Senior specialist, proposals job description

**Overview**

This position manages the planning, development, executables, and delivery of assigned bids, presentations, and RFP responses to our customers that effectively convey solutions, capabilities, and differentiators. This position coordinates with subject matter experts ranging from operational to executive staff to provide key capabilities and solutions for our customers and internal clients.

**Essential Functions:**

+ Lead strategy & planning meetings and serve as the project manager to clarify client requirements and delegate tasks to ensure client deliverables are met.

+ Lead the team through value proposition development, applying client analysis and competitive intelligence.

+ Research, analyze, and derive insights from information to ensure driving of key selling messages in the bid.

+ Partner with subject matter experts, management, and executives to identify a winning bid strategy and messaging tailored to a target audience.

+ Establish priority for bid tasks and works with resources and management to assure understanding of priorities and ability to meet deadlines.

+ Research, write, and assemble client specific presentations, bids and proposals using relevant business software; ensuring content is consistent with Center of Excellence (CoE), Deal Desk and corporate marketing guidelines.

+ Interpret complex information and writes per target audience.

+ Proofread and edit written documents and provides ideas, suggestions, and concept development to enhance bids and proposals.

+ Implement and improve the organization's proposal process from pre-proposal planning through proposal delivery and support of post-submittal deliverables.

+ Communicates project status, identifies obstacles/deviations/delays, and assigns task(s) to address the issues on any deviations to delivery timeline

+ Special projects and other duties as assigned.

**Required Qualifications:**

_Education_ :

+ Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

_Experience:_

+ 5+ years of experience, including sales proposal production, communications, and managing multiple projects.

_Other:_

+ Skilled in project management.

+ Proven expertise in technical and persuasive writing.

+ Strong communication and conflict resolution skills.

+ Highly skilled in the use of Contract Management Systems; Microsoft Office Suite; and Project Management Software.

+ Excellent time management and prioritization skills.

+ Able to work independently setting priorities and managing work.

+ Advanced ability to understand a client's business, technology and process needs, and translate into actionable, industry-leading services solutions for complicated solutions.

+ Provide guidance and expertise to stakeholders to create persuasive language for RFP responses and presentations.

+ Combine technical expertise with business acumen to provide vital, detailed information about how an ABM solution can deliver business value to its clients.

+ Ability to identify problems/roadblocks and creatively generate ideas to achieve resolution while considering the risks associated with each option and selecting the option that has the best risk/reward.

+ Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

REQNUMBER: 27455

Posting Job Description

At a glance:

* Are you an experienced proposal specialist skilled in crafting informative and persuasive technical bids and proposals?
* Can you commit to a sales support position efficiently responding to bids and response for proposals (RFPs)?
* Do you desire a competitive salary with lucrative benefits and a focus on professional development?

Our company:

At Spectrum Enterprise, our goal is to foster an engaging work environment that encourages our team members to reach their full potential. We promote a culture of excellence that celebrates diversity, innovative thinking and dedication to consistently exceeding client expectations.

Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., is a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving America's largest businesses and communications service providers. The broad Spectrum Enterprise portfolio includes networking and managed services solutions: Internet access, Ethernet access and networks, Voice and TV solutions. Spectrum Enterprise's industry-leading team of experts works closely with clients to achieve greater business success by providing solutions designed to meet their evolving needs. More information about Spectrum Enterprise can be found at enterprise.spectrum.com.

Highlights:

As a Senior Proposal Specialist, you ensure a successful sales cycle by crafting enticing written narratives and visual content for client sales proposals. Using a high degree of autonomy, you excel at writing, editing and coordinating complex opportunities within the Sales Offer Management (SOM) Team. You manage proposals and help build a strong Federal proposal practice by leveraging and elevating your experience and skill set. You maximize the efforts department-wide by mentoring and assisting less experienced team members.

You are passionate about researching, evaluating and creating accurate sales information that simplifies the sales cycle. You increase revenue and growth by meeting tight deadlines when responding to bids and RFPs. You continuously strive for excellence and thrive in an office environment supporting Sales teams. You report to and collaborate with the Senior Manager for Proposal Management for goals, guidance and assistance.

Position benefits:

* Competitive salary with bonus.
* Health, vision and dental insurance.
* 100% company match 401(k) up to 6%.
* Company funded retirement accumulation plan for an additional 3%.
* Education assistance.
* Pretax childcare spending account.
* Paid holidays, vacation days, personal days and sick days.
* Employee discount on Spectrum services where available.

What you will do:

* Enhance and simplify the sales cycle by coordinating high-level, customized strategic responses with maximum autonomy and responding to bids determined to be within company scope and field of operations.
* Drive the sales process by writing narratives and developing templates for RFPs per bid instructions and developing and maintaining a database of responses and boilerplates of past performances.
* Ensure a successful sales cycle by supporting sales teams with textual input, addressing, packaging, copying materials, completing forms and following up with team members.
* Identify and support large, complex opportunities through collaboration with the Sales Opportunity Management Team to track, report and implement winning strategies.
* Coordinate with key stakeholders to verify all proposals.
* Ensure accurate and prompt RFPs by assigning sections, questions or technical specifications to knowledgeable team members.
* Help build and adapt the Bid Workflow Process from initial reception to final submission, including reviewing proposals and writing recommendations.
* Empower the sales team by creating concise, well-written responses to information requirements and analyzing and preparing summaries on key requirements.
* Streamline the bid creation process through in-depth analysis of workflow and making recommendations to management.
* Provide status and metric reporting on key performance indicators for senior leadership to leverage.

Required keys for success:

* Seven or more years of writing experience related to technical RFPs.
* Confident when making decisions and resolving issues while working in a team environment under pressure.
* History of managing multiple bids and providing winning responses in a timely manner.
* Track record of developing bid responses with demonstrated experience working with minimal direction.
* Solid organizational, leadership and interpersonal skills.
* Experience working in a challenging, fast-paced environment under tight time constraints.
* Effective written and spoken English communication skills with all levels of an organization.

How you will stand out from the crowd:

* Previous telecommunications experience.
* Knowledge and experience working with business contracts.
* Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, Vlookups and working with large data sets.

Your education:

* Bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience (required).
* Project Management Professional certification (preferred).

• 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.

Supervisory (if applicable)

• May manage one or more assistant proposal specialists/proposal specialists on a day-to-day basis. Responsibilities includes assignment of tasks to appropriate team member and review of work to ensure compliance with quality and department-specified practices and procedures.
• May manage and/or assist Business Development Manager or Leader with proposal workload and resourcing for regional or global business development team.
• May serve as timesheet approver, perform Performance Evaluation Reviews (PER), and recommend training for staff and provide input to annual training plan for department
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Licensing requirements

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

Training, Skills, Knowledge and/or experience

• 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

Additional Notes

Other duties may be assigned as necessary. Generally, office work environment. Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods of time. Must be able to independently travel and be physically present in the office or at a client site.

#LI-Hybrid

At Gannett Fleming, we believe in improving the lives of the people we serve. We believe in innovation and social responsibility. We believe in the diversity of our team and the creative solutions they provide. We believe in embracing change and emerging technologies while maintaining an unmatched standard of quality. We believe in creating an environment where employees can thrive at home and at work. We believe in engaging our employees, building lasting relationships with our clients, and, in turn, making a difference in the world.

Gannett Fleming is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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.

Gannett Fleming will not sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B visa), including any visa renewal during employment, for any candidate for this position. No relocation assistance will be provided for this position. Local candidates will be given preference.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE : Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will not be accepted.

Location: Tampa, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Orlando, FL; Miami, FL; Raleigh, NC or Asheville, NC.
Working Hours: 8 to 5