and shape how we do business development.

Compensation

This position offers abase salary plus commission.

Commission is paid only for proposals that result in signed contracts where the opportunity was sourced or identified by the Proposal Development Lead (e.g., through active RFP searches or outreach).

Proposals written in response to inbound referrals or direct client requests (e.g., word-of-mouth or repeat business) are part of the core role and are not commission-eligible, though still critical to the company's success.

We believe in rewarding initiative and success and this structure reflects the value of both finding and securing new business.

To Apply

To apply, please send your resume and a short cover letter [emailprotected] why you're a great fit. If you have a portfolio or samples of past proposals or writing work, we’d love to see those too.

Seniority level

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

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