Senior Proposal Manager

Position Summary

Join Southland’s Proposal Team as a Senior Proposal Manager of our East Region. In this role, you will lead and oversee a team of Proposal Specialists responsible for the development of proposals, qualifications packages, and interview materials for engineering and construction opportunities. Working closely with technical staff, business development leaders, and marketing team members, the team creates clear and compelling pursuit materials that showcase Southland’s expertise and value to our clients.

Position Details

• Lead and oversee a regional Proposal Team, ensuring the successful execution of proposal efforts across multiple divisions and strategic pursuits.

• Establish clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching and mentorship, and develop individualized growth plans to support team success and career advancement.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement that promotes proposal excellence and team engagement.

• Develop, implement, and optimize proposal management processes, standards, tools, and best practices in collaboration with multiple teams.

• Partner closely with the Proposal Leadership Team to align resources, share best practices, drive strategic initiatives, and ensure consistency across the proposal organization.

• Provide leadership with regular reporting and insights on proposal activities, pipeline support requirements, resource capacity, team performance, and operational risks.

• Conduct performance reviews while championing professional development.

• Oversee team workloads and resource allocation to ensure effective support of concurrent pursuits while maintaining proposal quality and on-time delivery.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through lessons learned, performance metrics, and process optimization efforts to enhance efficiency, proposal quality, and win rates.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership by identifying organizational challenges, recommending solutions, and supporting strategic growth objectives.

• Develop and produce professional proposals in response to Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications (RFP/RFQ) for engineering and construction opportunities using Adobe InDesign.

• Review solicitation documents to identify requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions to ensure compliant proposals.

• Coordinate business development, operations, and technical teams to gather information and develop clear, client-focused messaging.

• Plan and manage proposal schedules, outlines, and content assignments to ensure milestones are met.

• Assist in writing, editing, and organizing proposal narratives to ensure accuracy, clarity, and alignment with company messaging and brand standards.

• Collaborate with marketing and graphic design resources to develop layouts and visuals that support proposal content.

• Manage the final review and production process to ensure proposals are complete, accurate, and submitted on time.

• Assist in preparation for client interviews and presentations by developing slide content, printed materials, and supporting practice sessions.

• Develop and maintain proposal resources such as resumes, project descriptions, and standard content to support pursuits. Assist with various marketing and business development activities as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, or Business required, or equivalent work experience.

• Minimum of 10-15+ years of proposal management experience, including leadership responsibilities.

• Proficiency in using Adobe InDesign to develop professional proposal and marketing materials.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.

• Experience with Unanet and Asana is a plus.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to develop clear, persuasive content.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when managing complex documents and deadlines.

• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments and manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Effective collaboration skills with the ability to work across marketing, business development, and technical teams.

• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills with a proactive, solution-focused approach.

• Travel required.

• AEC industry experience required.

Benefits

As a 100% employee-owned company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package for you and your family:

• 401(k) plan with 50% company match (no cap) and immediate 100% vesting

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% paid for employee)

• Annual bonus program based upon performance, achievement, and company profitability

• Term life, AD&D insurance, and voluntary life insurance

• Disability income protection insurance

• Pre-tax flexible spending plans (health and dependent care)

• Paid parental leave

• Paid holidays, vacation, and personal time

• Training/professional development opportunities and company-paid memberships for professional associations and licenses

• Wellness benefits

About Southland Industries

As one of the nation’s largest MEP companies, Southland Industries is built on the foundation of great people. Since 1949, we have put our people first, enabling growth, professional achievement, and innovation. If you want to join a fast-paced environment where you’re engaged, challenged, and valued, apply now to join our dynamic team.

To learn more about careers at Southland, explore our career opportunities ( , follow us on social media ( , and check out our website ( .

Southland Industries and all its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing our employees with a safe work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Southland Industries are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Southland Industries will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Pay: Final pay is determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. For Virginia this ranges from $115,000.00 - $135,000.00 plus annual incentive, benefits, and retirement program as outlined above.

Contingent Employment: All employment offers are contingent upon successful drug tests, background checks, and professional reference checks. Roles that include driving as an essential job duty will be required to have a successful Motor Vehicle Record check (MVR). We are not able to offer sponsorship of employment at this time.

External Agency Announcement: Its Southland Industries' policy not to accept candidate submissions from recruiting agencies without an active and authorized work order. Candidate ownership can only be established after a bona fide work order is issued by a member of the Southland Industries Talent Acquisition team and the candidate is appropriately submitted through our Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Required Skills

Required Experience