Junior Proposal Manager

Ho-Chunk, Inc. • Detroit Lakes, MN

5d • $70,000 - $85,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Junior Proposal Manager supports the development of competitive, compliant, and compelling proposals for federal government contracting opportunities. Under the direction of the Director of Proposals, this role assists with all phases of proposal development, from solicitation analysis and planning through writing, production, and final submission. With guidance and oversight, the position also manages smaller, less complex proposal efforts.

This role offers an emerging proposal professional the opportunity to strengthen technical writing, project management, and proposal development skills while contributing to business development objectives. The position is intended to develop the skills and experience needed to advance to a Proposal Manager role, with mentoring and progressively greater responsibility as proficiency grows.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Business, Marketing, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 1–3 years of experience in proposal coordination, proposal writing, technical writing, business development support, or a related professional role.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to follow detailed instructions, interpret requirements, and produce accurate, professional documents.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively across departments.
• Self-motivation and willingness to learn, accept feedback, and take increasing responsibility.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet firm deadlines.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting federal government proposals or working in the government contracting industry.
• Familiarity with federal solicitations, including RFP Sections L and M, compliance matrices, and proposal schedules.
• Exposure to Shipley or APMP proposal development methodologies and color team reviews.
• Experience with Adobe InDesign, Microsoft SharePoint, or similar document management and collaboration platforms.
• Experience developing technical narratives, past performance descriptions, or management plans.
• Familiarity with federal facilities management, operations and maintenance, environmental services, healthcare support, or other government services contracts.
• APMP Foundation certification or interest in pursuing professional certification.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning, coordination, development, and submission of federal proposals, including RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and task order responses.
• Review solicitations to identify submission requirements, evaluation criteria, deliverables, and compliance obligations.
• Develop and maintain proposal schedules, compliance matrices, outlines, action item trackers, and other proposal management documents.
• Coordinate with subject matter experts, operations personnel, business development teams, and other contributors to gather information and proposal content.
• Monitor assigned proposal activities, track deadlines, and communicate progress and potential issues to the Director of Proposals.
• Organize and participate in proposal kickoff meetings, status meetings, and structured proposal reviews.
• Manage smaller or less complex proposals under the guidance of the Director of Proposals.
• Assist with final proposal production, quality checks, and electronic submissions.
• Draft and edit proposal narratives, including corporate experience, past performance, management approaches, staffing plans, and other assigned sections.
• Work with subject matter experts to turn technical information into clear, concise, persuasive proposal content.
• Review written contributions for grammar, clarity, consistency, responsiveness, and compliance.
• Help incorporate win themes, competitive differentiators, and customer-focused messaging into proposal responses.
• Support the development and formatting of tables, graphics, organizational charts, and other proposal materials.
• Ensure proposal documents follow corporate templates, formatting requirements, and style guidelines.
• Review proposal materials for compliance with solicitation instructions and submission requirements.
• Assist in preparing materials for Pink, Red, Gold, and other structured proposal reviews.
• Track review comments and coordinate incorporation of approved revisions.
• Proofread and perform quality control checks to identify errors, omissions, inconsistencies, and formatting issues.
• Maintain document version control and organized proposal files throughout development.
• Support final production and submission, including verification of required forms, attachments, and document formatting.
• Maintain and update proposal content libraries, templates, past performance references, resumes, and other reusable materials.
• Assist with developing and improving proposal processes, standard operating procedures, and department resources.
• Participate in lessons-learned activities and suggest process improvements.
• Support business development and capture activities by organizing opportunity information and assisting with preliminary proposal planning.
• Develop familiarity with federal acquisition processes, government contracting terminology, and proposal development best practices.
• Pursue professional development to strengthen proposal writing, management, and compliance skills.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level