Director Proposal

Connection; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Connection seeks a strategic Director of Proposals to lead enterprise-wide proposal development and drive winning strategies across the Sales organization.

The role oversees RFP responses, cross-functional collaboration, and a centralized knowledge base, aiming to improve efficiency, quality, and win rates while upholding governance and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams with full people leadership authority.
• Proven track record managing private and public sector proposals.
• Ability to own full proposal lifecycle from pre-RFP to submission.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide responses to RFPs, RFIs and complex bid opportunities.
• Standardize and improve the proposal development process across units.
• Own high-priority pursuits and ensure timely, high-quality submissions.
• Partner with Sales, Solution Architects, and SMEs to craft winning strategies.
• Establish and lead a Deal Desk to evaluate high-value opportunities.
• Build a centralized proposal knowledge base for efficiency.
• Implement governance, compliance, and post-deal reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Proposal management

Cross-functional collaboration

Written communication

Timeline management

Mentoring

Tools

MS Word

SharePoint

MS Excel

Job description

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Director of Proposals to lead and elevate our enterprise-wide proposal function. In this high-impact leadership role, you will oversee the development of compelling, compliant, and competitive responses to RFPs, bids, and other strategic pursuits across our Sales organization.

You will serve as the central leader guiding proposal strategy, driving cross-functional collaboration, and standardizing processes that improve efficiency, quality, and win rates. This role offers the opportunity to shape how we position our solutions, tell our story, and win business.

• Lead enterprise-wide responses to RFPs, RFIs, and large, complex bid opportunities
• Drive a consistent, scalable proposal development process across business units
• Own high-priority pursuits, ensuring submissions are accurate, compelling, and on time
• Partner with Sales, Solution Architects, and subject matter experts to develop winning strategies and narratives
• Establish and lead a Deal Desk to evaluate and shape high-value opportunities
• Build and maintain a centralized proposal knowledge base to improve efficiency and consistency
• Implement governance, compliance standards, and post-deal review processes to drive continuous improvement
• Lead proposal kickoff meetings, coordinate deliverables, and manage timelines and resources
• Track win/loss metrics, analyze performance, and identify areas for improvement
• Develop and mentor a high-performing proposal team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence

Qualifications:

• Must have experience managing direct reports with full authority and responsibility for all aspects of people leadership, including hiring, firing, performance management, coaching, compensation decisions, employee relations, workforce planning, succession planning, and budget ownership.
• Experience leading teams of staff writers and subcontractors in a complex, deadline-driven environment.
• Proven experience managing private business and state and federal contract proposals with the demonstrated capability to take ownership and initiative over the entire proposal development life cycle, including managing proposal resources, teams of internal personnel from across the company, and subcontractors to deliver compliant, winning-quality, professionally designed proposal documents.
• Experience leading full lifecycle proposal development processes, including but not limited to: pre-RFP solution development; proposal outlines; schedule; writing assignments; past performance; deal reviews; and proposal submission.
• Experience working closely with growth leads and technical staff, including division sales leaders, subject matter experts, external consultants, and other writing support, to develop an understanding of, create, and persuasively articulate a winning solution.
• Negotiation skills with the ability to secure favorable contracts.
• Process improvement inclinations and/or experience.
• Experience working with Solution Architects to assist in development of technical solutions for proposals.
• Experience managing oral presentations, technical demonstrations, and/or video proposals.
• Experience working with and developing standardized sets of proposal development tools, templates, and processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with people at all levels of the company, internal personnel, and subcontractors.
• Excellent Interpersonal skills with the ability to build collaborative relationships.
• Detail-oriented with meticulous attention to detail, with the ability to proofread for accuracy.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Flexible with the ability to handle and prioritize multiple proposals.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.