Proposal Manager

About the role

Proposal Manager - Rochester, NY Rochester, NY is home to our client’ headquarters and a broad multidisciplinary AEC practice, making it a strong environment for a senior pursuit professional who understands how technical expertise, client relationships, and compelling proposal strategy come together. In this role, you’ll help our client position its transportation, landscape architecture, energy, civil/site, environmental, planning, design, and other professional services for complex pursuits. You’ll work directly with Practice Directors, Client Managers, technical teams, marketing professionals, and leadership to guide opportunities from early capture through proposal submission and interview preparation. If you’re ready to take ownership of high-value pursuits and have a visible influence on how an established AEC firm competes for work, this role gives you the opportunity to combine strategy, storytelling, visual communication, and execution. What You'll Do - Lead the full proposal lifecycle from opportunity evaluation through submission and interview preparation. - Facilitate pursuit strategy discussions, kickoff meetings, go/no-go conversations, and proposal planning. - Develop win themes, proposal narratives, executive summaries, value propositions, differentiators, proof points, and client-focused messaging. - Manage proposal schedules, assignments, quality control, compliance, and final submissions. - Write, edit, and refine proposal content, resumes, project descriptions, and supporting materials. - Coordinate cross-functional teams and drive accountability throughout complex pursuits. - Support interview preparation, presentation development, coaching, pursuit process improvement, and implementation of AI-enabled proposal technologies and analytics. What We're Looking For - Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Journalism, or related field. - Minimum of 10 years of experience with proposal management, pursuit management, or strategic marketing experience within the AEC industry. - Proven experience leading complex, high-value pursuits and influencing senior technical teams. - Strong understanding of capture strategy, win themes, and client-focused proposal development. - Exceptional writing, editing, communication, and project management skills. - Ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines in fast-paced environments. - Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop. - Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office. - Experience developing highly polished, visually compelling proposal and interview materials. - Strong understanding of layout, typography, visual hierarchy, and branded communication. - Ability to guide visual storytelling and collaborate on graphics, infographics, and presentation design. - Ability to influence teams and drive accountability without direct authority. - Strong strategic thinking, executive presence, and communication skills. - Ability to balance strategy, creativity, storytelling, and hands-on execution. - High standards for content, compliance, visual communication, and the overall evaluator experience. Preferred Qualifications - Familiarity with CRM systems, proposal tools, and AI-assisted proposal platforms. Know someone? Share with a friend!