Proposal Manager

Proposal Manager (Water/Wastewater)

GFT is seeking a Proposal Manager (Water/Wastewater) to join our Business Development team! This role is a remote/hybrid position and may be performed from various locations across the United States, though candidates in Mechanicsburg, PA; Asheville, NC; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; or Virginia Beach, VA, are encouraged.

GFT's Business Development team plays an essential role in advancing the firm's strategic and growth goals. As an integral part of the Go-to-Market (GTM) team, Business Development drives growth by helping position the firm for new opportunities, strengthening client relationships, and aligning technical capabilities with client needs. We develop strategies and tactics to support client management, capture planning, and proposal development, all aimed at winning new work.

The Proposal Manager position supports our Water/Wastewater Business Line and leads key business development support efforts, including strategic proposal management for proposals of any size; capture planning leadership in support of the business line's capture managers; and client service team support for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 clients.

In this capacity, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Provide capture plan support for short- to- medium length capture phase and relatively complex pursuits with limited oversight needed
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of capture planning best practices, including opportunity qualification, identifying client priorities and hot buttons, developing and tracking client contact and action plans, analyzing the competition, and developing win themes and discriminators
• Support capture planning activities in close coordination with Capture Managers and operational leaders, including facilitating Issue/Feature/Benefit/Proof (IFBP) workshops with internal clients; assisting with pre-RFQ and pre-RFP positioning tasks such as helping with client development plans and follow-up needs; performing gap analyses; summarizing key value propositions and sales/win themes; and performing targeted client/opportunity-specific research to expand GFT's knowledge of targeted pursuits and potential competitors
• Liaise with respective Marketing and Communications (MarCom) staff to coordinate early input, as required
• Keep all CRM documentation updated

Proposal Management:

• Lead high-priority proposals, including at least 2 concurrent complex proposals with other smaller proposals, as needed
• Serve as the single responsible manager on each individual proposal effort assigned and, as such, supervise the work product of individual staff supporting the proposal
• Oversee standard and agile-level pursuits, particularly those involving cross-team coordination with other BD units
• Interpret solicitation requirements, develop/maintain compliance matrices, and verify compliance across all proposal elements before each major proposal milestone
• Develop and implement win themes, differentiators, client benefits, and strategic messaging throughout the submission, including conceptualizing client-focused graphics, callouts, page concepts, and visual storytelling elements
• Develop and maintain detailed, realistic proposal and interview preparation schedules
• Lead kick-off and proposal milestone review meetings
• Serve as lead author for executive summaries, nontechnical sections, outlines, and storyboards
• Work with the Capture Manager and Client Service Leader to prepare for and participate in client pre-proposal meetings, post-selection debriefings, and internal post-proposal debriefings to inform future strategy and enhance proposal effectiveness
• Lead interview strategy and development, including messaging, presentation structure, content development, rehearsals, and coaching
• Mentor junior Business Development staff; reviewing their work and offering constructive feedback to support their growth and the success of the overall team
• Enter and track opportunities and proposals in CRM

Client Management:

• Serve as the Client Service Team's (CST) business development partner for one or more clients, working alongside a strong Client Service Leader
• Responsible for supporting and analyzing pipeline and client data from CST meetings, coordinating with operations staff to ensure accuracy and alignment
• Research client history, contract awards, CIPs, budget documentation, and industry news to provide strategic insights for CST planning
• Support management and planning for identified opportunities and targeted client development efforts
• Support the development of client meeting materials, capability briefings, and targeted marketing campaigns, coordinating with the MarCom team to ensure alignment with broader strategic initiatives

What you will bring to our firm:

• Normally, a 4-year degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or applicable field - or comparable experience - is required

Training, Skills, Knowledge, and/or Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of proposal experience in the AEC industry is required
• Candidates with experience in the Water/Wastewater market are preferred
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign
• Proficiency with capture planning concepts and best practices
• At least 2 years of experience supporting capture planning across multiple pursuits
• Superior organizational skills, the ability to create and communicate effectively, and proven experience in completing quality work on time
• High attention to detail and the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions while effectively driving teams to produce high-quality deliverables
• 2 years of experience leading proposal interview preparation
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to work with a high degree of independence to execute the proposal lifecycle

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $110,000 - $130,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.

Featured Benefits: • Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. • Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan. • Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual. • Tuition reimbursement for continued education. • Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations. • Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that's why we're the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry's brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century's experience, together we're building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives. GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives™ is an Equal Opportunity 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.

GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions.

Location: Mechanicsburg, PA; Asheville, NC; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; or Virginia Beach, VA

Core Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Employment Status: Full-Time