Proposal Manager

Company Description:

Raftelis partners with local governments and utilities to solve their most complex challenges. Over the last year, we've worked with more than 700 organizations across the full spectrum of management consulting, from finance and strategic planning to technology, communications, organizational assessment, and executive recruitment.

We’re proud to share that Raftelis has been certified as a Great Place to Work®! As one of our employees said, “at Raftelis, we maintain a great balance between hard work and allowing staff to focus on their lives outside of work. We also have a strong culture where people genuinely care about each other, and leadership is committed to doing what's best for both our employees and the firm”.

Job Summary:

The Proposal Manager will lead a fast-paced proposal team to help them develop compelling proposals and interview presentations to win work for the firm. The Proposal Manager will manage and develop our proposal team members, collaborate with project managers to develop proposal win strategies, develop ways to enhance proposal processes, review proposals, analyze proposal results to determine where we should focus our proposal efforts, and sometimes develop proposals. Work for this position is fast-paced and deadline-driven, requiring skilled task and time management.

The right person for this role is task-oriented, process-driven, and ready to roll up their sleeves when proposal volume peaks. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, bring strong process management skills, and find energy in supporting and elevating the people around you, you'll succeed here.

This position reports to the Director of Creative Services and has five direct reports within a 12-person Creative Services team. Peer roles include the Creative Services Manager, IT Manager, Accounting Manager, and HR Manager.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as manager for proposal team members, ensuring tasks are being completed correctly and on time and providing oversight, feedback, and training to encourage team members’ professional development and growth
• Manage tasks using workload management platform (ClickUp)
• Build a collaborative and positive team environment where ideas are freely shared
• Comfortable adopting and integrating AI tools into daily workflows to enhance proposal development, improve efficiency, and support team output
• Develop and lead proposal process enhancement initiatives to ensure continuous improvement
• Work with project managers to develop proposal win themes and provide insights into how to be more successful in our proposal efforts
• Take ownership of complex or high-stakes proposals by ensuring accuracy and quality
• Review proposals and interview presentations for accuracy, effectiveness, and visual appeal
• Develop proposals using Word templates
• Conduct daily online RFP search
• Maintain and analyze proposal metrics and use them to gain insights into opportunities for improvement
• Assist with other proposal and marketing tasks as required

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or certificate in Marketing, Business, English, or a related field
• 8+ years of proposal development experience
• 2+ years of supervisory experience
• Proven attention to detail and leadership capabilities
• Highly skilled in formatting within Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
• Strong proofreading, editing, and reading comprehension skills
• Ability to work within tight deadlines
• Ability to work in-person in our corporate headquarters located in uptown Charlotte at least three days a week (parking is paid by the firm)

Additional Preferences:

• Technical writing/editing experience
• Marketing experience
• Proposal development experience for architectural, engineering, or consulting firms

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. We will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Rewards:

Working for a values-based organization focused on growth with an exceptional reputation in its industry, employees receive competitive compensation, generous bonus structure and excellent benefits that include:

• 100% company-paid employee medical (HSA plan) and 50% company-paid dependent medical coverage and dental benefits
• PPO medical plan buy-up option
• Health Savings Account
• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Vision Insurance
• Company paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discretionary paid time off program
• Education Reimbursement Program
• 401(k) with company contributions
• Long-Term care benefits
• Pet insurance
• Hybrid working arrangement (3 days in the office and 2 days remote)
  

The salary range for the Proposal Manager position is $94,000 - $110,000. Compensation depends on education and experience. Employees in the position of Proposal Manager may be eligible for an annual performance bonus, depending on the firm’s yearly performance and the performance of the employee. Such bonuses are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the firm.

Additional Information:

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status. Raftelis uses E-VERIFY. Raftelis is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and our sincere belief in the dignity of each employee, it is our policy to prohibit discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic partnership status, familial status, parental status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or related condition, including but not limited to lactation, age, disability, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, volunteer rescue squad worker status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Raftelis is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment. To request an accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Allison Harllee, Human Resources Manager at 704-269-2536.

To learn more about Raftelis and apply, please visit www.raftelis.com.