Proposal Specialist

Safety, Customers, People, Community & Excellence

A leading provider of student transportation, Durham School Services operates out of 250 locations in North America, employs 30,000 individuals and has revenues of $1.2B. As a leader in school transportation, Durham committed to exceptional safety, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations.

We are currently seeking a Proposal Specialist based in Lisle area with hybrid in office/remote focusing on proposal bids.

• Develop clear, compelling, and concise proposals that not only comply with individual RFP requirements but present Durham in the best possible light and differentiate us from our competitors.
• Leverage your strong knowledge of proposal development principles, the trends/services/programs inherent in the public transportation industry, effective presentation and marketing methods, contract administration policies, proposal, and the company’s mandate/vision/service commitments/goals to develop industry-leading proposals.
• Liaise with stakeholders across the organization (e.g. Finance, Operations, Maintenance, etc.) to obtain required bid information, collaborate and/or clarify and maintain approved proposal boilerplate content.
• Proofread and edit final proposal submissions for grammar and consistency aligned with Company policies and RFP requirements.
• Participate in the development of new formats, tools, graphics, and procedures to support the Company’s bid proposal process.
• Participate in bid planning sessions to support the development of strategies and annual sales plans for identifying potential new business opportunities.
• Work with Senior Stakeholders to gain their approvals and/or signatures, where necessary.
• Ensure all bids are submitted on time using the required delivery format. This includes physical proposal production.
• Track all RFPs received by the Company and actions taken in Salesforce.
• Assist business development leads in interview preparation which may include PowerPoint presentations and leave behinds.
• Assist in keeping proposal software up to date.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, English, or related field or equivalent experience.
• Two or more years of Marketing experience and/or two or more years of experience in comprehensive proposal preparation.
• Experience with effective presentation/marketing methods and contract administration policies.
• Transportation industry experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio), Customer Relationship Management Systems (Salesforce preferred), SharePoint, and Adobe Software (InDesign and Photo Shop preferred), UPS and Fed Ex Shipping Software knowledge an advantage.
• Working knowledge of proposal software preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and time management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Flexible attitude, a team-player and strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to meet tight deadlines, if required, and manage multiple projects effectively.