Proposal Manager - Utility Clients and Energy Sector (Remote US)

ICF International • Reston, VA

80d • $73,722 - $125,327 • Remote

About The Position

ICF is in the business of Making Big Things Possible and we are looking for a mid-level proposal manager to support our energy, environment, and infrastructure business. We provide professional services and technical solutions that maximize impacts for people, businesses, and government in areas critical to the world's future. We are looking for an enthusiastic and capable proposal manager, ideally experienced in the types of requests for proposals (RFPs) typically received from energy clients such as investor-owned utilities and/or state and local entities, and who is genuinely passionate about strategy and positioning us to win. This position can work remotely from anywhere in the United States.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in Communications, English, Business Administration, Marketing, or similar)
• 5+ years of applicable experience managing the entire proposal process
• 3+ years of experience in a professional setting
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Project, Outlook, and Teams), Adobe Acrobat, and SharePoint
• Understanding of the color review process, i.e., Shipley.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing proposals for clients across the US (regardless of time zone)
• Ability to manage and work with various sized proposal teams, including all levels of internal staff, as well as outside teaming partners
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills
• Experience working in a fast-paced, client-oriented environment
• Experience creating prompts and agents using generative AI tools with an understanding of how to apply them to streamline proposal development workflows
• Ability to work to meet deadlines (nights, weekends, and holidays, if needed)
• Experience and understanding of the proposal response process, such as training by Shipley
• Demonstrated ability to leverage generative AI technologies and tools (e.g., MS Copilot, AI Foundry, ChatGPT) to streamline proposal writing, research, or formatting tasks

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation, management, and administration of the RFP responses, including the coordination of effort with all involved parties.
• Review and understand all proposal requirements to ensure appropriate subject matter experts (SMEs) are involved to determine the best product and services fit to meet requirements.
• Organize cross-functional teams for various meetings.
• Develop proposal plan, annotated proposal outline (including basic formatting), compliance matrix, and schedule, and monitor progress to ensure all deadlines are met.
• Schedule and facilitate solutioning sessions, and support teams in articulating key messages, discriminators, benefits, and proof statements.
• Establish and delegate writing assignments.
• Coordinate Requests for Information with teaming partners/subconsultants.
• Manage each stage of the writing process (color reviews) to ensure drafts are progressing and communicate with teams when there are gaps in content and/or delays.
• Review proposal response to validate accuracy, ensure adherence to company policy, satisfaction of customer specifications, and quality of material sent to customers.
• Brief proposal team on deliverables status and ensure adherence to internal deadlines.
• Develop and manage the schedule for and lead all color reviews and other required team touch points.
• Work with proposal writers and graphics design team to create visuals that simply convey complex ideas, processes, or information.
• Ensure ongoing communication and collaboration with contracts, pricing leads, ad-hoc services to keep all proposal components and deliverables on schedule.
• Coordinate oral/interview preparation meetings including helping to identify a presentation approach and ensuring discriminators are articulated.
• Participate in ad hoc working groups, e.g., process improvements and tool updates.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees