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Proposal Manager
McMillen, Inc. is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and highly organized Proposal Manager to join our growing Marketing team. The ideal candidate will have 8-10+ years of progressive AEC proposal management experience and a proven track record of leading complex pursuits from strategy through submission.
This role is responsible for managing the full proposal lifecycle, including pursuit planning, compliance, scheduling, content development, production, interview support, and final delivery. The Proposal Manager will partner closely with business development, technical experts, operations, communications, and executive leadership to develop compelling, compliant, and visually engaging proposals that help McMillen win work.
Success in this role requires someone who understands the pace and complexity of the engineering consulting industry and can confidently manage pursuits supporting McMillen's work in water resources, hydropower, dams, fisheries, environmental services, civil infrastructure, and construction. Candidates should be comfortable leading federal, state, municipal, and alternative delivery pursuits while balancing multiple deadlines with exceptional attention to detail.
This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated professional who enjoys collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, thinking strategically about winning work, and continuously improving proposal processes through innovation and emerging technologies.
Who we are: McMillen, Inc. designs and builds solutions that shape the future of water resources. As an employee-owned firm, we take pride in every project because we know our work truly matters. Our people thrive on solving complex challenges, pushing boundaries, and refining their craft. We don’t look for the complacent or the comfortable. We seek problem solvers, innovators, and experts who are always striving to be better. We support continuous learning, cutting-edge technology, and a balanced work-life environment so our employees can build careers they’re proud of.
We are focused in the dams, energy, fisheries, natural resources, and infrastructure markets. Our people integrate engineering, environmental, and construction expertise to deliver practical, results-driven outcomes. From concept to completion, projects are guided through feasibility studies, permitting, design, construction, and commissioning, ensuring technical precision and real-world functionality.
Responsibilities:
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Lead the development, strategy, coordination, production, and delivery of high-quality proposals, qualifications packages, presentations, interview materials, and other pursuit-related marketing collateral.
- Manage multiple concurrent pursuits while maintaining schedules, deadlines, compliance requirements, and production quality.
- Facilitate kickoff meetings, establish proposal schedules, assign responsibilities, and drive accountability throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
- Collaborate closely with business development, operations, technical staff, communications, and executive leadership to develop winning strategies and compelling messaging.
- Ensure proposal compliance with client requirements, RFQs, RFPs, SOQs, and procurement regulations.
- Coordinate content collection from internal teams, teaming partners, and subcontractors.
- Edit, proofread, and format technical content for clarity, consistency, accuracy, and readability.
- Develop visually compelling proposal layouts and PowerPoint presentations with a strong emphasis on graphic communication and brand consistency.
- Support interview preparation by coordinating presentation development, coaching sessions, rehearsal logistics, and production of presentation materials.
- Maintain proposal assets including resumes, project descriptions, photography, and pursuit content within Cosential (Unanet CRM).
- Identify opportunities to improve proposal workflows through technology, AI-assisted strategy, automation, and continuous process improvement.
- Build collaborative relationships across departments while contributing to a positive, high-performing marketing team.
Required Qualifications:
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Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, English, Business, Public Relations, or a related field.
- 8-10+ years of proposal management experience within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex engineering consulting proposals from kickoff through final submission.
- Experience supporting water resources, civil engineering, environmental, infrastructure, construction, or related technical disciplines strongly preferred.
- Experience with federal proposal development, including SF330 qualifications.
- Experience supporting Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, CM/GC, CMAR, or other alternative delivery pursuits preferred.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
- Experience with Cosential/Unanet CRM or similar proposal management software.
- Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, organization, and project management skills.
- Strong visual design and document layout abilities with excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to think strategically while managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience leveraging AI tools responsibly to improve proposal strategy, efficiency, research, and content development.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
- Self-motivated, proactive, adaptable, and comfortable working independently while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.
- Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, accountability, and a continuous improvement mindset.
Preferred Qualifications:
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Experience supporting engineering firms specializing in water resources, dams, hydropower, fisheries, environmental engineering, or heavy civil infrastructure.
- Experience developing interview presentations and facilitating rehearsal sessions.
- Experience working within a matrixed organization supporting multiple offices and technical disciplines.
Application Requirements:
Interested candidates should submit:
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Resume
- Cover Letter describing your proposal management experience and interest in joining McMillen
- Proposal portfolio or representative work samples (redacted project examples, layouts, presentation samples, graphics, or other relevant materials are encouraged where confidentiality permits)
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The inability to cope with a stressful work environment does not constitute a protected disability.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Must be able to travel with luggage and be able to transport materials and personal overnight supplies. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Compensation Package:
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Pay Range: $106,000 - $140,000 (DOE)
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Benefits: McMillen provides a full Benefits Program comprising medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA, EAP, HSA, 401(k) and match, 9 paid holidays, generous PTO, opportunity for stock ownership, and wellness reimbursement.
EEO: McMillen, Inc. is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and will make all employment related decisions without race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Visa sponsorship, including renewal during employment, will not be provided for this position.
No recruiters, please.
