Director, Proposal Development

Centene Corporation; Missouri; Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Stock purchase program

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Flexible work options (remote/hybrid)

Job summary

Centene Corp. in Missouri seeks a Senior Proposal Lead to oversee the end-to-end proposal process, align with SMEs and Implementation teams, and ensure deadlines are met.

You will craft win themes, manage risks, and deliver high-quality documents across multiple RFPs. This role offers a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities to influence strategy in a growing healthcare organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years leading proposal development or managing large, complex written documents.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the proposal process across multiple projects.
• Analyze RFP requirements with SMEs and Implementation teams.
• Plan with senior management to develop win themes and approach.
• Lead kickoff meetings and drive communication of win themes and risks.
• Create project controls: proposal plan, timeline, compliance matrix.
• Ensure consistency and clear handoffs across proposals.
• Write and edit sections such as corporate history, qualifications, and executive summary with SMEs.
• Coordinate with Health Plan and Specialty Company proposals to match corporate messaging.
• Provide QA over production and delivery plan.
• Lead proposal reviews and capture feedback to resolve issues.
• Capture lessons learned and apply to future proposals.
• Drive continuous process improvement with KPI monitoring.

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience

Job description

Position Purpose:

Oversee the entire proposal effort, including the development of win themes and delivery of high quality work product within the imposed deadlines. Serve as the liaison between the Proposal Development Center, Functional Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and Implementation teams.

Key Details

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Sponsorship and future sponsorship are not available for this opportunity, including employment-based visa types H-1B, L-1, O-1, H-1B1, F-1, J -1, OPT, or CPT.

• Oversee the proposal process, including management multiple projects
• Perform analytical review of RFP to identify and capture specific operational requirements and communicate to relevant business areas
• Conduct initial planning with senior management to analyze potential win themes and overall approach
• Drive team-wide planning and kickoff meetings to develop and communicate key win themes and risks
• Create detailed project control documents and tools (proposal plan, timeline, compliance matrix, etc.) to support proposal development and mitigate risk
• Ensure consistency across proposals and outline work product progression to clarify functional ownership and handoffs
• Write and edit corporate organization, history, qualifications, executive summary sections and other sections as necessary, in conjunction with SMEs
• Maintain awareness of Health Plan and Specialty Company proposal efforts and coordinate with SMEs to ensure proposal is consistent with corporate messaging
• Provide quality assurance over the production process and delivery plan
• Lead proposal reviews and capture feedback to ensure identified issues are addressed and resolved by the proposal team
• Coordinate and facilitate proposal lessons learned discussion and relate results to proposal outcome and customer debrief information
• Drive continuous process improvement, including monitoring of key performance metrics

Education/Experience:

Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience. 7+ years of leading proposal development and response or experience managing large, complex written documents, such as grant requests or sales proposals. Pay Range: $134,600.00 - $249,000.00 per year

At Centene, we connect people to the care they need to live healthier lives — and the work you do here makes that impact real every day.

You’ll take on meaningful challenges that directly support individuals, families, and communities, building your skills while making healthcare more accessible and effective. It’s work with a purpose you can see, backed by a team committed to improving lives well beyond the workday.

Centene offers a comprehensive benefits package including: competitive pay, health insurance, 401K and stock purchase plans, tuition reimbursement, paid time off plus holidays, and a flexible approach to work with remote, hybrid, field or office work schedules. Actual pay will be adjusted based on an individual's skills, experience, education, and other job-related factors permitted by law, including full-time or part-time status. Total compensation may also include additional forms of incentives. Benefits may be subject to program eligibility.

Centene is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, and values the ways in which we are different. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the LA County Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act