Senior Director, Proposals

Location: Preference for candidates based in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.; candidates anywhere within the Atlantic region will be considered. Hybrid role (two to three days in‑office). Local candidates work 2–3 days per week and may travel up to three times per year for team meetings and conferences; candidates outside the area should anticipate travel approximately once per month for team meetings and company events.

Reports to: Head of Strategy, Atlantic Region

Department: Strategy and Operations

Employment type: Full Time, Hybrid

Visa: CCS cannot sponsor employment visas. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.

About the role

The Senior Director, Proposals oversees the strategy, quality, and performance of the regional proposal development function, ensuring the production of high‑quality, compelling, and timely materials that advance new business and strengthen CCS’s market positioning. The role combines people management, strategic oversight, and hands‑on writing to guide the team in producing customized, persuasive proposals and sales materials, while collaborating with executives and cross‑functional teams to enhance sales enablement.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Proposal Department Manager (conduct 1:1s, approve PTO, provide coaching and feedback, oversee day‑to‑day workflow).
• Develop and implement team priorities, process improvements, and strategic projects.
• Monitor team bandwidth and resourcing, reallocating workload or escalating staffing needs as appropriate.
• Facilitate regular team meetings to review priorities, share learnings, and uplift best‑in‑class materials.
• Lead team learning and development initiatives, including workshops and peer‑review sessions.
• Seek innovative solutions to maximize team performance and efficiency.
• Oversee development of high‑quality, customized proposals, presentations, and sales materials that convey CCS’s value proposition.
• Act as strategic thought partner to executives in shaping proposal strategy, scope, and structure, including integration of Growth Services opportunities.
• Review select proposals to identify trends, quality benchmarks, and areas for improvement.
• Maintain and manage proposal development trackers, KPIs, and reporting tools to measure performance, efficiency, and win rate.
• Ensure consistent implementation of firm‑wide proposal standards, templates, and brand guidelines.
• Guide and coach proposal writers to provide sales enablement support to selling executives (e.g., thank‑you notes, progress checks, preparation of materials for sales conversations).
• Lead regular meetings with executives on proposal priorities in collaboration with proposal writers.
• Monitor executives’ pipelines and adjust projections as needed.
• Lead development and evolution of proposal templates, standard content, and visual tools.
• Identify and implement tools and technology to improve efficiency, writing quality, and design (e.g., AI, Grammarly, Canva).
• Develop processes for lead and proposal development aligned with enterprise‑wide direction and regional strategies.
• Partner closely with Business Development and Marketing to ensure consistency in message, tone, and materials across the sales cycle.
• Coordinate with Executive Partnerships to align scheduling in proposal review and delivery.
• Coordinate with Business Systems team to ensure pipeline accuracy.
• Share regular proposal department updates with regional leadership.
• Participate in Proposal Writers Cohort to share innovations, identify common challenges, and align on best practices.
• Collaborate on enterprise‑wide initiatives, including utilization of AI.
• Travel to a CCS office weekly as required.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in proposal writing, project management, business development, sales, or a relevant role.
• Management experience; experience in professional services or nonprofit sectors a plus.
• Proven ability to take initiative, delegate tasks, and motivate a high‑performing team.
• Excellent project management, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Adaptability to manage multiple, complex workflows, timelines, scope adaptations, and deadlines.
• Ability to balance detail‑oriented execution with strategic alignment.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with ability to track performance metrics, interpret data, and provide actionable insights.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to build cross‑functional relationships and work collaboratively with all levels of staff, including senior executives.
• Outstanding writing skills with an eye for design and visually appealing documents.
• Advanced knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook.
• Familiarity with prompting and using generative AI tools to draft content and analyze data for maximized efficiency.
• Interest in learning new software applications and adopting new project management tools.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package.
• Dynamic training program and resources.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Mentoring and networking opportunities.

Pay

Salary range: $100,000 – $135,000, varying based on years of relevant experience and education.

Schedule

Full‑time, hybrid schedule (two to three days in‑office per week). Additional travel as described above.