Proposal Manager

CetraRuddy•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

CetraRuddy, an award-winning architecture and interior design firm in New York City with over 140 professionals, is seeking a Proposal Manager. This role is the operational engine for the firm's pursuit of new work, quarterbacking every proposal from kickoff to submission. The Proposal Manager will build schedules, assemble the right people, gather content, and ensure timely, high-quality submissions. This is a producer role that requires strong organizational, writing, and editing skills, as well as the ability to earn trust through reliability and preparedness. The ideal candidate will be fluent in various proposal formats and flexible with different writing styles. When proposal activity is lighter, the role involves operational and technology projects supporting the department's broader goals, such as platform implementations and process improvements. The position is based in the New York City Metro area and offers a hybrid, collaborative working environment.

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 proposals.

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 course-correct.
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.
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.
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.
Maintain and continuously improve a proposal content library: boilerplate language, project data sheets, project descriptions, team resumes, past proposal narratives, and response templates.
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.
Support the buildout and day-to-day use of Shred.ai, OpenAsset’s AI-powered proposal writing tool.
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.