NC Water Proposal Manager — Strategy & Submittals

HDR; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Proposal Manager in North Carolina to help shape pursuit strategies, craft compelling materials, and drive competitive win opportunities for water-related projects. You’ll work with multi-disciplinary teams to manage schedules, ensure compliance, and lead high-quality reviews across proposals and interviews.

The role requires leadership, communication, and a demonstrated ability to motivate others, with travel about 25% of the time; a valid driver’s license is required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated "self-starter" with a history of completing projects with limited oversight.
• Experience in sales and developing effective win strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign.

Responsibilities

• Support pursuit teams in creating and implementing effective win strategies (capture planning).
• Facilitate pursuit teams to develop persuasive proposal and interview materials.
• Develop and manage proposal schedules and confirm compliance.
• Engage the appropriate marketing services resources in pursuit teams.
• Lead quality reviews of proposal and interview materials.
• Facilitate debriefs to identify improvement opportunities and to measure overall competitiveness.
• Deconstruct and file proposal and presentation material upon submittal.
• Train and mentor employees on business development and marketing best practices.
• Articulate HDR's capabilities and competitive advantages.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% of the time (valid driver's license required).
• Perform other duties as needed

Skills

Self-starter

Sales experience

Win strategies

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

North Carolina Water Business Group Proposal Manager - ( 195342 )

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe water is more than a resource, it's a shared responsibility. As part of our WaterBusiness Group, you’ll help shape how communities manage water for generations to come. From delivering safe drinking water and treating wastewater responsibly to developing sustainable water supplies and protecting lives and property through flood control, your work will directly support public health, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure resilience. We bring together experts across disciplines to solve complex challenges with bold thinking and technical excellence. Whether you're modernizing aging systems or pioneering innovative approaches, your contributions will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This isn’t just a job, it's a chance to lead change, drive progress, and leave a lasting legacy.

#LI-BC2

HDR has an opening for a Proposal Manager to join our Water Business Group. This position may be based in any of our North Carolina offices (Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville, Wilmington, or Winston-Salem).

In this role, we’ll count on you to:

• Lead and facilitate proposal and interview development.
• Develop and manage proposal schedules and work plans.
• Confirm compliance with RFP requirements.
• Support pursuit teams in creating and implementing win strategies through capture planning.
• Engage the appropriate marketing and technical resources for pursuits.
• Lead quality reviews of proposals and interview materials.
• Administer HDR's go/no-go decision process in accordance with the Matrix of Authority.
• Support development and implementation of client development plans and long-term growth strategies.
• Coach interview teams and presentation teams.
• Facilitate debriefs and lessons learned.
• Create marketing collateral and business development materials.
• Train and mentor staff on marketing and business development best practices.
• Articulate HDR's competitive advantages and capabilities.
• Maintain opportunity forecasting and reporting within HDR systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Strong understanding of A/E/C procurement practices.
• Ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Experience developing compelling content from technical information.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years relevant industry experience
• Demonstrated "self-starter" with a history of completing projects with limited oversight
• Experience in sales and developing effective win strategies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign

What We Believe
HDR is our company. Together, we build on each other's life experiences and perspectives to make great things possible every day. This shapes our collaborative culture, encourages organizational trust and connects us closer to the clients and communities we serve.

Our Commitment
As employee owners, we all have a role in creating an inclusive environment where each of us is welcomed, valued, respected and empowered to bring our authentic selves to work every day.

Our eight Employee Network Groups (Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic/Latino(a), LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Women, Young Professionals) help create a sense of belonging and foster a supportive environment where everyone is empowered to engage and contribute. Each group has an executive sponsor and is open to all employees.

Primary Location

Other Locations

Industry

: Water

Schedule

Schedule

: Full-time

Employee Status

Employee Status

: Regular

BusinessClass : Marketing and Admin

Job Posting

Job Posting

: Oct 12, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity.

We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employe r.

We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest and conviction records.

Ready to learn more? Let's work together to make great thingspossible.

We design solutions to the world's greatest challenges. We'realways looking for great talent to join our global teams.