Proposal Manager, Strategic Pursuits

Proposal Manager, Strategic Pursuits - (190639)

HDR is seeking a highly motivated individual to partner with the Transportation Business Group Strategic Pursuit Leaders. Your primary responsibilities will be to support highly visible, complex and game-changing opportunities by producing winning, professional, competitive proposals.

• Proposal Management & Coordination:
  Foster a self-directed, accountable team culture by delivering high-quality, review- and client-ready materials. Lead the full proposal lifecycle, from kickoff through final production and interview, owning all deliverables and driving a smooth, efficient process. Develop and manage pursuit tools (schedules, compliance matrices, templates, dashboards), capture meeting notes and action items, translate client priorities into a focused capture plan. Review and interpret RFPs to create clear, actionable compliance matrices.
  
  Coordinate input from internal teams and external subconsultants, maintain alignment and clear communication. Track progress, manage deadlines, adjust priorities, and ensure on-time delivery. Support content development with early drafts, meeting notes, and distill key themes and differentiators into a capture plan. Proactively communicate workload needs and availability.
• Content Development & Quality:
  Write, edit, and format non-technical proposal content for clarity and consistency. Collaborate with subject matter experts to write and visualize technical approaches and project understanding information. Develop qualifications, bios, data, forms, and terms to be accurate and compliant. Support storyboarding, benefit statements, message development, project profiles, and data to demonstrate aligned qualifications and differentiators. Research project background and tailor content accordingly.
  
  Author and review draft proposal text for consistency, brand voice, and grammar. Integrate risks/issues into PSOE (problem, solution, outcome, evidence). Work with graphic designers to produce reader-friendly visuals. Identify gaps in draft proposal text based on capture planning, PSOE exercises, and RFP requirements.
• Visual & Layout
  
  Skills:
  
  Compose and format reader-friendly documents with strong layout skills. Engage marketing resources, coordinating with graphic designers and data keepers. Develop draft presentation materials and transform technical content into clear visuals. Provide direction and timely communication to achieve high-quality deliverables. Develop materials such as interactive presentations and brand-specific deliverables to communicate key messages and differentiators.
• Quality Control & Compliance Checks:
  Create schedules for content and graphics reviews. Monitor proposal progress to meet internal deadlines and quality processes. Ensure materials meet quality expectations, including graphics and format. Perform or coordinate technical editing and compliance reviews for grammatical accuracy and RFP alignment. Continually improve efficient processes for producing high-quality materials.
• Pre-positioning, Collateral & Material Management:
  Research project backgrounds and keep data organized in collaborative platforms. Gather resumes, project information, histories, photographs, and data to support differentiating sections. Develop materials to help teams communicate key messages. Engage with leadership on marketplace, client, and project-specific research. Partner with marketing to develop sector qualifications and collateral for positioning before RFP releases.
• Continuous Process Improvements:
  Learn and apply AI tools and other software to improve efficiency. Monitor proposal quality against best practices and industry standards. Contribute to debriefs and continuous improvement. Serve as a subject matter expert and uphold HDR procedures, policies, and best practices including file management and archiving.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years relevant industry experience
• Demonstrated self-starter with history of completing projects with limited oversight
• Experience in sales and developing effective win strategies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including In Design

• Interpersonal skills: strong organizational ability, deadline-driven, team-oriented, and adaptable
• Strong written and oral communication, attention to detail, and brand alignment
• Ability to work with diverse teams, manage multiple projects, and problem-solve effectively
• Interest in transportation industry terminology and context
• Ability to collaborate with all organizational levels and work independently or in cross-functional teams
• Comfort with travel as needed (approximately 10-20%)

• Advanced:
  Word, PowerPoint, Teams/SharePoint, One Note
• Intermediate with potential to advance:
  InDesign, Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator
• Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce, Oscar,…