Proposal Manager

CetraRuddy•New York, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

CetraRuddy is an award-winning, New York City-based architecture and interior design firm of more than 140 professionals working across multiple market sectors with the top developers and institutions in architecture and interior design. Our practice is grounded in a belief that thoughtful design improves daily life, and that the best work emerges from close collaboration between architects, interior designers, clients, and the projects our projects serve. We balance the creative ambition of a design-driven studio with the rigor and infrastructure of an established practice. Our collaborative, collegial culture and shared passion for design excellence shape how we work together, and we are looking for colleagues who want to contribute to the firm's next chapter. The Proposal Manager is the operational engine behind CetraRuddy’s pursuit of new work. This person quarterbacks every proposal from kickoff to submission: building the schedule, pulling the right people to the table, assembling the content, and ensuring it goes out the door on time and at a high quality. In a firm where principals and project managers are busy running projects, the Proposal Manager ensures the business development deliverables are produced. This is a producer role. The Director of Marketing and Business Development sets pursuit strategy. The BD Manager provides client research and relationship context. The Marketing Manager and Visual Communications Coordinator ensure brand consistency and design quality. The Proposal Manager ties it all together by coordinating across these roles and bringing in principals, project managers, and external consultants as needed to build compelling, compliant, and well-crafted submissions. The ideal candidate is exceptionally organized, a strong writer and editor, and someone who earns trust through reliability and preparedness. Given the variety of proposal formats from technical scope to design approaches, to visual concepts and qualifications, the candidate should have fluency in the platforms and familiarity and flexibility with the variety of writing styles. When proposal activity is lighter, the Proposal Manager takes on operational and technology projects that support the department’s broader goals, including platform implementations, process improvements, and systems migrations. Please note we are seeking applicants based in the New York City Metro area for a hybrid and highly collaborative working environment with colleagues and leadership.

Requirements

3 to 5 years of experience in proposal coordination, production management, or a comparable deadline-driven project role, preferably in the AEC industry or professional services
Strong writing and editing skills; ability to transform technical, design-oriented content into clear, client-facing language that is both persuasive and accurate
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects without missing deadlines; exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to coordinate and influence people without direct authority; comfort working across levels from coordinators to firm principals
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint) and Adobe InDesign; ability to produce polished, professional documents
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, English, history, architecture, or a related field

Nice To Haves

Direct experience producing proposals, qualifications packages, or SOQs in an architecture, interiors, or engineering firm
Familiarity with RFP/RFQ processes in the AEC industry, including compliance requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission protocols
Experience with proposal management or content management platforms (e.g., OpenAsset, Shred.ai, etc.)
Experience with CRM systems (Deltek Vantagepoint or similar) and comfort maintaining pursuit and project data
Familiarity with the NYC real estate development market and the types of clients, projects, and consultants CetraRuddy works with
Experience coordinating with external consultants or subconsultants on teaming proposal

Responsibilities

Lead the coordination and production of all proposal responses (RFPs, RFQs, SOQs, qualifications packages), from initial kickoff through final submission
Build and manage proposal timelines, task assignments, and deliverable schedules for each active pursuit; ensure every deadline is tracked and every contributor knows what is expected of them and when
Run proposal kickoff meetings with the relevant team (principal, project manager, BD Manager, Marketing Manager, and any external consultants), establishing clear roles, deadlines, and expectations for each pursuit
Own the assembly, formatting, and final production of submission documents, ensuring strict compliance with RFP/RFQ requirements including page limits, formatting standards, required written and visual content, and submission protocols
Track status across all active proposals simultaneously, providing regular updates to the Director and flagging risks, bottlenecks, or missed deadlines early enough to coursecorrect
Coordinate post-submission activity as directed: interview preparation, presentation logistics, leave-behind materials, and debrief documentation
Pull principals and project managers into the proposal process at the right moments, with clear asks and realistic deadlines. Respect that these people are running active projects; make it easy for them to contribute effectively
Work with the BD Manager to ensure client intelligence, pursuit strategy, and relationship context are reflected in proposal content and positioning
Coordinate with the Marketing Manager and Visual Communications Coordinator on proposal design, layout, imagery, and brand consistency
Engage external consultants (structural, MEP, sustainability, landscape, etc.) for teaming proposals, coordinating their content contributions and ensuring their materials meet CetraRuddy’s quality and formatting standards
Set expectations early for every pursuit, follow up consistently, and surface blockers quickly. Escalate to the Director when a contributor is unresponsive or a deadline is at risk
Write, edit, and refine proposal content for clarity, persuasive strength, and alignment with the Director's pursuit strategy. Translate technical and design-oriented input from principals and project managers into language that resonates with clients
Adapt messaging and positioning to each client, project type, and procurement context. No two proposals should read the same way
Maintain and continuously improve a proposal content library: boilerplate language, project data sheets, project descriptions, team resumes, past proposal narratives, and response templates. Ensure this library is organized, current, and actively used by the team
Build and maintain compliance checklists for each submission, ensuring every RFP requirement is addressed and nothing is missed
Conduct quality reviews on all proposals before submission: checking for accuracy, consistency, compliance, and overall persuasive quality
Work with the BD Manager to incorporate lessons learned from win/loss debriefs into future proposal content and approach
Develop and maintain proposal production workflows, templates, and checklists that ensure consistent quality and reduce the time and effort required for each submission
Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the proposal process and propose improvements. This department has operated without strong production processes; building that infrastructure is a core part of the role
Support the buildout and day-to-day use of Shred.ai, OpenAsset’s AI-powered proposal writing tool. Work with the BD Manager and Marketing Manager to ensure the proposal library is well-populated with high-quality past content, and use the platform to accelerate content development for new submissions
Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of OpenAsset as the firm’s digital asset management platform, ensuring project imagery, descriptions, and team information are organized and accessible for proposal use
Maintain awareness of proposal management tools and technologies; recommend platforms or process changes that could improve the team’s efficiency and win rate
Support technology platform implementations and migrations as assigned by the Director, including CRM migration (Airtable to Deltek Vantagepoint), document management transitions (server to SharePoint), and BD and proposal technology rollouts (ie: Shred.ai)
Lead or support process improvement initiatives within the department, including workflow documentation, template standardization, and file organization
Assist with coordination of firm-wide initiatives that require cross-departmental project management, such as internal communications rollouts, event planning, or vendor onboarding for marketing services
Take on other projects and responsibilities as assigned by the Director, contributing to the department’s overall effectiveness and supporting colleagues during peak workload periods