Proposal Manager (High Point)

Cambrex•High Point, NC

About The Position

This role will partner with the Cambrex High Point team to manage and execute all aspects of the proposal process for the High Point, NC facility. In addition to facilitating Cambrex’s internal proposal development process, this individual will support Sales Directors in customer interactions as needed and contribute to a seamless transition to project management at project kick-off. Candidates with more experience and higher qualifications will be considered for more senior positions with the expectation that they are able to lead client interactions, provide thought leadership, peer review work from colleagues, and require limited oversight from their manager. Additionally, more senior positions will be expected to provide leadership in cross-site coordination and continuous improvement initiatives. The role will primarily support the Cambrex’s High Point facility, but may also support other Cambrex business sites to balance workload across the team. Some travel will be required during the onboarding process to ensure familiarity with the unique capabilities at the High Point facility and participate in important client interactions on an ongoing basis.

Requirements

Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a technical operations role in manufacturing or pharmaceutical development is expected for the Proposal Manager role
Ability to write and peer-review highly technical scientific proposals
Superior verbal and written communication skills with both internal and external customers
Comfortable communicating and influencing at a senior level
Effective negotiating skills
Motivated by the opportunity to personally influence commercial and financial outcomes
Strong sense of ownership and accountability for work product
Meticulous attention to detail including technical and financial information / data
Ability to multi-tasks across several projects and adjust prioritization as business priorities shift
Skilled at obtaining support from SMEs in various disciplines, time zones, and cultures
Treats colleagues at all levels with respect and adheres to organizational values
BSc/MSc/PhD in chemistry or chemical engineering (graduate degree preferred)

Nice To Haves

Prior Commercial experience within the pharma services industry preferred
Understanding of core financial metrics and experience with financial modeling (e.g., project cost models) preferred (required for more senior positions)
Prior experience with Salesforce.com preferred

Responsibilities

Screen new RFPs for technical fit coordinating with internal resources as needed (e.g., EHS)
Estimate project costs for new RFPs, reload campaigns, and change orders by working with site SMEs to consolidate the necessary inputs into Cambrex’s proprietary project cost model
Engage site leadership to validate the proposed response to the client request and verify the key assumptions in the project cost estimate
Recommend a pricing strategy for individual programs to leadership based on the unique commercial dynamics of a particular opportunity
Facilitate the internal proposal approval process from initial technical review through senior leadership approval of the financial profile of the project
Translate the technical approach and pricing summary into a persuasive, professional proposal document delivered prior to the customer’s stated due date
Serve as the point person for the proposal keeping sales directors, site stakeholders, and business unit leadership apprised of progress and any input/support required to finalize proposal
Effectively communicate asset-level and team-level capacity utilization to the leadership team as context to inform decisions on how to approach individual business opportunities
Take a proactive role in suggesting opportunities for continuous improvement in existing processes and harmonizing similar processes and tools across sites
Support Finance and Accounting teams with post-mortem analysis on completed projects and monitor the accuracy of initial cost projections and change order processes
Responsible for administration of workflows in Salesforce.com related to proposal development