Proposal Writer

Job Description for Senior Proposal Writer

Summary

The Senior Proposal Writer reports to the Director of Communications and is responsible for contributing to the writing and production of winning proposals, white papers, presentations, and other Business Development-related material that drive revenue, build partnerships, and position Zigabyte to grow strategically. This work includes managing proposal content over time, so it can be effectively re-used. The Senior Proposal Writer creates, reviews, and edits material to ensure compliant, compelling, and accurate content is prepared for final dissemination. While the Director of Communications is accountable for the overall strategy and management of all proposal efforts, the Senior Proposal Writer is capable of facilitating proposal development, following Zigabyte’s proposal process which is based on the Shipley Method. The Senior Proposal Writer works closely with technical contributors. This position is also responsible for interacting with teaming partners to receive or submit information based on Zigabyte’s role as a prime or subcontractor.

Areas of Accountability

• Write and lead the development of technical, management, and/or past performance sections you are proud of. Depending on the specific solicitation this may include creating, editing, and/or recovering Pink Team, Red Team, Gold Team and White Glove versions.
• Clearly articulate solution and strategy, approach to performing the work, experience, win themes, and discriminators.
• Coordinate and schedule Kickoff Meetings under the direction of the Director of Communications.
• Attend Kickoff Meetings.
• Improve Zigabyte’s proposal p-win by reshaping solicitations or improving our understanding of solicitations through a well-executed question development process. This includes crafting, collecting, refining, and submitting strategic questions to the Government in a timely manner.
• Ensure high-quality, efficiently created content for proposals and other corporate materials by staying abreast of best practices and industry standards, as well as seeking innovative approaches to improve. Ways to accomplish this include taking Udemy courses to improve proposal production (for example, advanced Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), webinars, and learning from peers.
• Research and write content and copy as needed.
• Schedule proposal activities (sometimes multiple) and conduct follow up to ensure proposal deadlines are met.
• Work with Contracts Administrator and members of the Business Operations Team to collect and/or develop representation and certification documentation (“Reps and Certs”) as required for prime or subcontracting solicitations.
• When resumes are needed to show Zigabyte’s experience, skills and past performance, work with our recruiters, HR, and client operations directors to determine the best candidates and update their resumes in a way that not only conforms to proposal requirements but provides a compelling case for our capabilities.
• Maintain Zigabyte’s reputation as a good partner who is easy to work with and can be counted on to provide useful insights and quality deliverables on time. This requires the Senior Proposal Writer to maintain a “one team, one fight” attitude, be knowledgeable of our teaming agreement and commitments and follow through on them in a way that exceeds expectations.
• Ensure all proposal content is both readily available and carefully secured. This includes storing certain elements of active proposals in a shared workspace temporarily, following proposal storage protocols, and regularly reviewing files and folders to ensure content is properly organized and secured. It also includes contributing to and maintaining the Past Performance Library.
• Define, document, implement, and support continual proposal process improvement.
• Encourage and stoke enthusiasm for our technical staff’s participation in the proposal process by earnestly appreciating their efforts, patiently providing just-in-time training, and supporting additional training and internal marketing initiatives for our staff.
• Assist in preparing RFIs, whitepapers, case studies, etc. as needed.

• Assist with boilerplate proposal material, formatting, and contract vehicle preparation, on an as needed basis.
• Contribute to graphics development for Business Development and Marketing endeavors, on an as needed basis.
• Be proactive; alert Director of Communications to any potential risks or opportunities.
• Maintain an accurate Outlook Calendar that allows others insight into your availability.
• Attend Weekly Top 5 Meetings with Director of Communications.
• Attend Quarterly All Hands Meetings or listen to recorded sessions.
• Attend Pipeline, BD, Communications, and other meetings as required, but ensure sufficient time to focus.
• Complete Timesheets Daily, including meaningful comments, and sign timesheets every Friday, unless working on the weekend (then sign by Monday at 1000 EST).

Standards by which Results are Measured

Actively participate in an average of two proposal submissions per month.

Review and meaningfully improve one Program Storybook per month.

Ensure a folder, with a kickoff brief template, is created for every opportunity within ten days of entering the Capture Stage.

Skills

Writing, editing, proofreading, strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Effective communication. Shipley Proposal Process and color team review knowledge. Business acumen. Word formatting.

Requirements

Experience: ederal Government proposal writing experience a plus. Writing experience should include technical writing, research writing, persuasive writing, and editing document sections into “one voice.” Must have experience developing tables of contents, glossaries, cover letters, etc.

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

Travel: Business travel is rarely required for this position. No more than one trip per year is anticipated.