Senior Proposal Lead

Jobtailor; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Cambridge, MA seeks a senior Proposal Manager to lead the full pursuit lifecycle, from opportunity evaluation to interview prep, ensuring compliant, win-ready content.

You will collaborate with market leaders, engineers, and SMEs to craft persuasive narratives, manage schedules, and coordinate with subconsultants. A Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of experience in AEC proposal development are preferred; strong writing and project mgmt skills required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Marketing, Journalism, Business, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years’ experience leading qualifications, proposals, and interview materials, ideally in the AEC industry.
• Experience guiding complex pursuits and coordinating multidisciplinary teams through all proposal phases.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication; translate technical content for clients.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy, quality, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the complete pursuit lifecycle from opportunity evaluation to interview prep.
• Analyze RFIs, RFQs, RFPs to identify requirements and develop response strategies.
• Develop proposal schedules, compliance matrices, outlines, assignments, and review processes.
• Compose and format documents with strong graphic/layout skills for reader-friendly content.
• Collaborate with market leaders, technical staff, and SMEs to gather information and craft win themes.
• Write, edit, and tailor proposal narratives to communicate qualifications and value proposition.
• Coordinate with subconsultants and partners to obtain qualifications and commitment materials.
• Maintain proposal resources and track pursuits; report status to market leadership.
• Participate in post-submission debriefs and pursue analyses to improve future proposals.
• Stay informed on industry trends, client priorities, and proposal best practices in AEC.

Skills

Proposal Writing

Content Creation

Document Formatting

Compliance Management

RFI Analysis

RFP Analysis

Proposal Scheduling

Research and Analysis

Critical Thinking

Graphic/Layout Skills

Education

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

Tools

Vantagepoint

Procurement Portals

Industry Databases

Job description

• Lead and manage the full pursuit lifecycle, including opportunity evaluation, kickoff meetings, strategy development, content creation, reviews, submissions, and interview preparation.
• Analyze RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, and other procurement documents to identify requirements, assess pursuit opportunities, and develop response strategies.
• Develop proposal schedules, compliance matrices, outlines, assignments, and review processes to ensure timely, high-quality submissions.
• Compose and format documents with strong reader-friendly graphic/layout skills.
• Collaborate with market leaders, technical staff, and subject matter experts to gather information, define win themes, and develop compelling proposal content.
• Write, edit, and tailor proposal narratives to clearly communicate SMMA's qualifications, experience, and value proposition.
• Coordinate with subconsultants and project partners to obtain required qualifications, schedules, certifications, and commitment materials.
• Conduct opportunity searches and maintain firm profiles and qualifications within procurement portals and industry databases.
• Manage and maintain proposal resources, including project descriptions, resumes, templates, boilerplate content, and lessons learned.
• Track pursuits, maintain pipeline data and opportunity records in Vantagepoint, and provide regular pursuit status reporting to market leadership.
• Participate in post-submission debriefs and pursuit analyses, identifying opportunities to strengthen future proposals and processes.
• Stay informed on industry trends, client priorities, competitor activity, and proposal best practices within the AEC industry.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Marketing, Journalism, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience leading qualifications, proposals, and interview materials, preferably within the AEC industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex pursuits and coordinating multidisciplinary teams through all phases of the proposal development process.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical content into clear, persuasive, client-focused messaging.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy, quality, and compliance.
• Strong research, analytical, and critical thinking skills.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in leading proposal development processes, including opportunity evaluation, content creation, and compliance management, while effectively collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. Possesses strong writing, editing, and project management skills to deliver high-quality, persuasive proposals in the AEC industry.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Proposal Development
• Project Management
• Writing and Editing
• Opportunity Evaluation
• AEC Industry Experience

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Proposal Writing
• Content Creation
• Document Formatting
• Compliance Management
• RFI Analysis
• RFP Analysis
• Proposal Scheduling
• Research and Analysis
• Critical Thinking
• Graphic/Layout Skills

Soft Skills

• Verbal Communication
• Detail-Oriented
• Organizational Skills
• Collaboration
• Time Management

Industry Keywords

• AEC Industry
• Proposal Best Practices
• Client-Focused Messaging
• Multidisciplinary Teams
• Pursuit Lifecycle

Tools & Technologies

• Vantagepoint
• Procurement Portals
• Industry Databases