Senior Proposal Specialist

GFT; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work environment

Comprehensive benefits package

Tuition reimbursement

PTO accrual

401(k) plan

Job summary

GFT is seeking a Senior Proposal Specialist to join the BD&M team in the West region. This fully remote role requires experience with capital public works proposals and government agencies in California.

The role supports multiple regional lines and may work with a global business line to craft competitive proposals. The successful candidate will manage proposals, provide capture support, and assist with client management.

Qualifications

• 4-year degree required in English, marketing, journalism, communications, or applicable field.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate complex proposals and sections; ensure messaging and quality per best practices.
• Provide capture support, maintain timelines, and coordinate with interview teams.
• Enter and track opportunities and proposals in CRM; support client management activities and kick-off rehearsals.

Skills

Proposal writing

Capture planning

Stakeholder mgmt

Executive writing

CRM familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

What You Will Do

GFT is seeking a Senior Proposal Specialist to join our BD&M team in the West (California/Phoenix/Seattle). This role follows a fully remote work model.

Experience preparing proposals for capital public works projects and government agencies in California (as a Prime), such as Caltrans, Metro, BART, etc., is a must for this role.

At GFT, we’re not just pursuing projects—we’re strategically capturing opportunities that shape our communities. The Strategic Growth Office is the engine behind GFT’s enterprise-wide growth. It fuels our most significant pursuits by aligning talent, insights, and strategy to win complex, high-impact projects. From vision through delivery, we partner across all Business Groups to develop compelling, competitive proposals that reflect our core values and technical excellence.

What You’ll Be Challenged To Do

The Senior Proposal Specialist manages proposals and presentations, provides capture support, and may assist with client management support. The position supports one or more regional business lines or a global business line.

In this capacity, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

Proposals

• Able to lead 1 complex proposal concurrent with other smaller proposal
• May Lead Sections for complex proposal
• Able to organize and coordinate interview team to prepare the content
• Work is regularly monitored and overseen by Manager for messaging and quality
• Compiles and distributes meeting notes, action items, and review comments from all proposal meetings
• Performs detailed analysis of SOQ and RFP requirements; prepares compliance matrices/outlines and schedules according to corporate proposal best practices
• Organizes and coordinates proposal resources (project management/technical team input, proposal support, subconsultant input, and graphics/print teams)
• Ensures completion of all assignments, review of all work, and adherence to internal best practices and quality control objectives
• Provides strategic writing and editing support for: all general qualifications; executive summaries; win themes; personnel resumes, project descriptions, summary paragraphs, action captions, and benefit statements
• Enters and tracks opportunities and proposals in CRM
• Supports sales interview teams, schedules/facilitates kick‑off meeting and rehearsals, and prepares presentation and supporting materials

Capture Planning

• Facilitate capture plan support for short‑to‑medium length capture phase/simple pursuits with close oversight/participation by manager for assurance of best practice implementation
• Liaise with respective MARCOM staff during capture planning to coordinate early input, as required
• No authority to flex within the framework of best practices
• Keeps all CRM documentation updated

Client Management

• Coordinates client management team activities for Tier 2 clients
• Participates in Tier 1 client management activities/ and or coordinates closely with Tier 1 client manager to assure the scheduling and note‑taking of client management team meetings
• Coordinate with respective MARCOM to define needs for support
• Requires oversight, participation, feedback, and input from Manager/senior level BD
• Provides research support, scheduling, and organization of information to other Tier 1 clients
• Formats/edits client management plans in accordance with company templates and standards
• Other duties as assigned.

Education | Experience:

Normally a 4‑year degree required in English, marketing, journalism, communications, or applicable field is required.

What You Will Bring To Our Firm

• Normally a 4-year degree required in English, marketing, journalism, communications, or applicable field is required.

What We Prefer You Bring

• Normally a minimum of 5 years of combined prior proposal experience is required and in the AEC industry leading, coordinating, planning, and developing architectural‑engineering‑construction proposals and qualifications, including section writing experience
• Will have demonstrated a progressively increasing level of responsibility during the past 1 year (minimum)
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
• Able to work with some degree of independence to execute proposal lifecycle

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $85,000 - $110,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.

Featured Benefits

• Remote work environment.
• Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Tax‑deferred 401(k) savings plan.
• Competitive paid‑time‑off (PTO) accrual.
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations
• Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

Company Overview

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.

GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives

GFT is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law.

Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property GFT.

GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions.

Location: Berkeley ; Chino Hills ; Concord ; Corona ; Fresno ; Irvine ; Long Beach ; Los Angeles ; Oakland ; Ontario ; Riverside ; Roseville ; Sacramento ; San Diego ; San Francisco ; Santa Ana ; Phoenix ; Seattle

Core Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Employment Status: Full-Time

Applicants in the County of Los Angeles- Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Applicants in the City of San Francisco- Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Applicants in the State of California Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.