Proposal Writer

Cengage Group; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 67,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage Group is seeking a Proposal Writer to manage the RFP process for the K-12 market, coordinating with sales, marketing, and product teams to develop timely, high-quality proposals aligned with client needs.

You will audit and maintain a library of messaging and branding resources, driving efficiencies in templates, processes, and systems while ensuring compelling, compliant responses.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years experience in proposal management with sales support or writing.
• BA/BS in writing, communications, marketing, or related field.
• Ability to mentor a team and coordinate proposal efforts within tight timelines.
• Proven track record of developing, implementing and evaluating proposals that balance user needs with business requirements.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to influence stakeholders and drive results.
• Able to stay agile while managing a high volume of work in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of emerging proposal trends, technologies and integration strategies.
• Provide value to each proposal as a strategic problem solver.

Responsibilities

• Support all aspects of the RFP process from start to finish, including vetting, strategy calls, content collaboration, editing, and proposal preparation.
• Analyze RFP bid to determine compliant response structure and format.
• Generate detailed response plans, schedules, and technical elements for proposals.
• Delegate tasks to team members as appropriate.
• Partner with the Sales team to differentiate proposals and create a winning first impression.
• Identify gaps in current RFP response strategy and propose improvements with internal partners.
• Track, evaluate, and improve RFP responses based on feedback and market research.
• Complete other duties as assigned to meet company goals.

Skills

Proposal management

Content collaboration

Mentoring

Stakeholder alignment

Written communications

Time management

Project coordination

Adaptability

Education

BA/BS in writing, communications, marketing, or related field

Tools

MS Office

Adobe Suite

Job description

United States

Full time

R2026-1018

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping learners around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Cengage Proposal Writer

The Proposal Writer for our K-12 learning market is responsible for managing the Request for Proposal (RFP) process and will engage key internal partners to develop a proposal strategy that balances customer and channel priorities.

This role reports to the Manager, Sales Operations and Support whose team is responsible for the successful evaluation and execution of Cengage School RFP submission for districts and state departments of education. The successful candidate will support the effective project management of the bid process with on-time, high-quality responses by ensuring each proposal submission aligns with client need and represents Cengage's highest quality standards.

In this position, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a content library that clearly, concisely, and accurately articulates our proposed solution to the solicitation instructions and evaluation criteria. You will work alongside our sales, marketing, and product teams to audit and maintain a library of resources that contains up-to-date messaging and branding. In addition, you are encouraged to look for efficiencies to streamline and scale templates, processes, and systems.

What you'll do here:

• Support all aspects of the RFP process from start to finish, including RFP vetting, strategy calls, content collaboration, editing, and proposal preparation.

• Analyze RFP bid to determine compliant response structure and format.

• Generate detailed response plans, schedules, and technical elements in the development of proposals in accordance with proposal specifications.

• Delegate tasks to team members as appropriate.

• Partner with the Sales team to create innovative approaches and deliverables to differentiate proposals to assure a winning first impression.

• Identify gaps in the current RFP response model strategy, then propose new insights and secure support from internal partners to implement improvements within the processes, systems, and/or templates.

• Track, evaluate, and improve RFP responses based on customer feedback, sales needs, and market research.

• Complete other duties as assigned to meet company goals.

Skills you will need here:

• A minimum of 2 years experience in proposal management with sales support or writing.

• BA/BS in writing, communications, marketing, or related field.

• Ability to serve as team mentor to coordinate proposal efforts simultaneously within tight timeframes.

• Prior success in developing, implementing, and evaluating proposals that balance user needs with business requirements.

• Strong interpersonal skills: the ability to empathize, support, and anticipate the needs of external customers and internal teammates/departments.

• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to influence and align stakeholders while driving for results.

• Able to remain agile while successfully project managing a high volume of work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Understanding of emerging proposal trends, technologies, and integration strategies.

• Provide value to each proposal being developed as a knowledgeable resource and strategic problem solver.

• Proficient with MS Office suite and Adobe Suite

Preferred Skills/Knowledge/Experience:

• Experience working within the K12 education industry.
• Previous experience working with proposal management software (Responsive)

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [e-mail] .

About Cengage

Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here (https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/perspectives/2024/cengage-group-total-rewards-philosophy/) to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy .

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

$67,000.00 - $87,100.00 USD

Cengage, a global edtech company, supports learners, educators and institutions across more than 100 countries. With products serving nearly 16 million digital users across the Higher Education, School, Work and English Language Learning markets, we’ve built a learning ecosystem that connects education to employment. We combine trusted content, AI-powered insights and scalable digital platforms to power learning for every future and drive meaningful outcomes at every stage of the learning journey.