Sales Enablement Senior Associate Proposal and Pursuit Excellence

Huron•Chicago, IL

8d•$85,000 - $115,000•Remote

About The Position

The Growth Enablement Team (GET) covers sales intake, sales operations, Salesforce, RFP and proposal development, orals preparation, and sales collateral development in support of Huron's sales efforts. The GET sales enablement team partners with business units and sales leads to develop content and collateral, manage proposals, and support orals preparation across all Huron industries and capabilities. Team members support both enterprise-wide initiatives and industry-specific pursuit work. The senior associate is a primary resource for developing and managing RFP, proposal, orals, and collateral responses for Huron's sales pursuits. This person works across Huron's business units, sales teams, and contributors to manage timelines and materials for multiple opportunities at once. Depending on business need, the senior associate may support several business units and industries simultaneously, or serve in a dedicated role to one industry for a longer stretch (e.g., six to nine months) to cover staffing needs.

Requirements

Strong written and verbal communication
Sound organizational skills
Ability to think critically
Prior proposal, orals, or collateral management experience
Deadline driven and detail oriented
Comfortable collaborating across all levels and roles involved in proposal and orals work
Engaged in strategic planning
Current on market conditions
Working knowledge of win themes, proposal and orals concepts, and the business development lifecycle
Minimum six years of experience managing, writing, and coordinating proposals, orals, or collateral
Strong command of standard English writing style and structure, with the ability to write RFP and proposal responses with minimal oversight while following internal and leading-practice standards
Ability to research and synthesize information from multiple sources, such as subject matter experts, past proposals, and case studies, into a cohesive, readable, persuasive final product
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal, with a demonstrated ability to work with people at every level of the organization, across practices, and with different work styles
Strong organizational and management skills
Ability to prioritize and make sound calls when facing competing demands
Creative thinker willing to speak up with ideas that improve processes and deliverables
Interest in or experience with AI and digital tools
Strong customer service instincts and the resilience to handle rejection and keep a positive attitude regardless of outcome
Ability to deliver high-quality work across multiple complex assignments, often under tight deadlines and with minimal supervision
Drive to become a subject matter expert on Huron's offerings and advise the opportunity team on presentation, structure, and organization of materials
Ability to track win and loss metrics on proposals and orals and turn them into statistics that improve outcomes
Commitment to staying current on the tools and processes used in proposal and orals management
Ability to work well both independently and as part of a remote team
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio) and SharePoint
Bachelor's degree required
Prior experience supporting opportunities (RFP responses, proposals, oral presentations) across a range of industries; commercial or federal experience preferred

Nice To Haves

Shipley Proposal Management training or other formal proposal writing training
APMP certification
Experience with Adobe Acrobat Creative Suite and Salesforce

Responsibilities

Write simple RFPs, proposals, orals, and collateral with limited oversight
Partner with the opportunity owner and solution architect to define the RFP, proposal, or orals approach: key messages, differentiators, activities, deliverables, and milestones
Interview contributors and subject matter experts to develop content that aligns with client needs and supports the proposed solution
Provide writing training to opportunity team members
Give opportunity team members feedback to strengthen response content and align it with leading-practice standards
Use templates and follow leading-practice writing standards for readability, consistency, and tone
Complete responsiveness and compliance checks independently to confirm content aligns with client needs and the proposal or orals strategy
Use AI and automation for pursuit and content workflows to work faster and smarter
Lead RFP, proposal, orals, and collateral management for multiple opportunities at once
Complete kickoff tasks: build the development plan, coordinate with stakeholders and contributors, schedule meetings, draft initial outlines, and gather supporting content
Handle the administrative side of development, including coordinating schedules and directing submission of the final proposal or orals presentation
Manage development proactively and maintain real-time status of all text and graphics
Recognize and address risks early, escalating as appropriate
Coordinate independently with internal business units, including legal
Write specific sections of the proposal or orals presentation without oversight
Promote Huron's adopted leading practices for proposal, orals, and collateral development
Facilitate opportunity status meetings, including kickoffs, review meetings, and content writer interviews
Complete compliance checks to confirm adherence to RFP requirements
Facilitate approval, sign-off, and delivery to the client by the specified deadline
Communicate expectations clearly and on time to team members and stakeholders
Contribute to internal team initiatives
Lead team-wide initiatives with oversight; create and own action items for annual and quarterly goals
Stay current on Huron's solutions, products, and messaging so our competitive advantage comes through clearly in client-facing materials
Own content for one to two capabilities
Track milestones and performance to gauge progress on short- and long-term goals and deliverables
Mentor and train associates, analysts, and new team members
Support employee engagement, rounding, and team feedback
Own Salesforce cases and keep them accurate
Mentor or supervise other team members