Proposal Specialist

Wharton-Smith, Inc.; Sanford (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Wharton-Smith Construction Group is seeking a Proposal Specialist to join our Sanford, FL team. You will lead pursuit efforts for commercial construction and water/wastewater projects across the Southeast, managing all proposal phases from strategy to delivery.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years in proposal development, pursuit management, and marketing, with strong writing, editing, and presentation skills. This role reports to the Marketing Manager and may require travel and overtime.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Business Administration, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in proposal development, pursuit management, marketing, or related disciplines.
• Construction, Architecture, Engineering, or related industry experience is highly desired.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary pursuit teams and coordinating proposal efforts.
• Experience preparing and coaching teams for formal interviews and presentations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively at all organizational levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate, negotiate, and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to write, proofread, edit, and organize proposal and presentation content.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to travel up to 15%.
• Must be authorized to work for a U.S. employer.
• Fluency in English required.

Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the Marketing Manager, coordinate, compile, and track proposal materials to meet client deadlines and ensure all proposal requirements are fully satisfied throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
• Lead the preparation, production, and delivery of proposals, qualifications packages, presentations, and other marketing documents.
• Write and edit project summaries, staff resumes, project descriptions, and other supporting pursuit content.
• Ensure proposal materials align with client requirements, corporate branding standards, and industry best practices.
• Proofread, edit, and standardize proposal content for grammar, spelling, formatting, consistency, and overall quality.
• Maintain and update project information databases and marketing resource libraries throughout proposal, construction, and post-construction phases.
• Prepare and coach teams for formal interviews, shortlist presentations, and client selection meetings.
• Facilitate and lead pursuit strategy meetings with multidisciplinary teams.
• Manage multiple concurrent pursuit efforts while maintaining schedules and deliverable deadlines.
• Attend project milestone events for assigned projects.
• Participate in shortlist interviews and final client selection presentations.
• Coordinate award submissions and industry recognition programs.
• Support general marketing and communications initiatives as assigned.
• Some travel and overtime will be required.

Skills

Proposal development

Pursuit management

Marketing

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Editing/proofreading

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Business Administration, Journalism, or related field

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

InDesign

Photoshop

Illustrator

Microsoft Office

Job description

Wharton-Smith Construction Group is seeking a Proposal Specialist with 3-5 years of experience in proposal development, marketing, and presentation support, with preference given to candidates with experience in the construction, engineering, architecture, or related industries. The selected candidate will report to the Marketing Manager.

As a Proposal Specialist located in our Sanford, FL headquarters or one of our branch offices, you will have the opportunity to lead pursuit teams for commercial construction and water/wastewater treatment projects throughout the Southeast. You will be responsible for managing all phases of proposal preparation, from strategy and content development through production and delivery of competitive proposals and presentations.

This position supports business development, sales, and marketing initiatives and serves as a key contributor to pursuit efforts in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, and capable of managing multiple concurrent pursuits while maintaining exceptional quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the Marketing Manager, coordinate, compile, and track proposal materials to meet client deadlines and ensure all proposal requirements are fully satisfied throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
• Lead the preparation, production, and delivery of proposals, qualifications packages, presentations, and other marketing documents.
• Write and edit project summaries, staff resumes, project descriptions, and other supporting pursuit content.
• Ensure proposal materials align with client requirements, corporate branding standards, and industry best practices.
• Proofread, edit, and standardize proposal content for grammar, spelling, formatting, consistency, and overall quality.
• Maintain and update project information databases and marketing resource libraries throughout proposal, construction, and post-construction phases.
• Prepare and coach teams for formal interviews, shortlist presentations, and client selection meetings.
• Facilitate and lead pursuit strategy meetings with multidisciplinary teams.
• Manage multiple concurrent pursuit efforts while maintaining schedules and deliverable deadlines.
• Attend project milestone events for assigned projects.
• Participate in shortlist interviews and final client selection presentations.
• Coordinate award submissions and industry recognition programs.
• Support general marketing and communications initiatives as assigned.
• Some travel and overtime will be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Business Administration, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in proposal development, pursuit management, marketing, or related disciplines.
• Construction, Architecture, Engineering, or related industry experience is highly desired.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary pursuit teams and coordinating proposal efforts.
• Experience preparing and coaching teams for formal interviews and presentations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively at all organizational levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate, negotiate, and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to write, proofread, edit, and organize proposal and presentation content.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to travel up to 15%.
• Must be authorized to work for a U.S. employer.
• Fluency in English required.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, English, Business Administration, Journalism, or a related field from an accredited institution; or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience developing proposals and presentations within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.
• Experience leading pursuit strategy, content development, and interview preparation efforts.
• Print and digital graphic design experience.
• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, including InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• Training in presentation development, proposal strategy, content creation, and visual communication.
• Ongoing professional development through industry-related, marketing, communications, or proposal management coursework.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong knowledge of proposal development, pursuit management, and business development processes.
• Excellent organizational, prioritization, and project management skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines and shifting priorities under pressure.
• Strong leadership and facilitation skills with the ability to guide pursuit teams and drive collaboration.
• Exceptional written communication, proofreading, editing, and formatting abilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated initiative and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Ability to think creatively and contribute strategic ideas during pursuit planning.
• High attention to detail and commitment to producing high‑quality deliverables.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and related business applications.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Adobe InDesign.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and accountability.
• Ability to work Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and overtime as needed.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability

Wharton‑Smith provides equal opportunity to qualified disabled veterans, Pre‑JVA special disabled veterans and individuals with disabilities to online application systems by making reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access for submitting to job openings. (i.e., wheelchair accessibility, website accessibility, etc).