Proposal Manager

DJ&A•Vancouver, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

DJ&A is a growing AEC firm with a deliberate focus on culture, quality, and long-term client relationships. This position is part of DJ&A's Business Development (BD) Group and reports to the Deputy Director, Business Development, Proposals & Marketing. The Proposal Manager leads the firm's proposal and interview preparation efforts, from early capture planning through final client presentation. This role works closely with Proposal Coordinators, Client Engagement Teams, technical staff, and subject-matter experts to produce competitive, client-focused proposals and presentations. The ideal candidate brings strategic thinking and strong execution skills — someone who can lead a capture planning conversation in the morning and sharpen a proposal narrative in the afternoon. This person sets a high bar for quality, keeps teams aligned under deadline pressure, and takes ownership of the pursuit process from start to finish.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, Marketing, Journalism, English, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
5 or more years of experience managing the pursuit/proposal lifecycle, preferably within the AEC industry or a related professional services environment.
Demonstrated experience coordinating cross-functional teams to meet critical deadlines under pressure.
Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to translate technical content into clear, client-focused narratives.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple active pursuits simultaneously.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
Strong alignment with DJ&A Core Values.
Familiarity with proposal management tools, CRM systems (VantagePoint preferred), and content management workflows across the BD lifecycle.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word and PowerPoint, for proposal production and formatting.
Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud.
Ability to work across systems, people, and functional areas to drive quality and consistency without over-engineering processes.
Able to manage competing priorities and keep multiple workstreams moving in a fast-paced environment.
A strong communicator who brings clarity to complex, time-sensitive situations and helps teams stay aligned under deadline pressure.
Skilled at translating complex technical information into compelling, client-centered narratives.
Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, and equally effective in both modes.
Detail-oriented with high personal standards for quality and consistency.
Committed to continuous improvement, actively looking for ways to make pursuit processes more efficient and the work more effective.
Curious and collaborative, with a genuine interest in understanding client needs and helping technical teams communicate their strengths.
Thrives in a dynamic environment where priorities evolve, and no two pursuits are exactly alike.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading interview preparation and coaching presentation teams.
Experience mentoring or coordinating the work of proposal staff.
Familiarity with capture planning processes and pursuit strategy development.
Familiarity with CRM systems and proposal content management workflows.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud programs.
Strong experience and/or interest in using AI technologies.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner to Client Engagement Teams across all phases of the pursuit lifecycle, from early capture planning through proposal submission.
Lead capture planning efforts for must-win pursuits, helping teams develop clear win strategies before the RFP is released.
Participate as a core member of capture teams, contributing strategic input to positioning, messaging, and pursuit approach.
Identify and validate win themes and strategic messaging that connect DJ&A’s strengths to what matters most to the client.
Oversee and participate in DJ&A's proposal development process, working with Proposal Coordinators, editors, graphic designers, technical staff, subject matter experts, and external partners to produce compliant, client-centric proposals.
Develop and maintain a firmwide proposal development schedule; assign tasks, track deadlines, and coordinate resources across concurrent pursuits.
Directly manage the proposal process from kickoff through final delivery — leading kickoff and progress meetings, managing the workplan, assigning tasks, tracking deadlines, drafting content, and coordinating resources, particularly on complex or high-visibility pursuits.
Support go/no-go discipline within the proposal phase by ensuring pursuit decisions reflect current capacity and competitiveness.
Lead quality control reviews to ensure proposals are compliant, consistent, and meet a high standard of presentation.
Write, edit, and format proposal content and resumes to ensure consistency, clarity, and alignment with client-focused messages.
Review and critique proposal content to ensure alignment with win themes, and provide clear, actionable feedback that improves clarity, consistency, and impact.
Work proactively with technical staff and Client Engagement Teams to understand client needs and key differentiators.
Lead interview preparation for pursuits, with particular focus on must-win opportunities.
Partner closely with interview teams to develop presentation content, manage logistics, coach presenters, and ensure win themes are woven throughout presentations.
Bring an objective lens to ensure quality and consistency across presentation approaches.
Oversee and maintain DJ&A’s proposal content library, including project summaries, staff resumes, firm qualifications, and pursuit templates.
Follow and help improve established proposal tools, templates, and workflows; identify opportunities to increase quality and consistency, including using AI tools and technologies.
Follow and help develop BD processes and workflows.
Work with the CRM Manager and others to identify improvements that streamline proposal data management and reporting.
Meet regularly with Client Engagement Teams to stay informed on upcoming opportunities, client priorities, and evolving pursuit strategies; use these conversations to inform positioning, resource planning, and go/no-go decisions.
Monitor and maintain accurate, up-to-date pursuit pipeline information in the CRM; ensure the team’s pursuit data is current and supports effective reporting and decision-making.
Conduct research on clients, competitors, and market opportunities to inform pursuit strategy, win themes, and competitive positioning.
Follow and ensure the team’s proposal closeout process is completed for every pursuit, including archiving final files and communicating results to contributors.
Schedule and participate in debriefs; capture and share lessons learned to support continuous improvement.
This position may include coordination or supervisory responsibilities for Proposal Coordinators, commensurate with candidate qualifications and team structure at time of hire.