Project Engineer - Proposal

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

401(k) plan

Competitive benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. seeks a Proposal Manager to lead technical scope development and prepare compelling proposals from initiation to submission. You will bridge sales, engineering and project teams to translate customer needs into actionable scopes and competitive bids that align with SEL capabilities.

The role requires strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills, with knowledge of estimating, proposal management, and engineering services. Travel is expected.

Qualifications

• One of the following: Bachelors degree in Engineering or related technical field; Associates Degree with minimum of 4 years relevant experience; or PMP Certification or similar with 6 years relevant experience.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally a minimum of 25%.
• Strong understanding of engineering services, estimating practices and proposal management.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of technical scopes and proposals from initiation through submission.
• Coordinate with sales, engineering and project support to align customer needs with solutions.
• Estimate labor, equipment and expenses; develop front-end milestones and schedules.
• Conduct bid reviews, ensure documents are complete and on-time submission.
• Develop tools/templates to improve proposal processes and OTP delivery.
• Maintain customer relationships and act as trusted advisor.

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Proposal Manager to lead the development of technical scopes and proposals from initiation through submission. This role is critical in aligning customer needs with engineering solutions, ensuring proposals are technically sound, competitively priced, and delivered on time.The ideal candidate will serve as a strategic liaison between sales, engineering, and project support teams, translating customer requirements into actionable scopes of work and comprehensive proposals. Success in this role requires strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills, along with a deep understanding of engineering services, estimating practices, and proposal management methodologies.As a Project Engineer – Proposal Manager a typical day might include the following:Conduct business development meetings with sales representatives and customersCommunicate with customers to understand their technical needs and recommend solutions within SEL Engineering Services’ competenciesCollaborate with the local branches to attain technical reviewer and support in developing proposalsEstimate Engineering Services and subcontractor labor, equipment, and expensesOrchestrate proposal development, internal review, and submission to customerEvaluate and quantify project risks in accordance with proposed scope of workEvaluate subcontractors in accordance with proposed scope of workCollaborate with project support team to ensure bid documents are complete and submitted on timeConstruct front-end milestone and construction schedulesCommunicate with customers regularly on proposal status and provide revisions, as necessary. Document and archive important communications for project execution teamEnsure status for proposal submission, due dates, and estimated project execution dates are accurateConduct bid review meetings with sales team and customersReview purchase orders and contracts for scope, schedule, and budget compliance and deviations from submitted bid documentsConduct internal kickoff meeting with project team to hand-off internallyCollaborate in external customer kickoff meeting and complete project turnover to customerOrchestrate post-mortem analyses on completed projects to develop action plans for proposal writing, estimating, and project execution team performanceDevelop tools that facilitate on time to promise (OTP) proposal delivery to the customerMaintain customer relationships and serve as a trusted advisor.This job might be for you if you possess the following skills:A strong technical background and are pursuing career growth in the project management professionA strong understanding of SEL products, solutions and SEL Engineering Services capabilitiesExperience in estimating labor, equipment, subcontractor costs, and project expensesProficient in developing milestone and construction schedulesAbility to evaluate and quantify project risks and evaluate contracts and purchase orders for compliance with scopes, schedules, and budgetsEnjoy customer communication and serving as a trusted advisorEnjoy the autonomy of creating tools and templates to improve group processes and trackingRequired Qualifications:One of the following: Bachelors degree in Engineering or related technical field; Associates Degree with minimum of 4 years relevant experience; or PMP Certification or similar with 6 years relevant experience.Basic knowledge of electric power system protection and control, integration and/or automation and communications applicationsWorking knowledge of electric power system design, studies, information and communication technology and protective relay applicationsWilling to travel both domestically and internationally a minimum of 25% based on focus areaProtection FocusStrong protection background in Generation, Transmission and DistributionExperience developing BOM, layouts, schematics, wiring diagrams and protection schemesExperience developing coordination and arc flash studiesExperience conducting FAT and SAT with customerAutomation FocusStrong automation background in SCADA, PLC, control systems, HMIs, and network & cybersecurity.Experience developing BOM, layouts, schematics, wiring diagrams and communications scheme.Experience developing infrastructure for communications, automation, and control systems.Experience conducting FAT and SAT with customerLocation:We are open to multiple locations: Fairview Heights, IL, Houston, TX, Denver, CO, Plymouth, MI.Competitive pay. Superior benefits. Inspiring work.People are at the core of our company and we hire employee-owners. We welcome you to learn more about how we support employees.We’re 100% employee owned. Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer: 10 paid holidays, annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days, 9 paid sick days, and paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.Pay Range DataNew hires generally start between $110,000 - 175,000. We base our starting pay offer on location and job-related factors such as candidate experience, training, knowledge, and skills. Our salary ranges are determined by job, responsibility, and locationCommunication with ApplicantsWe communicate with all applicants. If you do not receive a response about your application, please check your SPAM filter or reach out to us at [e-mail] is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled.