Senior Proposal Specialist

CERES • Sarasota, FL

9d • $110,000 - $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

We’re hiring a Senior Proposal Specialist to support high-priority, high-complexity pursuits across federal, state, and local government clients. This role plays a critical part in Ceres' growth strategy by leading proposal development efforts that transform technical, operational, and executive input into compelling, compliant, and competitive submissions. As a senior contributor, you will do far more than write and edit proposals. You will shape proposal strategy, mentor junior writers, and partner closely with subject matter experts and leadership to deliver win-ready submissions under aggressive timelines. Success in this role requires the ability to rapidly assess solicitation requirements and develop tailored responses by drawing from Ceres' existing proposal content, past performance narratives, lessons learned, and institutional knowledge, while developing original content where it will strengthen the response. You will serve as both a strategist and storyteller—asking critical questions early, identifying gaps and risks, and ensuring every proposal presents a clear, compelling, and consistent value proposition. Behind every successful proposal is an opportunity to help communities recover faster. Your work directly contributes to Ceres' ability to provide critical disaster response and recovery services when they are needed most.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in proposal development, technical writing, or business communications, preferably supporting government contracts.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi‑discipline proposals from kickoff through submission.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with strong attention to detail and compliance.
• Ability to operate independently, exercise judgment, and influence senior stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in English, Creative Writing, Marketing, or related field.
• Experience supporting construction, environmental services, disaster response, or infrastructure programs.
• Experience mentoring proposal staff or serving as lead writer on high‑value pursuits.
• Proficiency with SharePoint and proposal collaboration tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop complex, high‑value proposals for federal, state, and local government solicitations.
• Translate capture strategy and technical solutions into clear, persuasive proposal content.
• Analyze solicitations to identify key requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Ensure proposals are compliant, compelling, and aligned with customer priorities and evaluation criteria.
• Develop compliance matrices to ensure full coverage of RFP requirements.
• Draft and refine executive summaries, capability statements, past performance narratives and work plans.
• Interact with subject matter experts to gather relevant information for proposals.
• Collaborate with graphic designers to create tailored visuals and infographics that support key messaging.
• Review and edit proposal content for quality, compliance, and messaging consistency.
• Incorporate feedback from internal review cycles.
• Mentor junior proposal writers and specialists, providing guidance on best practices and standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of proposal tools, templates, processes, and storytelling approaches.
• Manage multiple concurrent proposals with competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Perform thorough compliance, formatting, and quality checks to ensure submission readiness.
• Maintain Ceres’ brand voice, tone, and quality standards across all submissions.
• Support post‑submission debriefs and lessons learned to improve future performance

Benefits

• Comprehensive package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off and travel opportunities
• Eligible for discretionary bonus, etc.
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
• The chance to make a lasting difference for communities across the U.S.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior