Proposal Desktop Publisher

Cherokee Federal•McLean, VA

About The Position

We are seeking a detail-driven Desktop Publisher to support a high-volume proposal organization in the government contracting environment. This role is a critical member of the proposal center, responsible for producing compliant, polished, and submission-ready proposal documents under tight deadlines. The ideal candidate is fluent in Microsoft Word, highly comfortable working with complex templates and macros, and experienced translating government solicitation requirements into well-structured proposal documents.

Requirements

3+ years of desktop publishing experience within a government contracting proposal environment.
Demonstrated experience working in a proposal center or high-volume proposal organization.
Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Word, including advanced styles, templates, and macro usage.
Strong understanding of government solicitation structures and compliance requirements.
Advanced PDF editing and production skills (e.g., Acrobat Pro or equivalent).
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
High attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy.
Deadline-driven execution
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
Clear communicator and collaborative team member
Calm under pressure and adaptable to changing priorities

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting large, complex proposals (IDIQ, GWAC, task orders, etc.).
Familiarity with collaborative proposal environments and document management systems.
Basic understanding of accessibility requirements (e.g., Section 508).
Experience working during color team reviews and final production sprints.

Responsibilities

Format, assemble, and finalize proposal volumes in strict accordance with government solicitation instructions (RFP, RFQ, RFI, etc.).
Apply and maintain proposal templates, styles, headers/footers, TOCs, lists of figures/tables, and cross-references.
Support proposal teams across multiple concurrent submissions, often under compressed schedules.
Read and interpret solicitation sections (L, M, C, and instructions) to ensure proposal compliance.
Implement formatting and structural requirements tied to page limits, margins, font rules, and section organization.
Partner with proposal managers and writers to quickly adjust documents in response to updates, clarifications, or amendments.
Create, modify, and troubleshoot Microsoft Word macros to improve efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
Resolve complex Word issues (corruption, style conflicts, section breaks, pagination problems, etc.).
Maintain version control and document integrity in fast-moving environments.
Perform advanced PDF tasks including document assembly, optimization, bookmarking, hyperlinking, redaction, and compression.
Validate PDFs for accessibility, file size limits, and submission portal requirements (e.g., SAM, eSRS, agency portals).
Support final electronic submissions and last-minute changes.
Collaborate closely with proposal managers, writers, graphic designers, and reviewers.
Support best practices and continuous improvement within the proposal center.
Provide surge support during peak proposal activity periods.