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What does a proposal writer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a proposal writer do

Proposal Writers help clients win contracts, grants from the government, or even permission to perform a consulting service. They must ensure that all important information is included in the paperwork and documents.

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Proposal writer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real proposal writer resumes:

  • Manage proposals for DoD, aerospace, and commercial customers.
  • Manage prospective client information, proposal and marketing strategies through Salesforce.
  • Analyze contract documents, coordinate subcontractors and manage RFI s throughout cost proposal submission process.
  • Identify, plan, manage and respond to RFPs and RFIs from prospective clients, resulting in increase potential business.
  • Implement Salesforce for division and manage pipeline and post-award contract documentation.
  • Manage SharePoint file organization system and wiki cooperation sites to facilitate cooperation among internal and external proposal response participants.
  • Coordinate and collect BOE data in WBOE from functional departments and upload into ProPricer.
  • Respond to sales proposals by proofreading and editing responses to ensure consistency in language and correct formatting.
  • Solicit RFQ and RFI requirements from legal, finance, human resources, project controls, safety and cost management.
  • Provide proposal support in various markets including proposal coordination, some desktop publishing and graphics.
  • Review of sales terms and conditions in RFQ's.
  • Learned proposal development through the Shipley capture and proposal method.
  • Review and assist in the creation of themes and discriminators.
  • Compose and amend, basis of estimates, BOE's.
  • Use excellent oral and written communication, editing and proofreading skills.

Proposal writer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Proposal Writers are proficient in Subject Matter Experts, PowerPoint, and Business Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Technical skills, and Writing skills.

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

  • Subject Matter Experts, 12%

    Produce technical sales proposals for Maestro Learning Management System by establishing databases and collaborating with team members and subject matter experts.

  • PowerPoint, 7%

    Developed and revised training materials including manuals and PowerPoint presentations.

  • Business Development, 6%

    Partnered with product development, finance, operations, and business development to augment understanding of competitive landscape and internal capabilities.

  • Proposal Content, 6%

    Interviewed and wrote proposal content based on technical input and historical documentation.

  • Past Performance, 6%

    Developed documentation reviews, created and maintained past performance masters, and provided continual improvement and configuration control of internal documents.

  • Project Management, 5%

    Prepare local, national and international proposals in response to customer/prospect requests, including project management and compelling, strategic writing.

Common skills that a proposal writer uses to do their job include "subject matter experts," "powerpoint," and "business development." You can find details on the most important proposal writer responsibilities below.

Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a proposal writer to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "technical writers create instructions for others to follow." Proposal writers often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "verify and decide which past performance to use as a foundation to support the very detailed rfq/rfp. "

Technical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling proposal writer duties is technical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "technical writers must be able to understand complex information." According to a proposal writer resume, here's how proposal writers can utilize technical skills in their job responsibilities: "prepared resumes and writes past performance and technical volume in support of corporate proposals; typically supporting from two-five proposals consecutively. "

Writing skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of proposal writers is writing skills. This skill is critical to many everyday proposal writer duties, as "technical communicators must have excellent writing skills to be able to explain technical information clearly." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "maintain quality results by using templates, following proposal-writing standards including readability, consistency, and tone. "

Most common proposal writer skills

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Compare different proposal writers

Proposal writer vs. Editor

An editor is the one responsible for polishing and refining a story, article, and any material for publication in newspapers, magazines, books, or websites. Editors have the power to either accept or reject a material as they need to ensure that every manuscript which will be offered for publishing is at the best version as it can be. There are several types of editors, from copy editors, books to managing editors, but they have few skills in common, like strong writing skills, good judgment, and leadership abilities to help guide the whole editorial team. Most of them work in the office, but it is quite becoming more regular for them to work remotely.

The annual salary of editors is $16,599 lower than the average salary of proposal writers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both proposal writer and editor positions are skilled in subject matter experts, powerpoint, and content development.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a proposal writer are more likely to require skills like "business development," "proposal content," "past performance," and "project management." On the other hand, a job as an editor requires skills like "web content," "video content," "seo," and "facebook." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Editors really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $62,170. Comparatively, proposal writers tend to make the most money in the insurance industry with an average salary of $70,514.The education levels that editors earn slightly differ from proposal writers. In particular, editors are 5.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a proposal writer. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal writer vs. Managing editor

Managing editors are individuals who coordinate and oversee the editorial activities of a publication. They administer the daily operations or a website or publication, such as generating ideas and planning and editing content. Their responsibilities include the recruitment, promotion, and firing of staff members. They even create and implement deadlines. Great managing editors are those who are updated on the latest trends and make informed decisions. They should also be equipped with skills in management and coaching.

Managing editor positions earn higher pay than proposal writer roles. They earn a $20,354 higher salary than proposal writers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both proposal writers and managing editors have skills such as "powerpoint," "content development," and "press releases. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real proposal writer resumes. While proposal writer responsibilities can utilize skills like "subject matter experts," "business development," "proposal content," and "past performance," managing editors use skills like "web content," "editorial content," "seo," and "editorial calendar."

Managing editors earn a higher average salary than proposal writers. But managing editors earn the highest pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $79,077. Additionally, proposal writers earn the highest salaries in the insurance with average pay of $70,514 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Managing editors tend to reach similar levels of education than proposal writers. In fact, they're 4.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal writer vs. Publisher

A publisher manages the design, editing, and production process with the help of proofreaders, printers, and editors. Publishers make schedules for every stage of the process and work backward from the planned date for publication. They distribute promotional catalogs to libraries and booksellers. They set the commercial and editorial direction for businesses publishing newspapers, digital content, magazines, and books. It is their duty to make decisions on the markets that their firms will serve as well as the type of content that they will give to their audience.

On average scale, publishers bring in higher salaries than proposal writers. In fact, they earn a $2,833 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on proposal writers and publishers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "powerpoint," "business development," and "adobe acrobat.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from proposal writer resumes include skills like "subject matter experts," "proposal content," "past performance," and "project management," whereas a publisher is more likely to list skills in "customer satisfaction," "strategic thinking," "publishing industry," and "facebook. "

Publishers earn the highest salary when working in the telecommunication industry, where they receive an average salary of $69,908. Comparatively, proposal writers have the highest earning potential in the insurance industry, with an average salary of $70,514.When it comes to education, publishers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to proposal writers. In fact, they're 5.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Proposal writer vs. Content editor

A content editor is an individual who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement. They need to interact with the consumers with the purpose of sourcing feedback on the content's impact actively. Content editors must also conduct business research on current trends to give the company an edge over the competition.

Content editors average a lower salary than the annual salary of proposal writers. The difference is about $7,012 per year.While their salaries may vary, proposal writers and content editors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "subject matter experts," "powerpoint," and "project management. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between proposal writers and content editors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a proposal writer might have more use for skills like "business development," "proposal content," "past performance," and "smes." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of content editors require skills like "digital content," "web content," "digital marketing," and "wordpress. "

In general, content editors earn the most working in the technology industry, with an average salary of $67,034. The highest-paying industry for a proposal writer is the insurance industry.The average resume of content editors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to proposal writers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.8%.

Types of proposal writer

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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