Proposal Manager
Aston Carter, Hyattsville, MD, United States
The Proposal Manager leads the end-to-end development of high-quality, compliant, and compelling responses to RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, and interview requirements in a fast-paced construction and engineering environment. This role drives proposal strategy, coordinates multidisciplinary teams, manages schedules and reviews, and ensures that all submissions reflect strong win themes, clear messaging, and professional presentation aligned with the company’s core values and market positioning.
Job Title Proposal Manager
Responsibilities
Analyze and interpret Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify and clarify all requirements for the complete proposal submittal.
Develop proposal and qualifications compliance matrices and summarize evaluation criteria to guide the proposal team throughout proposal development.
Determine and manage the proposal development schedule, including milestones such as section due dates, internal reviews, and production, and coordinate these with the overall pursuit schedule.
Participate in initial proposal kick‑off meetings by presenting the compliance matrix, evaluation criteria, table of contents, and proposal development schedule to the team.
Work with pursuit leadership to identify writing assignments and ensure all sections of the proposal are clearly owned and resourced.
Facilitate strategy‑to‑win sessions and prepare the Proposal Strategy Document and win themes for authors to incorporate into their sections.
Research company experience using internal databases and past proposals to provide reference materials and go‑by content for the team.
Coordinate the overall proposal schedule and production requirements to ensure timely and accurate completion of deliverables.
Ensure a SharePoint database is established for each pursuit and provide the structure and outline for organizing proposal content.
Lead and coordinate the preparation of responses to RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs in collaboration with pursuit leadership and subject matter experts.
Ensure all proposal development durations and milestones are incorporated into the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) or proposal production schedule.
Conduct writers’ workshops and provide ongoing functional guidance and coaching to proposal authors to improve clarity, compliance, and persuasiveness.
Inform relevant internal entities of the need to complete required forms, establish schedules for their completion, and monitor progress.
Perform final quality checks of all forms and ensure their accuracy and completeness before incorporating them into the final document.
Organize and document communications and meetings with authors, maintaining clear records of decisions and action items.
Monitor authors’ progress, ensure compliance with requirements, and keep pursuit leadership informed about section status, schedule adherence, and quality of writing.
Collaborate with graphic designers to develop proposal content design and layout, including project descriptions, capability narratives, and resumes.
Support proposal reviews by managing the collection, assembly, and distribution of draft materials, participating in reviews, and coordinating the incorporation and distribution of comments to authors.
Organize and facilitate colour team reviews, ensuring that reviewers address compliance, strategy, and win themes in their feedback.
Collect, compile, and distribute colour review comments and follow up with authors to ensure timely and thorough implementation.
Participate in final content reviews, editing for grammar, logic, readability, and consistency, and refining sections to fully incorporate strategy elements and win themes.
Oversee final printing and assembly of SOQs and proposals, ensuring professional quality and adherence to submission requirements.
Conduct quality control checks of final printed and electronic copies to confirm accuracy, completeness, and formatting.
Arrange appropriate delivery methods and contingencies to ensure on‑time submission of all SOQs and proposals.
Distribute internal copies of submitted proposals to designated team members for reference and debriefing.
Maintain proposal files, including library copies, digital archives, CDs, and entries in shared directories for classic graphics and topic write‑ups.
Close out each proposal by organising final materials, updating databases, and capturing lessons learned.
Between active pursuits, contribute to the development of marketing collateral by gathering ongoing project information and updating marketing databases.
For pursuits that require interviews, create the interview preparation schedule in collaboration with the lead interview coach.
Work with pursuit leadership to assign interview coaches and ensure the interview team is fully supported.
Develop and produce interview presentation materials, including boards, PowerPoint presentations, placemats, name tags, and related collateral.
Attend all interview practice sessions and assist the coach with Q&A practice, situational exercises, presentation run‑throughs, and constructive feedback.
Compile and provide previous Q&A lists and situational practice materials as starting points for interview preparation.
Essential Skills
Minimum of 6 years of prior marketing experience in the construction and/or engineering industry in a similar proposal‑focused capacity.
Four‑year business or technical degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in the construction and/or engineering industry in a high‑volume environment.
Demonstrated experience in proposal writing, proposal management, and proposal development within a business development context.
Strong technical writing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, persuasive content.
Proficiency in desktop publishing and marketing‑related software, including Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Outlook for communication and scheduling.
Experience using SharePoint for content management and collaboration on proposal materials.
Ability to work with FTP sites, video conferencing, screen‑sharing, and other marketing‑related applications to support distributed teams.
High‑level understanding of the construction and/or engineering industry, including terminology, project types, and delivery methods.
Strong organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex schedules.
Excellent editing and proofreading skills, with close attention to grammar, logic, readability, and consistency.
Ability to facilitate meetings and workshops, including writers’ workshops and strategy sessions, and to guide contributors toward cohesive, compliant content.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience with design‑build and/or public‑private partnership (P3) proposals.
Experience with technical writing in an engineering environment.
Experience understanding and working with Primavera P6 schedules (proficiency with the software itself is not required).
Active membership or involvement in professional associations such as the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and/or the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).
Experience coordinating and preparing interview materials and supporting interview coaching for pursuit teams.
Familiarity with maintaining marketing databases and developing marketing collateral to support business development efforts.
Work Environment This is a full‑time, on‑site role with typical hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position operates in a professional office environment within a large, multi‑office construction and development organisation serving diverse markets such as science and technology, healthcare, education, high‑tech, aviation, transportation, sports and entertainment, mechanical, industrial, marine, foundation, and environmental projects. Work involves frequent collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, regular use of desktop publishing and office software, and coordination across offices via email, SharePoint, FTP sites, and video conferencing. The culture emphasises care for life, ethical and transparent behaviour, collaboration, continuous improvement, and strong commitment to customers. Attire is consistent with a professional office setting.
Job Type & Location Permanent position based out of Hyattsville, MD.
Pay And Benefits Salary: $95,000.00 – $125,000.00 per year.
Paid Time Off (PTO): Vacation, Company holidays, Personal days, Paid sick and safe leave.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for employees and families: childcare and eldercare support, stress management, financial guidance, college planning and home‑buying support.
Workplace Type Fully onsite position in Hyattsville, MD.
Application Deadline Anticipated to close on Apr 29, 2026.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, colour, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interview process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.
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Job Title Proposal Manager
Responsibilities
Analyze and interpret Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify and clarify all requirements for the complete proposal submittal.
Develop proposal and qualifications compliance matrices and summarize evaluation criteria to guide the proposal team throughout proposal development.
Determine and manage the proposal development schedule, including milestones such as section due dates, internal reviews, and production, and coordinate these with the overall pursuit schedule.
Participate in initial proposal kick‑off meetings by presenting the compliance matrix, evaluation criteria, table of contents, and proposal development schedule to the team.
Work with pursuit leadership to identify writing assignments and ensure all sections of the proposal are clearly owned and resourced.
Facilitate strategy‑to‑win sessions and prepare the Proposal Strategy Document and win themes for authors to incorporate into their sections.
Research company experience using internal databases and past proposals to provide reference materials and go‑by content for the team.
Coordinate the overall proposal schedule and production requirements to ensure timely and accurate completion of deliverables.
Ensure a SharePoint database is established for each pursuit and provide the structure and outline for organizing proposal content.
Lead and coordinate the preparation of responses to RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs in collaboration with pursuit leadership and subject matter experts.
Ensure all proposal development durations and milestones are incorporated into the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) or proposal production schedule.
Conduct writers’ workshops and provide ongoing functional guidance and coaching to proposal authors to improve clarity, compliance, and persuasiveness.
Inform relevant internal entities of the need to complete required forms, establish schedules for their completion, and monitor progress.
Perform final quality checks of all forms and ensure their accuracy and completeness before incorporating them into the final document.
Organize and document communications and meetings with authors, maintaining clear records of decisions and action items.
Monitor authors’ progress, ensure compliance with requirements, and keep pursuit leadership informed about section status, schedule adherence, and quality of writing.
Collaborate with graphic designers to develop proposal content design and layout, including project descriptions, capability narratives, and resumes.
Support proposal reviews by managing the collection, assembly, and distribution of draft materials, participating in reviews, and coordinating the incorporation and distribution of comments to authors.
Organize and facilitate colour team reviews, ensuring that reviewers address compliance, strategy, and win themes in their feedback.
Collect, compile, and distribute colour review comments and follow up with authors to ensure timely and thorough implementation.
Participate in final content reviews, editing for grammar, logic, readability, and consistency, and refining sections to fully incorporate strategy elements and win themes.
Oversee final printing and assembly of SOQs and proposals, ensuring professional quality and adherence to submission requirements.
Conduct quality control checks of final printed and electronic copies to confirm accuracy, completeness, and formatting.
Arrange appropriate delivery methods and contingencies to ensure on‑time submission of all SOQs and proposals.
Distribute internal copies of submitted proposals to designated team members for reference and debriefing.
Maintain proposal files, including library copies, digital archives, CDs, and entries in shared directories for classic graphics and topic write‑ups.
Close out each proposal by organising final materials, updating databases, and capturing lessons learned.
Between active pursuits, contribute to the development of marketing collateral by gathering ongoing project information and updating marketing databases.
For pursuits that require interviews, create the interview preparation schedule in collaboration with the lead interview coach.
Work with pursuit leadership to assign interview coaches and ensure the interview team is fully supported.
Develop and produce interview presentation materials, including boards, PowerPoint presentations, placemats, name tags, and related collateral.
Attend all interview practice sessions and assist the coach with Q&A practice, situational exercises, presentation run‑throughs, and constructive feedback.
Compile and provide previous Q&A lists and situational practice materials as starting points for interview preparation.
Essential Skills
Minimum of 6 years of prior marketing experience in the construction and/or engineering industry in a similar proposal‑focused capacity.
Four‑year business or technical degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in the construction and/or engineering industry in a high‑volume environment.
Demonstrated experience in proposal writing, proposal management, and proposal development within a business development context.
Strong technical writing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, persuasive content.
Proficiency in desktop publishing and marketing‑related software, including Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Outlook for communication and scheduling.
Experience using SharePoint for content management and collaboration on proposal materials.
Ability to work with FTP sites, video conferencing, screen‑sharing, and other marketing‑related applications to support distributed teams.
High‑level understanding of the construction and/or engineering industry, including terminology, project types, and delivery methods.
Strong organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex schedules.
Excellent editing and proofreading skills, with close attention to grammar, logic, readability, and consistency.
Ability to facilitate meetings and workshops, including writers’ workshops and strategy sessions, and to guide contributors toward cohesive, compliant content.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience with design‑build and/or public‑private partnership (P3) proposals.
Experience with technical writing in an engineering environment.
Experience understanding and working with Primavera P6 schedules (proficiency with the software itself is not required).
Active membership or involvement in professional associations such as the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and/or the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).
Experience coordinating and preparing interview materials and supporting interview coaching for pursuit teams.
Familiarity with maintaining marketing databases and developing marketing collateral to support business development efforts.
Work Environment This is a full‑time, on‑site role with typical hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position operates in a professional office environment within a large, multi‑office construction and development organisation serving diverse markets such as science and technology, healthcare, education, high‑tech, aviation, transportation, sports and entertainment, mechanical, industrial, marine, foundation, and environmental projects. Work involves frequent collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, regular use of desktop publishing and office software, and coordination across offices via email, SharePoint, FTP sites, and video conferencing. The culture emphasises care for life, ethical and transparent behaviour, collaboration, continuous improvement, and strong commitment to customers. Attire is consistent with a professional office setting.
Job Type & Location Permanent position based out of Hyattsville, MD.
Pay And Benefits Salary: $95,000.00 – $125,000.00 per year.
Paid Time Off (PTO): Vacation, Company holidays, Personal days, Paid sick and safe leave.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for employees and families: childcare and eldercare support, stress management, financial guidance, college planning and home‑buying support.
Workplace Type Fully onsite position in Hyattsville, MD.
Application Deadline Anticipated to close on Apr 29, 2026.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, colour, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interview process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.
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