Senior Proposal Manager

Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm has approximately 1,100 attorneys across 17 offices: 13 in the U.S., two in China, and two in Europe.

About the role

We seek a Senior Proposal Manager who is, first and foremost, an exceptional writer and storyteller. This role sits at the intersection of copywriting, project management, and visual communication—owning the end-to-end production of RFP responses and pitch materials from kickoff through final delivery. The ideal candidate writes with clarity and persuasion, commands PowerPoint as a narrative medium (not just a formatting tool), and drives complex proposal processes with the discipline of a seasoned project manager. This person will partner closely with attorneys and business development professionals across offices and practice areas to craft compelling, client-ready submissions that differentiate the firm. The role reports to the Director of the Pursuits & Proposals team within the Business Development Group and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of RFP responses and competitive pitches—from intake and kickoff through drafting, attorney review cycles, final production, and submission tracking.
• Write and edit a broad range of business development materials—narrative RFP responses, executive summaries, capability statements, and experience descriptions—applying a consistent, compelling voice that reflects the firm’s brand.
• Build and maintain high-quality matter narratives and experience write-ups in the firm’s experience management platform, ensuring content is accurate, searchable, and pitch ready.
• Monitor active matters across practice groups to identify and capture relevant experience for use in future pitches and RFPs.
• Partner with leads of practice/industry groups and client teams on targeted pitch strategy, messaging, and materials for key client pursuits and panel opportunities.
• Collaborate with communications and marketing colleagues on website content, directory submissions, and other marketing collateral as needed.
• Contribute to and often lead process improvement initiatives, including developing proposal templates, playbooks, and content libraries that raise the overall quality and efficiency of the BD function.
• Mentor junior colleagues of the Pursuit & Proposal team.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in proposal management, business development writing, or a related field, preferably in a law firm environment.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Exceptional copywriting and editing skills—able to craft clear, persuasive, and polished prose under deadline pressure across a variety of formats and audiences.
• Advanced PowerPoint expertise, including the ability to build decks from scratch that tell a coherent visual story—not just populate templates, but design slides that guide the reader through a narrative arc.
• Skilled at interviewing attorneys and distilling complex legal work into compelling, client-facing narratives in both written and slide formats.
• Advanced project management skills: setting and enforcing proposal timelines, managing multiple concurrent RFPs, coordinating contributors across departments, and maintaining version control under pressure.
• High degree of discretion, sound editorial judgment, and the initiative to drive proposals forward without waiting to be managed.

Pay

• Palo Alto, New York, San Francisco: $163,200 – $220,800 per year.
• Boston, Washington, D.C.: $147,050 – $198,950 per year.

The compensation for this position may include a discretionary year-end merit bonus based on performance.

Benefits

We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package. Benefits information can be found here.