Proposal Manager

GFT; Toronto; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development

Incentive compensation

Job summary

GFT in Toronto, Ontario is seeking a seasoned Proposal Manager to lead multi‑phase proposals for transportation, public transit, construction services, and buildings. The role is remote with Ontario-based baseline responsibilities, reporting to the BD& M team.

You will drive capture planning, develop schedules, mentor staff, coordinate with Marcom, and ensure CRM accuracy. Strong communication and leadership are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8-10 years of combined prior proposal experience in AEC leading, coordinating, planning, and developing proposals and qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex proposals and SOQs, and manage multiple pursuits with cross-team coordination.
• Develop and maintain detailed proposal/interview schedules and lead kick-off and milestone reviews.
• Mentor junior BD staff and provide feedback for growth and success of the team.
• Enter and track opportunities and proposals in CRM.

Skills

Proposal management

Capture planning

Supervisory experience

Interpersonal communication

Microsoft Office

Adobe InDesign

Education

4-year degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, or Communications

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe InDesign

Job description

What You Will Do

GFT is seeking a Proposal Manager (Transportation, Public Transit, Construction Services, Buildings & Places) to join our BD&M team! This role is a remote position based in the greater Ontario Province in Canada.

GFT Shared Service Services team, which includes Human Resources, Legal, Accounting & Finance, IT Services, and Marketing & Communications, is essential for managing and supporting the company's global operations. Shared Services are part of a broader strategy to transform the business and improve efficiency. The support of this amazing team of professionals is the backbone of our ability to deliver infrastructure consulting and design services.

What You’ll Be Challenged To Do

The Proposal Manager position supports one ormore businesslines and contributes to meeting the goals in GFT's strategic plan by leading key business development support efforts, which include providing: strategic proposal management for any size proposal; capture planning leadership in support of the business lines’ capture managers; and support for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 clients

In this capacity, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

Pre-Proposal/Capture Planning

• Provide capture plan support for short- to- medium length capture phase and relatively complex pursuits with limited oversight needed by Manager to plan and implement activities
• Capture planning activities in close coordination with Business Line Leaders and Project Managers. Capture planning includes, but is not limited to: facilitate Issue/Feature/Benefit/Proof (IFBP) workshops with internal clients; assist with pre-RFQ and pre-RFP positioning tasks such as coordinating white papers, attendance recommendations for conferences; helping with client development plans and follow-up needs; performing gap analysis; summarizing key value propositions and sales/win themes; and performing targeted client/opportunity-specific research in order to expand PM and Division’s knowledge of targeted pursuits and potential competitors
• Liaise with respective Marcom staff during capture planning to coordinate early input, as required
• Clear understanding of best practices for Capture Planning
• Proficient with capture planning support activities and able to identify the need for best practice flexibility with approval from the manager to flex within the framework of best practices on small opportunities
• Keeps all CRM documentation updated
• Formats/edits capture management plans in accordance with company templates and standards
• Estimate own workload and task durations to support effective resource planning and execution.

Proposal Management

• Able to lead at least 2 complex proposals concurrently with other smaller proposals, as needed
• Leads high-priority proposals. Single responsible manager on each individual proposal effort assigned and as such, supervises the work product of individual staff supporting the proposal.
• Assumes all proposal support roles over the course of proposal development, as needed, to ensure timely completion of high-quality proposals, SOQs, and other materials as needed
• Oversee standard and agile-level pursuits, particularly those involving cross-team coordination with other BD units.
• Develop and maintain detailed, realistic proposal and interview schedules, assigning or reviewing tasks for team members and leading kick-off and milestone review meetings.
• Work with the Client Service Leader to prepare for and participate in client pre-proposal meetings, post-selection debriefings, and internal post-proposal debriefings to inform future strategy and enhance proposal effectiveness.
• Organizes, coordinates, and prepares interview content requiring limited input from Manager except for quality check
• Develops content for presentation needs
• Helps prepare and coach interview teams
• Mentor junior BD staff; reviewing their work and offering constructive feedback to support their growth and the success of the overall team.
• Enters and tracks opportunities and proposals in CRM

Client Management

• Serve as the Client Service Team’s (CST’s) BD Partner for one or more Tier I clients, working alongside a strong Client Service Leader (CSL), and may serve as the BD client lead for Tier 2 clients
• Responsible for supporting and analyzing pipeline and client data from CST meetings, coordinating with operations staff to ensure accuracy and alignment.
• Research client history, contract awards, CIPs, budget documentation, and industry news to provide strategic insights for CST planning
• Support management and planning for identified opportunities and targeted client development efforts
• Support the development of client meeting materials, capability briefings, and targeted marketing campaigns, coordinating with the Marcom team to ensure alignment with broader strategic initiatives
• May attend CST meetings and represent the firm at client-focused industry outreach events

Supervisory (if applicable)

• May manage one or more assistant proposal specialists/proposal specialists on a day-to-day basis. Responsibilities include assignment of tasks to appropriate team members and review of work to ensure compliance with quality and department-specified practices and procedures
• May manage and/or assist the Business Development Manager or Leader with proposal workload and resourcing for the regional or global business development team
• May serve as timesheet approver, perform Performance Evaluation Reviews (PER), and recommend training for staff, and provide input to the annual training plan for the department
• At least 2 years of experience supervising staff (if applicable)

Education | Experience

Normally, a 4-year degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or applicable field - or comparable experience - is required.

What You Will Bring To Our Firm

• Normally, a 4-year degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or applicable field - or comparable experience - is required.

Training, Skills, Knowledge, And/or Experience

• Minimum of 8-10 years of combined prior proposal experience is required and in the AEC industry leading, coordinating, planning, and developing architectural-engineering-construction proposals and qualifications, including section writing experience
• Candidates with experience supporting transportation, public transit, construction services, and/or building infrastructure will be given preference
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite InDesign
• Demonstrated successful performance with increased responsibilities in the past 5 years (minimum), including a minimum of 2 years of supervisory experience
• Proficiency with capture planning concepts and best practices
• At least 2 years of experience supporting capture planning by participating in multiple pursuits
• At least 2 years of experience supervising staff (if applicable)
• Normally at least 6 years of experience in GFT core service areas
• Superior organizational skills, the ability to create and communicate effectively, and proven experience in completing quality work on time
• High attention to detail and the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions while effectively driving teams to produce high-quality deliverables
• 2 years of proposal interviews participation/support leadership
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to work with some degree of independence to execute the proposal lifecycle

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $110,000 - $130,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.

Featured Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.
• Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual.
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations
• Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

Company Overview

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life.

We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together, we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.

GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives

GFT is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law.

Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property of GFT.

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Employment Status: Full-Time

Sponsorship for Canadian Work authorization is not available for this position.

No relocation assistance will be provided for this position.

Local candidates will be given preference.