Marketing and Proposal Director

RJN Group; Downers Grove (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock ownership plan

401(k) matching

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Hybrid work arrangements

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

RJN Group is seeking a Marketing and Proposal Director to lead our marketing team from the Downers Grove headquarters. The role partners with sales and operations to execute branding, communications, and pursuit strategies across the firm.

The ideal candidate has extensive marketing leadership experience in professional services, with a track record of aligning activities to business outcomes, managing budgets, and overseeing proposal operations in a multi-office environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years marketing experience in AEC or professional services.
• At least 5 years of people leadership experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field.
• Ability to link marketing activities to brand positioning and ROI with metrics.
• Ability to align firm leadership, project managers, technical professionals, sales, and marketing to support firm-wide objectives.
• Experience developing and managing marketing processes, budgets, and resource allocation across a multi-office organization.
• Experience leading pursuit strategy, proposal operations, go/no-go decisions, and marketing leadership for major pursuits.
• Experience leading corporate branding, digital marketing, and thought leadership development.
• Familiarity with marketing technology platforms, CRM, proposal tools, analytics, AI marketing tools, social media, and graphic design software; proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud preferred.
• Strong written technical communication and content review skills.
• Active participation in marketing or industry-related professional organizations is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead marketing team; coordinate with departments, consultants, and vendors to deliver commitments.
• Develop and execute marketing strategy, branding, and communications.
• Oversee proposal development to ensure brand-consistent messaging and deadlines.
• Manage marketing technology platforms, CRM, analytics, and AI tools.
• Support conferences, events, and thought leadership content.

Skills

Leadership

Marketing strategy

Brand management

Content creation

Cross-functional collaboration

ROI measurement

Pursuit strategy

Digital marketing

Marketing analytics

Adobe Creative Cloud

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Proposal tools

Analytics platforms

AI marketing tools

Social media platforms

Graphic design software

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

Overview

Interested in working for the industry leader and having a stake in an employee-owned firm? RJN Group employees can answer “yes” to all of the above. We are seeking an experienced Marketing and Proposal Director to join the RJN family. This is a hybrid position based out of our corporate headquarters in Downers Grove, Illinois.

Sales and marketing at an engineering firm are different. You will serve as the leader of RJN’s Marketing Team, working closely with sales and operations to coordinate and execute all aspects of our marketing, branding, and communications strategy.

Position Summary

The Marketing and Proposal Director will lead the development and execution of marketing, branding, pursuit, and communications strategies in support of the firm’s business objectives, working closely with the Vice President of Client Services. This role requires strong collaboration across offices, disciplines, and leadership teams to ensure consistent brand execution and effective support for pursuit and marketing activities across the organization.

Join us to lead our marketing efforts and support the continued growth of RJN as a national firm.

Position Responsibilities

• Team Leadership and Support – Guide and balance team priorities; provide resource planning for marketing team members; coordinate with internal departments, consultants, and vendors; help guide individual and team skill development, and provide hands-on support during peak workload periods to ensure successful delivery of marketing and proposal commitments.
• Marketing Strategy – Work with the Vice President of Client Services, project and account managers, geographic leaders, and department colleagues to strengthen systems, processes, and tools; identify innovative marketing opportunities and approaches; outline priorities to elevate RJN’s stature and support business growth.
• Proposal Development and Management – Develop standards and workflows to ensure effective communications between stakeholders for business opportunity proposals; ensure consistent messaging in line with the firm’s brand; oversee quality control and workload coordination; participate in proposal development to meet client requirements and submissions deadlines.
• Brand Positioning Programs – Advance the firm’s thought leadership through print and digital publications, videos, and direct marketing; manage visual identity across digital, social, print, and video materials; support conferences, events, and speaking opportunities.
• Marketing Technology Platform Management – Oversee and evolve the marketing technology infrastructure, including CRM systems, proposal generation tools, analytics platforms, AI-assisted marketing tools, and graphic design software; evaluate platforms to enhance performance and differentiation.
• Experience Database and Proposal Generation – Maintain the centralized repository of case experience descriptions, bios, and other marketing content, including the proposal generation tool and repository of final proposals.
• Tradeshow and Professional Organization Involvement – Oversee tradeshow process and office involvement at conferences and trade shows; manage booth graphics, equipment, sponsorships, giveaways, and branding at events.
• Communication – Lead internal and external communications; oversee internal platforms and contribute to proposals, collateral, and thought leadership content; ensure clarity, consistency, and quality across materials.

Essential Skills & Experience

Our ideal candidate will have the following certifications, skills, and experience:

• A minimum of 15 years of progressive marketing experience within the AEC industry or a comparable professional services environment, including at least 5 years of people leadership experience.
• A bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field is required.
• Ability to lead a team through collaboration, coaching, and timely constructive feedback.
• Ability to link marketing activities to brand positioning and business outcomes, with experience using metrics to measure performance and ROI.
• Ability to align firm leadership, project managers, technical professionals, sales, and marketing to support firm-wide objectives.
• Experience developing and managing marketing processes, workflows, budgets, and resource allocation across a multi-office organization.
• Experience leading pursuit strategy, proposal operations, go/no-go decisions, and marketing leadership for major pursuits.
• Experience leading corporate branding, digital marketing, and thought leadership development.
• Familiarity with marketing technology platforms, CRM, proposal tools, analytics, AI marketing tools, social media, and graphic design software; proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud preferred.
• Strong written technical communication and content review skills.
• Active participation in marketing or industry-related professional organizations is preferred.

Direct Reports

Marketing staff, including but not limited to marketing specialists, coordinators, and interns.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

• Physical demands: Stand, walk, sit, use hands and arms, see, talk, and hear.
• Work environment: Standard indoor office environment with minimal noise levels.
• Personal Protective Equipment: None required in office.

About RJN Group

RJN is an employee-owned professional engineering and specialty field services firm providing sustainable underground infrastructure solutions for utility owners. We are consistently named a Zweig Group “Best firm to Work For.”

RJN Benefits

RJN provides a competitive benefit package including:

• Company-funded employee stock ownership plan and 401(k) matching retirement plan
• Medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance benefits and a wellness program
• Flexible and hybrid work arrangements and schedule and a casual dress code
• Paid time off and holiday pay
• Tuition assistance and student loan repayment
• Professional development opportunities

Equal Opportunity

RJN is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We support a diverse workforce and are committed to supporting our employees both professionally and personally.