Proposal Engineer - Special-Purpose Machinery

Bosch Group•North Charleston, SC

About The Position

As a global supplier in the area of special purpose machinery, Bosch Manufacturing Solutions offers individual & intelligent assembly and testing solutions, incl. advanced manufacturing processes and technologies, digital & intelligent solutions and services along the entire product life cycle. Due to our competence in the field of international project management and the expertise of nine locations worldwide, we can “think globally and act locally”. In this way we combine the advantages of global standardization with regional, market-specific conditions. To face the requirements of our customers with future oriented solutions, we continuously develop our manufacturing processes & technologies. Position Summary: We are seeking a highly motivated Proposal Engineer to support the development of special-purpose machinery for the automotive industry. This role requires a strong technical background combined with the ability to develop innovative machine concepts, lead complex engineering projects, and effectively interface with customers to support new business opportunities. The ideal candidate is a flexible and hands-on engineer with experience in industrial automation and special machinery, capable of owning projects from concept definition through implementation and customer acceptance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering (Controls, Automation, Electrical, Mechanical, or related discipline).
7+ years of experience in project engineering roles within special machinery, industrial automation, or manufacturing systems—preferably in the automotive industry.
Strong experience in concept development, machine architecture, and system-level engineering.
Proven ability to lead technical discussions and customer-facing presentations.
Experience working in multidisciplinary and international teams.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, project-driven environment.
Strong technical writing, project management (of the proposal process), attention to detail, understanding of commercial terms, ability to synthesize information from various sources, technical breadth.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of automotive industry standards and customer expectations.
Commercial awareness and ability to support quotation and sales-related technical activities.
Willingness to travel occasionally.

Responsibilities

Understanding Requirements: Analyzing RFPs (Requests for Proposal), RFQs (Requests for Quote), and customer specifications to fully grasp the technical, commercial, and contractual requirements.
Solution Definition (at a high level): Working with sales, technical teams, and sometimes application engineers to define the scope of the solution, technology, and services to be offered.
Cost Estimation & Pricing Support: Collaborating with cost estimators and sales to ensure the proposed solution is priced competitively and profitably.
Technical Writing & Documentation: Translating complex technical information into clear, concise, and persuasive language for the proposal document. This includes writing executive summaries, technical descriptions, scope of work, project plans, and deliverables.
Risk Assessment: Identifying potential technical, commercial, and schedule risks associated with the proposed solution and articulating mitigation strategies.
Compliance Matrix: Ensuring the proposal explicitly addresses all customer requirements and complies with terms and conditions.
Coordination: Acting as a central point of contact for gathering information from various departments (engineering, operations, legal, finance) to complete the proposal.
Presentation Support: Preparing materials and sometimes participating in proposal presentations to customers.