Senior Proposal Specialist
About The Position
GFT is seeking a Senior Proposal Specialist to join its BD&M team within the MidAtlantic. The role supports pursuits for Transportation, Construction Services, and Buildings & Places teams and may be based in Mechanicsburg, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Towson, or Owings Mills. It blends proposal leadership, capture planning, interview development, and client service, with opportunities to mentor junior staff, improve processes, and contribute to business development efforts. The position supports one or more regional or global business lines. The Senior Proposal Specialist manages proposals and presentations, provides capture support, and may assist with client management support. The specialist leads the planning, development, and delivery of compelling, compliant, client-focused proposals, qualifications, and presentations, collaborating with technical teams, subject matter experts, and marketing resources. GFT's Shared Services team—including Human Resources, Legal, Accounting & Finance, IT Services, and Marketing & Communications—supports the company's global operations and its infrastructure consulting and design services.
Requirements
- Normally, a four-year degree in English, marketing, journalism, communications, or an applicable field is required.
- Experience with PennDOT, MDOT (SHA, MDTA, MTA), SEPTA, Amtrak, or the City of Philadelphia is required.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work with some degree of independence to execute the proposal lifecycle.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM tools.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with MDOT (SHA, MDTA, MTA), Virginia DOT, District of Columbia DOT, and/or DelDOT agencies.
- Adobe InDesign experience.
- Proposal experience in the AEC industry, including leading, coordinating, planning, and developing proposals and qualifications and writing proposal sections.
Responsibilities
- Lead standard- and strategic-level pursuits, including capture kick-offs, follow-up meetings, and early positioning discussions.
- Research clients, competitors, and markets to inform win themes and pursuit strategies.
- Draft pre-RFP content to support strategic positioning.
- Determine resource needs for assigned pursuits and collaborate with BD leadership to implement best practices consistently.
- Lead complex proposals from initial request through final submission.
- Analyze SOQs and RFPs and prepare compliance matrices, schedules, and outlines.
- Facilitate and participate in kick-off meetings, milestone reviews, and client debriefs.
- Develop client-focused proposal sections, including cover letters, executive summaries, personnel bios, project descriptions, firm overviews, and subconsultant qualifications.
- Edit technical approaches for narrative clarity, structure, and alignment with visual messaging.
- Partner with graphic designers to develop custom visuals and infographics that reinforce win themes.
- Coordinate and prepare interview teams, including scheduling, content preparation, and rehearsals.
- Track opportunities and deliverables in CRM.
- Support Tier I client management activities with BD Client Service Leaders and serve as BD Partner for Tier II/III clients.
- Research clients, including contract awards, budgets, press coverage, and events, to inform pursuit strategies.
- Prepare client meeting materials, capabilities briefings, and targeted marketing collateral.
- Participate in or lead working groups focused on improving BD systems, processes, and tools.
- Use approved AI tools for writing, research, and proposal efficiency, and collaborate with leadership on new use cases.
- Manage communications, delegate tasks, and monitor progress to ensure deadlines are met.
- Mentor junior BD staff through feedback and coaching.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values quality, consistency, and best practices.
Benefits
- Remote work environment.
- Comprehensive benefits package, including wellness programs, parental leave, pet insurance, medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
- Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.
- Competitive paid-time-off accrual.
- Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
- Professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support for active participation in professional organizations.
- Incentive compensation for eligible positions.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
