Senior Proposal Manager

Jobtailor; New Jersey; On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in New Jersey is seeking an experienced Proposals Manager to lead, coordinate, and manage proposal and budget activities from initial RFP intake through final submission, sponsor follow-up, and contract award. Develop written proposals and budgets for CRO, CRU, and Corelab services in response to RFPs, RFIs, and sponsor requirements, ensuring accuracy and timely delivery.

This role requires coordinating proposal teams, establishing schedules, and maintaining high-quality client-focused

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences, healthcare administration, finance, or a related field with at least five years in proposal development, proposal management, budgeting, contracts, or related clinical research operations.
• Strong knowledge of the clinical research industry, including Phase I-IV clinical trials, CRO operations, sponsor expectations, RFP/RFI processes, proposal lifecycle management, and clinical trial budget development.
• Knowledge of regulatory and site start-up budget requirements for European trials is mandatory.
• Ability to develop high-quality, compliant, and client-focused proposal text and budgets for global clinical trials.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail and ability to edit, summarize, and present complex information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate, and manage proposal and budget activities from initial RFP intake through final submission, sponsor follow-up, and contract award.
• Develop written business proposals and budgets for CRO, CRU, and Corelab services in response to RFPs, RFIs, and sponsor requirements.
• Coordinate proposal teams and ensure contributors understand scope, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables.
• Establish and manage proposal processes, communications, schedules, and deadlines.
• Monitor progress, identify delays and barriers, implement corrective action plans, and elevate issues when needed.
• Schedule and conduct RFP strategy calls and proposal/budget review meetings.
• Prepare and distribute meeting minutes, action items, and follow-up communications.
• Incorporate management feedback, operational input, pricing assumptions, and review comments into proposals, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Create, review, edit, finalize, self-QC, assemble, submit, file, and archive proposal materials and budgets.

Skills

Proposal Development

Clinical Research Operations

Budget Development

RFP/RFI Processes

Project Management

Regulatory Requirements

Stakeholder Communication

Cross-functional Leadership

Vendor Budget Integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences, healthcare administration, finance, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Outlook

SharePoint

Proposal Development Software

Job description

• Lead, coordinate, and manage proposal and budget activities from initial RFP intake through final submission, sponsor follow-up, and contract award
• Develop written business proposals and budgets for CRO, CRU, and Corelab services in response to RFPs, RFIs, and sponsor requirements
• Coordinate proposal teams and ensure contributors understand scope, timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables
• Establish and manage proposal processes, communications, schedules, and deadlines
• Monitor progress, identify delays and barriers, implement corrective action plans, and elevate issues when needed
• Schedule and conduct RFP strategy calls and proposal/budget review meetings
• Confirm assumptions, resolve open items, evaluate risks, align with sponsor requirements, and obtain final approvals
• Prepare and distribute meeting minutes, action items, and follow-up communications
• Incorporate management feedback, operational input, pricing assumptions, and review comments into proposals, budgets, and supporting documentation
• Incorporate vendor budgets and assumptions into Clinilabs’ budgets and proposal text
• Create, review, edit, finalize, self-QC, assemble, submit, file, and archive proposal materials and budgets
• Maintain and update the proposal workload tracker
• Serve as primary liaison among Business Development, Operations, Finance, Legal, Contracts, and bid team members
• Mentor, train, and support junior proposals team members

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences, healthcare administration, finance, or a related field, with at least five years of experience in proposal development, proposal management, budgeting, contracts, or related clinical research operations; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong knowledge of the clinical research industry, including Phase I-IV clinical trials, CRO operations, sponsor expectations, RFP/RFI processes, proposal lifecycle management, and clinical trial budget development
• Knowledge of regulatory and site start-up budget requirements for European trials is mandatory
• Ability to develop high-quality, compliant, and client-focused proposal text and budgets, including full-service clinical trial budgets, clinical site budgets, and Corelab budgets, in support of global clinical trials
• Ability to review and interpret protocols/SOAs, RFP materials, sponsor requirements, bid grids, assumptions, scopes of work, vendor inputs, and operational feedback
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including complex budget models, pricing tools, formulas, and client bid grid mapping
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, and proposal development software
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including editing, proofreading, summarizing complex information, and preparing clear, accurate, persuasive proposal materials
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage competing priorities, establish timelines, coordinate deliverables, track progress, and meet aggressive deadlines
• Ability to lead cross-functional proposal teams, facilitate meetings, assign responsibilities, follow up on action items, and collaborate with Business Development, Operations, Finance, Legal, Contracts, and senior management
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including risk identification, resolving barriers, reconciling budget assumptions, and recommending practical solutions
• Demonstrated attention to detail, accuracy, confidentiality, sound judgment, and service orientation
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal teams, sponsors, vendors, subcontractors, and external partners
• Experience implementing or improving proposal templates, costing tools, budget models, standardized procedures, process documentation, and departmental best practices is preferred

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in proposal development and management, with a strong focus on clinical research operations, budget development, and compliance with sponsor requirements. Proficient in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex proposal processes to ensure timely and high-quality submissions.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Proposal Development
• Clinical Research Operations
• Budget Development
• RFP/RFI Processes
• Project Management

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Proposal Lifecycle Management
• Clinical Trial Budget Development
• Regulatory Requirements
• Risk Identification
• Budget Models
• Proposal Text Development
• Protocol Interpretation
• Vendor Budget Integration
• Attention to Detail
• Analytical Skills

Soft Skills

• Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Team Leadership
• Relationship Building

Industry Keywords

• CRO
• Corelab Services
• Phase I-IV Clinical Trials
• Sponsor Expectations
• Clinical Trial Operations

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• SharePoint
• Proposal Development Software