Proposal Manager, Strategic Pursuits

About the role

HDR is seeking a highly motivated individual to partner with our 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.

Job Responsibilities

• 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 organization tools, including schedules, compliance matrices, templates, and assignment dashboards, using collaborative online platforms. Includes capturing meeting notes and action items, translating key themes and client priorities into a focused capture plan.

• Review and interpret RFPs to create clear, actionable compliance matrices that guide proposal development. Coordinate input from internal teams and external subconsultants, maintaining alignment and clear communication throughout. Track and communicate progress, manage deadlines, and adjust priorities to keep the team and deliverables on schedule.

• Content Development & Quality: Write, edit, and format non-technical proposal content to ensure clarity and consistency. Work closely with specialized experts to write and visualize technical approaches and project understanding information. Work closely with staff to develop qualifications, bios, data, forms, and terms to be accurate and compliant.

• Visual & Layout Skills: Compose and format documents with strong reader-friendly graphic/layout skills. Expect an intermediate level of InDesign skills with an interest in training up to an advanced level of use. Effectively engage marketing resources, including coordinating with graphic designers, market sector and business class data keepers, and layout artists as needed.

• Quality Control & Compliance Checks: Create schedules and time blocks to conduct appropriate reviews of content and graphics throughout the production period. Monitor progress of the proposal process, with timely follow-up, to ensure internal proposal deadlines and quality processes are being met. Work with Strategic Pursuit leaders to meet expectations of quality-driven materials, including graphics and format of proposal elements.

• Pre-positioning, Collateral & Material Management: Research project background, news articles and Board/Council meetings and keep collected data organized in a collaborative online platform or tool. Gather and refine resumes, project information, histories, photographs, and other information and data so all materials are current and effectively support key differentiating sections of the proposal.

• Continuous Process Improvements: Learn, use, and teach others current and effective AI tools and other software, resulting in more efficient processes and quality deliverables. Support proposal quality by monitoring against best practices and industry standards. Contribute to continuous improvement through internal and external debriefs.

• Skill Aptitude: Interpersonal Skills, Strong organizational skills and an ability to prioritize and complete simultaneous projects, An ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure, Demonstrated strong written and oral communication skills, Strong attention to detail, including aligning with HDR’s brand guidelines, Quick self-starter, team-oriented, and able to work with different personalities and professional styles, Listens actively to gather and interpret team input, client needs, and leadership direction to inform proposal strategy and content, Adaptable to internal and external client needs and desires, Proactively communicate any concerns or improvement ideas, An interest in and ability to understand the transportation business environment, including industry terminology, Comfortable communicating and collaborating with individuals at all levels of the organization, and enjoy working both independently and as part of cross-functional teams, Highly articulate, has a clear approach to problem solving, uses sound professional judgment and demeanor, Builds and fosters strong working relationships to help the team stay connected and deliver great proposals, Enthusiasm and dedication to the development of a professional proposal management career, Computer Skills: Software and Online Tool Proficiency, Advanced level of use: Word, PowerPoint, Teams/SharePoint, OneNote, Intermediate level of use, with an interest to train-up to Advance levels, specifically InDesign, InDesign, Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator, Experience in CRM programs (Salesforce, Oscar, Watson, Proposal Development Marketing System), New and current collaborative tools, as these are continuously released, Tier advancement of the role: Proposal Manager, Senior Proposal Manager, Principal Proposal Manager

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years relevant industry experience
• Demonstrated "self-starter" with a 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, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including InDesign