Marketing and Proposal Director

RJN Group, Inc. • Downers Grove, IL

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

RJN Group is seeking an experienced Marketing and Proposal Director to join their employee-owned firm. This role serves as the leader of the Marketing Team, collaborating closely with sales and operations to execute the company's marketing, branding, and communications strategy. The position involves leading the development and execution of marketing, branding, pursuit, and communications strategies to support business objectives, working with the Vice President of Client Services. This role requires strong collaboration across offices, disciplines, and leadership teams to ensure consistent brand execution and effective support for pursuit and marketing activities. The position is hybrid and based at the corporate headquarters in Downers Grove, Illinois.

Requirements

• A minimum of 15 years of progressive marketing experience within the AEC industry or a comparable professional services environment, including at least 5 years of people leadership experience.
• A bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field is required.
• The ability to lead a team of professionals to their fullest potential through collaboration, coaching, and timely constructive feedback.
• The ability to provide a strategic link between marketing activities, brand positioning, and business outcomes.
• Experience using marketing metrics to measure performance, guide decision-making, and demonstrate return on investment.
• Demonstrated ability to build alignment among firm leadership, project managers, technical professionals, sales leaders, and the marketing team in support of firm-wide objectives.
• Experience developing, improving, and managing marketing processes, workflows, budgets, and resource allocation across a multi-office organization.
• Experience leading pursuit strategy, proposal operations, go/no-go decision making, and marketing leadership for major pursuits.
• Experience leading corporate branding, digital marketing, and corporate thought leadership development.
• Familiarity with marketing technology platforms, CRM systems, proposal generation tools, analytics platforms, AI-assisted marketing tools, social media, and graphic design software.
• Strong written technical communication and content review skills.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud applications is strongly preferred.
• Active participation in marketing or industry related (i.e., APWA, WEF, AWWA) professional organizations is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Guide and balance team priorities; provide resource planning for marketing team members; coordinate with internal departments, consultants, and vendors; help guide individual and team skill development, seek opportunities to meet short-term department needs and longer-term individual career goals.
• Provide hands-on support during peak workload periods and as needed to ensure successful delivery of marketing and proposal commitments.
• Work closely with the Vice President of Client Services, project and account managers, geographic leaders, and department colleagues to strengthen supporting systems, processes, and tools; identify innovative marketing opportunities and approaches; and outline priorities to elevate our stature, strengthen our business base, and provide outstanding support services.
• Develop standards and workflows to ensure effective communications between all firm stakeholders for business opportunity proposals.
• Ensure consistent messaging in line with the firm’s brand is communicated throughout the proposal.
• Responsible for overall quality control and workload coordination, and, when necessary, direct participation in proposal development to ensure client requirements and submissions are delivered on time.
• Advance the firm’s thought leadership through print and digital publications, videos, and direct marketing; lead continuous growth of the firm’s visual identity through our digital, social, print, and video materials and ads; work with individual offices to bolster our impact through conferences, events, and speaking opportunities.
• Oversee and evolve the firm’s marketing technology infrastructure, including CRM systems, proposal generation tools, analytics platforms, AI-assisted marketing tools, and graphic design software.
• Review and assess platforms that enhance marketing performance through improved audience engagement, internal efficiency, and competitive differentiation.
• Oversee the continued development and maintenance of the firm’s centralized repository of case experience descriptions, bios, and other marketing-related descriptive text, which also encompasses our proposal generation tool and repository of final proposals.
• Oversee the corporate tradeshow process, including working with individual offices to determine level of involvement at conferences and trade shows.
• Oversee the management of tradeshow booth graphics and equipment, sponsorships, giveaways, and overall branding and exposure at professional events.
• Lead and influence communication across internal and external audiences, including internal leadership and client stakeholders.
• Oversee internal communication platforms and contribute to the development of proposals, marketing collateral, and thought leadership content.
• Ensure clarity, consistency, and quality across all written materials while continuing to elevate the firm’s voice and messaging.

Benefits

• Company-funded employee stock ownership plan and 401(k) matching retirement plan
• Medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance benefits and a robust wellness program
• Flexible and hybrid work arrangements and schedule and a casual dress code
• Paid time off and holiday pay
• Tuition assistance and student loan repayment
• Professional development opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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