RFP Specialist

School District & Education Market Engagement

Develop and maintain a strong understanding of K-12 education staffing challenges, district priorities, special education service delivery models, and workforce shortages.
Research school districts, educational service agencies, state education departments, and cooperative purchasing organizations to identify new staffing opportunities.
Build knowledge of school-based staffing categories including special education, related services, behavioral health, nursing, and educational support roles.
Stay informed on education funding trends, procurement requirements, and initiatives impacting district staffing decisions.

Opportunity Identification & Bid Strategy

Identify, track, and evaluate RFPs, RFQs, staffing bids, renewals, and vendor registration opportunities across K-12 education markets.
Monitor district procurement portals, state purchasing websites, cooperative purchasing networks, and bid notification services.
Conduct strategic opportunity assessments, including probability of win, staffing feasibility, service scope, compliance requirements, and profitability.
Support go/no-go decision-making by providing leadership with opportunity summaries and recommendations.
Develop win themes and proposal strategies that align with district priorities and Onward Education's strengths.

Proposal Development & Project Management

Lead the proposal process from opportunity identification through final submission.
Analyze RFP requirements, evaluation criteria, staffing specifications, and contract terms.
Create proposal schedules, responsibility matrices, submission checklists, and project timelines.
Coordinate cross-functional contributions from Sales, Recruiting, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and Leadership teams.
Ensure proposals clearly communicate Onward Education's staffing capabilities, compliance processes, candidate quality, and commitment to supporting student outcomes.

Education Staffing Content, Compliance & Submission Management

Write, edit, and manage proposal responses tailored specifically to school districts and educational organizations.
Maintain proposal libraries that include district-specific language, staffing methodologies, compliance narratives, references, resumes, and corporate qualifications.
Partner with Customer Support & Compliance teams to accurately communicate onboarding, credential verification, fingerprinting, licensure validation, training, and ongoing employee support processes.
Ensure all submissions meet district requirements and are completed accurately and on time.
Manage electronic submissions through district procurement portals and other public-sector purchasing systems.

Post-Submission Support & Contract Transition

Coordinate responses to clarification requests, presentations, finalist interviews, pricing discussions, and contract negotiations.
Track proposal outcomes, award notifications, and contract renewals.
Partner with Sales, Recruiting, Operations, and Compliance teams to successfully transition awarded contracts into implementation.
Ensure key contract requirements and service commitments are documented and communicated internally.

Reporting, Analysis & Continuous Improvement

Track proposal activity, contract awards, win rates, renewal success, and other key performance metrics.
Conduct win/loss analyses to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
Gather feedback from school districts and internal stakeholders regarding proposal quality and competitiveness.
Recommend process improvements, templates, and tools that increase efficiency and proposal effectiveness.
Build a scalable, repeatable proposal process that supports long-term growth within the education division.

About Onward Education

This role serves as a strategic partner to our Sales, Recruiting, Compliance, and Leadership teams by identifying, managing, and securing new business opportunities with school districts, educational service agencies, state education organizations, and other public-sector entities nationwide.
The RFP Specialist will play a critical role in helping school districts access highly qualified professionals, including special education teachers, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, behavioral health professionals, nurses, occupational therapists, and other essential school-based personnel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Education, Communications, Marketing, or a related field preferred.
  3-5+ years of experience in proposal management, RFP response, bid management, education staffing, public-sector procurement, or a related field.
  Knowledge of education staffing, school-based services, special education, behavioral health, nursing, or related services preferred.
  Familiarity with district procurement processes, cooperative purchasing organizations, and public-sector proposal requirements.
  Exceptional written communication, editing, and proofreading skills.
  Strong project management, organizational, and time-management abilities.
  Proficiency with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, procurement portals, CRM systems, and proposal management tools.

Pay

$30-35h, based on experience.

Schedule

This is a part time role.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits and PTO package, including 401k, offered for Full Time employees.