Strategic Proposals Lead

HDR, Inc.; Saint Louis Park (MN); On-site; USD 78,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR, Inc. is seeking a Proposal Manager to lead the Marketing Proposal Champion function across pursuits, from kickoff to submittal. You will partner with business development, project managers, and technical staff to shape strategy and craft messaging that differentiates HDR.

Success hinges on coordinating schedules, ensuring compliant responses, and delivering compelling interview materials. This role requires strong leadership, five+ years of relevant experience, and a commitment to HDR's

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years relevant industry experience.
• Experience leading major strategic pursuits and interview teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign.

Responsibilities

• Lead pursuit teams and develop win strategies and capture plans.
• Serve as Marketing Proposal Champion for pursuits, providing leadership, ownership and accountability throughout the proposal lifecycle.
• Facilitate kickoff meetings and guide teams toward alignment on strategy, messaging, responsibilities and schedules.
• Drive the development of compelling, client-focused proposals that clearly communicate HDR's value.
• Develop and manage proposal schedules, milestones, reviews and deliverables to ensure compliant submissions.
• Maintain understanding of procurement requirements and submittal instructions to ensure complete responses.
• Develop persuasive win themes, discriminators and key messages that align with client needs and priorities.
• Partner with pursuit teams to identify competitive advantages and articulate HDR's capabilities clearly.
• Facilitate consensus among technical staff and leadership throughout the pursuit process.
• Engage resources across HDR to support proposal and interview development efforts.
• Lead proposal reviews and quality control to ensure consistency and messaging.
• Facilitate the development of interview presentations and coach teams to deliver compelling presentations.
• Support client positioning and market engagement to strengthen relationships.
• Lead debriefs to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
• Archive proposal materials for future use and knowledge sharing.
• Train and mentor employees on proposal development and best practices.
• Serve as a resource for HDR's proposal process, tools and practices.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal teams, clients and partners.
• Maintain awareness of market trends and competitive activity affecting HDR's clients.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Team collaboration

Proposal development

Marketing communications

Client engagement

Education

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

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe InDesign

Job description

HDR, Inc. is seeking a Proposal Manager to lead the Marketing Proposal Champion function across pursuits, from kickoff to submittal. You will partner with business development, project managers, and technical staff to shape strategy and craft messaging that differentiates HDR.

Success hinges on coordinating schedules, ensuring compliant responses, and delivering compelling interview materials. This role requires strong leadership, five+ years of relevant experience, and a commitment to HDR's