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What does a proposal specialist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A proposal specialist is responsible for evaluating business contracts for clients, especially on landing partnerships and long-term projects. Proposal specialists review the contract's effectiveness and accuracy, adhering to the company's internal guidelines and policies. They ensure that the document delivers all the critical information of the company, as well as pricing offers and related terms of service. A proposal specialist also meets with the client to formally discuss contract details and respond to their inquiries, concerns, and requests.

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Proposal specialist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real proposal specialist resumes:

  • Implement Salesforce for division and manage pipeline and post-award contract documentation.
  • Provide editing, proofreading, word processing, graphics, and editing support for the technical volume of the proposal.
  • Employ various means to develop creative documents necessary to communicate the company's ability to perform services request in the RFP.
  • Edit and help develop relevant PowerPoint presentations.
  • Assist in preparation of oral presentations using PowerPoint.
  • Develop proposals and all documentation/justification requirements in response to government RFPs and RFQs and government inquiries for various non-profit companies.
  • Produce management volume and write management expertise section for winning multiple-award IDIQ proposal to USACE.

Proposal specialist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Proposal Specialists are proficient in PowerPoint, RFP, and SharePoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Imagination, and Technical skills.

We break down the percentage of Proposal Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • PowerPoint, 10%

    Assisted in preparation of oral presentations using PowerPoint.

  • RFP, 7%

    Reviewed RFQ, RFP, RFI pipe, electrical, valve, and fittings specifications to comply with industry standards.

  • SharePoint, 6%

    Maintain proprietary websites (MOL, Compass, SharePoint) holding Channel Partner templates and system descriptions.

  • Project Management, 5%

    Worked effectively with engineering, project management, upper management, legal, insurance and finance.

  • Subject Matter Experts, 5%

    Obtained current data gathered from subject matter experts and compiled statistics to incorporate into marketing projects.

  • Business Development, 5%

    Provide planning and support to Business Development Director and Proposal Manager throughout the preparation process.

Common skills that a proposal specialist uses to do their job include "powerpoint," "rfp," and "sharepoint." You can find details on the most important proposal specialist responsibilities below.

Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a proposal specialist to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "technical writers create instructions for others to follow." Proposal specialists often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided detailed compliance matrices, storyboard worksheets, assignments and due dates. "

Imagination. Another essential skill to perform proposal specialist duties is imagination. Proposal specialists responsibilities require that "technical writers must think about a procedure or product as if they are someone who does not have technical knowledge." Proposal specialists also use imagination in their role according to a real resume snippet: "employed various means to develop creative documents necessary to communicate the company's ability to perform services requested in the rfp. "

Technical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of proposal specialists is technical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday proposal specialist duties, as "technical writers must be able to understand complex information." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "collaborated with subject matter experts on all technical proposal requirements. "

Writing skills. For certain proposal specialist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "writing skills." The day-to-day duties of a proposal specialist rely on this skill, as "technical communicators must have excellent writing skills to be able to explain technical information clearly." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what proposal specialists do: "acted as a liaison between subject matter experts and writing team. "

All proposal specialist skills

The three companies that hire the most proposal specialists are:

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Compare different proposal specialists

Proposal specialist vs. Business developer

A business developer specializes in conducting in-depth business analysis and crafting various strategies that would not just help a business grow, but also strengthen client base and brand awareness. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around identifying areas in need of improvement. They come up with new services that will boost customer satisfaction, examining the potential for revenue and figuring out new opportunities from trends or other pre-existing programs within the company. All of this is conducted according to the vision, mission, and policies of the organization.

If we compare the average proposal specialist annual salary with that of a business developer, we find that business developers typically earn a $35,181 higher salary than proposal specialists make annually.Even though proposal specialists and business developers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require rfp, project management, and business development in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between proposal specialists and business developer. For instance, proposal specialist responsibilities require skills such as "powerpoint," "sharepoint," "subject matter experts," and "proofreading." Whereas a business developer is skilled in "work ethic," "excellent presentation," "linkedin," and "sales process." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Business developers really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $118,082. Comparatively, proposal specialists tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $78,235.The education levels that business developers earn slightly differ from proposal specialists. In particular, business developers are 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a proposal specialist. Additionally, they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal specialist vs. Operations internship

Operations interns learn the management techniques on how to lead and supervise others. Interns usually gain experience by being an unpaid employee in the operational department. They should possess skills like attention to detail, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and strong phone presence. The operations internship objectives include career path exploration, work experience, skills development and refinement, and confidence buildup. The majority of the activities interns are absorbed by the company where they serve an internship.

A career as a operations internship brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a proposal specialist. In fact, operations interns salary is $33,097 lower than the salary of proposal specialists per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Proposal specialists and operations interns both require similar skills like "sharepoint," "project management," and "customer service" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that proposal specialist responsibilities requires skills like "powerpoint," "rfp," "subject matter experts," and "business development." But an operations internship might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "operations intern," "work ethic," "patients," and "administrative tasks."

Operations interns earn a lower average salary than proposal specialists. But operations interns earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $40,232. Additionally, proposal specialists earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $78,235 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Operations interns tend to reach similar levels of education than proposal specialists. In fact, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal specialist vs. Operations coordinator

An operations coordinator's role is to oversee the progress of various departments in a company or organization, ensuring that all operations meet the set goals and adhere to the company's policies and regulations. An operations coordinator may also be responsible for supervising the procurement of supplies, contract negotiations, sales monitoring, and even maintenance operations within the company. Furthermore, they can also perform administrative duties such as communicating with clients through telephone and email, arranging schedules and appointments, producing reports and evaluations, training new employees, and serving as the bridge of information between different departments.

An average operations coordinator eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of proposal specialists. The difference in salaries amounts to operations coordinators earning a $24,520 lower average salary than proposal specialists.By looking over several proposal specialists and operations coordinators resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "powerpoint," "sharepoint," and "project management." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, proposal specialists are more likely to have skills like "rfp," "subject matter experts," "healthcare," and "proofreading." But a operations coordinator is more likely to have skills like "logistics," "excellent organizational," "patients," and "payroll."

Operations coordinators earn the highest salary when working in the government industry, where they receive an average salary of $43,723. Comparatively, proposal specialists have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $78,235.Most operations coordinators achieve a similar degree level compared to proposal specialists. For example, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal specialist vs. Operations associate

An operations associate is responsible for performing administrative and clerical tasks to support the organization's daily operations. An operations associate must have excellent organizational skills to perform various duties for different business functions under the supervision of an operations manager. Operations associates respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, prepare meeting reports, schedule appointments, assisting on payroll release, update employees' information on the database, process contract agreements, and help the senior management to identify business opportunities that would generate revenues.

Operations associates tend to earn a lower pay than proposal specialists by an average of $13,751 per year.While their salaries may vary, proposal specialists and operations associates both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "powerpoint," "customer service," and "process improvement. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between proposal specialists and operations associates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a proposal specialist might have more use for skills like "rfp," "sharepoint," "project management," and "subject matter experts." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of operations associates require skills like "sales floor," "basic math," "portfolio," and "work ethic. "

Operations associates reach similar levels of education compared to proposal specialists, in general. The difference is that they're 3.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of proposal specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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