Lead Proposal Specialist

Forvis Mazars US; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Forvis Mazars, LLP in Charleston, SC is seeking a Lead Proposal Specialist to lead RFPs, proactive proposals, and presentations from planning through delivery, coordinating with partners and the National Proposal Team.

You will translate client needs into persuasive, client-centered content, manage timelines, and ensure best practices while using approved templates and content tools. This role emphasizes collaboration, content reuse, and high-quality deliverables.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant area is required.
• 3–5 years of experience in proposal management, pursuit strategy, marketing or business development, or related field.
• Ability to turn client needs and sector priorities into client-centered language.
• Executive presence and communication skills for leading kickoff calls and strategy discussions.
• Working knowledge of proposal best practices, including RFP analysis, content reuse, and draft management.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned RFPs, proactive proposals, and other pursuit deliverables from planning to delivery.
• Guide teams on understanding client needs, drivers, and evaluation criteria.
• Act as pod lead for assigned sectors, aligning with national leaders and stakeholders.
• Translate priorities into proposal-ready guidance and reusable content.
• Coordinate with content teams to harvest language and ensure consistency across tools.

Skills

Proposal writing

Editing

Storytelling

Strategy development

Executive presence

Stakeholder coordination

MS Office proficiency

AI-enabled drafting tools

Education

Bachelor's Degree in relevant area

Tools

Proposal automation tools

Content management tools

AI-enabled drafting tools

Microsoft Office

Workflow platforms

Job description

Description & Requirements

The Lead Proposal Specialist plays a key role in helping Forvis Mazars pursue and win strategic opportunities. Working closely with partners, senior client service professionals, sector and industry leaders, and the National Proposal Team, this role manages proposal planning, strategy, content development, and workflow for assigned pursuits. The Lead Proposal Specialist helps shape clear, concise, client-centered materials that reflect the firm's commitment to an Unmatched Client Experience.

What You Will Do

• Lead assigned RFPs, proactive proposals, oral presentations, and other pursuit deliverables from planning through final delivery, including kickoff, strategy, timeline management, draft development, reviews, and stakeholder coordination.
• Evaluate proposal requirements and guide teams in focusing on the client's needs, opportunity drivers, evaluation criteria, differentiators, win themes, content requirements, and required subject matter professional involvement.
• Serve as a sector and industry pod lead for assigned areas by coordinating proposal activity, monitoring recurring needs and trends, and helping align proposal support with national sector leaders, industry leaders, marketing professionals, and client service stakeholders.
• Translate sector and industry priorities into proposal-ready guidance, including positioning themes, client pain points, differentiators, related service opportunities, and reusable language that can be tailored across pursuits.
• Partner with proposal specialists, production specialists, designers, content team members, and internal reviewers to coordinate deliverables and improve consistency across assigned opportunities and pod priorities.
• Collaborate with the proposal content team to identify reusable content, harvest strong language from completed proposals, refresh existing service descriptions, reduce duplication, and support consistent use of approved content across proposal tools and libraries
• Use approved templates, content management tools, AI-enabled proposal resources, and firm guidance safely and effectively to improve speed, quality, and consistency while maintaining appropriate risk, legal, brand, confidentiality, and Words to Watch standards.
• Share pod-level insights with National Proposal Team leadership and sector stakeholders, including proposal activity, win/loss themes, debrief feedback, content gaps, risks, accomplishments, future priorities, and process improvement opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant area
• 3-5 years of relevant experience in proposal management, pursuit strategy, marketing or business development, professional services, sector or industry marketing, content strategy, or a related field
• Demonstrated proposal writing, editing, storytelling, and strategy skills, including the ability to turn client needs, sector priorities, and technical information into clear, client-centered language.
• Executive presence and communication skills needed to lead kickoff calls, facilitate strategy discussions, and work confidently with partners, senior leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of proposal and pursuit best practices, including RFP analysis, proactive proposal development, win theme development, differentiator development, content reuse, compliance review, and draft management.
• Practical understanding of sector and industry nuances, including client pain points, buying triggers, and opportunity-specific messaging shape proposal strategy.
• Sound judgment, critical thinking, and attention to detail, with the ability to identify risks, gaps, inconsistencies, escalation needs, and opportunities to improve proposal positioning or process.
• Proven capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while balancing urgent proposal deadlines with longer-term pod, content, and process improvement priorities.
• Proficiency with proposal automation, content management, AI-enabled drafting and review tools, Microsoft Office applications, and related workflow platforms, with the ability to use them safely and effectively to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality.
• Collaborative working style with the ability to mentor and guide others without direct supervisory responsibility and reinforce UCX principles throughout proposal strategy, content, process, and stakeholder interactions.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5-9 years of relevant experience in proposal management, pursuit strategy, marketing or business development, professional services, sector or industry marketing, content strategy, or a related field
• APMP certification

About Forvis Mazars, LLP

Forvis Mazars, LLP is an independent member of Forvis Mazars Global, a leading global professional services network. Ranked among the largest public accounting firms in the United States, our 7,000+ team members deliver assurance, tax, and consulting services to clients in all 50 states and internationally. With a legacy spanning more than 100 years, we're building something different. We are guided by a shared promise: Together, we create extraordinary experiences. That means delivering an Unmatched Client Experience while creating a workplace where relationships matter, learning fuels growth, and every person feels valued and supported to thrive.

What We Offer

Our robust total rewards program and flexible work environment reflect our commitment to people, careers, and well-being-empowering our team to grow and thrive while delivering exceptional service. To explore what makes working at Forvis Mazars special, visit www.forvismazars.us/careers.

Legal Notice

Forvis Mazars, LLP is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer in accordance with applicable law. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity, or other protected classifications.

It is Forvis Mazars, LLP standard policy not to accept unsolicited referrals or resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.

Forvis Mazars, LLP expresses the right not to consider any unsolicited referrals, resumes or CVs from vendors including and without limitation, search firms, staffing agencies, fee-based referral services, and recruiting agencies.

Forvis Mazars, LLP further reserves the right not to pay a fee to a recruiter or recruiting agency unless such recruiter or recruiting agency has a signed vendor agreement with Forvis Mazars, LLP. Any resume(s) or CV(s) submitted to anyone working for Forvis Mazars, LLP, or submitted to a Forvis Mazars, LLP general email, without having a Forvis Mazars, LLP vendor agreement in place, will be considered the property of Forvis Mazars, LLP.