Sr. Proposal Specialist - Water/Wastewater Market

Position Overview

Kiewit’s water proposal team has an exciting immediate career opportunity for a Sr. Proposal Specialist. This individual will play a vital role by ensuring the creation of high-quality, customized proposals and marketing deliverables that resonate with client objectives and align with the company’s strategic goals. This position demands a strategic thinker with strong organizational and communication skills, who thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

The Sr. Proposal Specialist, under general direction, is accountable for proposal activities that support selling efforts. The position will participate in the overall proposal process including win and proposal strategy planning, content development, internal review, production, submittal and performance analysis. The Sr. Proposal Specialist collaborates with business development managers, operations sponsors, technical specialists and other team members to prepare responsive, compelling proposal responses. Typical proposals range from $20M to over $1B in contract size.

Internally, our proposals are classified based on level of effort. The Sr. Proposal Specialist will lead both strategic bids and price-based selections, depending on the bid load at any given time. They will also support proposal managers on major, qualification-based submittals.

District Overview

The Kiewit Energy marketing, creative and proposal team provide get-work services to an array of markets, including power generation, transmission and distribution, renewables, industrial, oil and gas, and water/wastewater. Individuals in this department get exposure to a mix of high profile, complex pursuits across North America valued from $5M-$6B. This incredibly profitable, competitive, fun group focuses on winning more work with high-quality, client-focused sales strategies through creative communication techniques. Our rapidly growing team, which includes graphic designers, proposal professionals, writers, digital strategists, marketers, and data analytics brings vast experience, communication expertise, innovative concepts, and best practices to all projects we support across the company.

Location

We are open to locations for this role and would consider fully remote for the right candidate. If remote, candidates would be expected to travel at times.

Responsibilities

• Review RFP, RFI, RFQ and bid/qualifications request documents so that client requirements are clearly understood by the team.
• Manage proposal processes including the development of a requirements matrix, features/benefits/proofs, section directives, oral technical presentations, graphics, storyboard mock-up, reviews, production and delivery.
• Incorporate win themes, discriminators and client-focused messaging into proposals.
• Ensure deliverables are error-free, visually appealing and compliant with all client requirements.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) to craft compelling, customized proposal sections and presentations.
• Conduct interviews with technical and non-technical team members to gather insights.
• Maintain and update proposal content libraries, including resumes, project profiles and templates.
• Develop templates, style guides and other coordination documents as needed for each proposal, using SharePoint proposal collaboration sites.
• Lead and participate in proposal kick-offs, updates and review sessions to ensure alignment with deadlines and quality expectations.
• Mentor junior team members, offering guidance on best practices and strategic alignment.
• Work effectively with internal stakeholders to ensure proposals reflect the company’s strategic goals.
• Implement and uphold standard operating procedures for proposal development.
• Conduct post-proposal debriefs to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
• Support marketing projects as needed, such as presentations, marketing collateral, etc.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in business, communication, journalism or English (will consider other majors as well).
• At least 5 years of related experience in proposals, preferably in the water, infrastructure or industrial market.
• Strong technical writing and editing skills; ability to translate technical content into compelling narratives.
• Exceptional critical thinking, collaboration and adaptability skills.
• Demonstrated training and experience in formal proposal management processes.
• Proven experience managing the full proposal lifecycle and a track record of results.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Visio and SharePoint.
• Proficiency in Adobe InDesign preferred; experience with Cosential, SmartSheet or similar CRM software is a plus.
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, dynamic environment.
• Deliver clear, concise and impactful written and verbal communications.
• Strong interviewing and editing/writing skills including thorough knowledge of grammar, spelling and composition as well as oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work well with professionals from various backgrounds.
• Ability to deliver quality work that consistently meets requirements and deadlines.
• A focus on teamwork – ability to continually listen, collaborate and communicate among colleagues, internal customers and team partners.
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal capabilities.
• Self-directed, organized and self-motivated to accomplish goals.
• Meticulous attention to detail and consistency in work product.

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