DAHLIN is an award-winning architecture, planning, and interiors design firm with 180 multi-cultural professionals located throughout the Western United States. We offer more than 47 years of experience building communities where we live and work, driven by the vision of creating places that promote human fulfillment and well-being. This same Passion for Place® starts with our own working environment-a positive community where people thrive. Please visit our website (www.dahlingroup.com) to learn more.
We are currently seeking an experienced PROPOSAL MANAGER with strong graphic design skills to join the Marketing team in our SAN DIEGO, CA location. Working directly with technical staff, firm leadership and external consultants, the Proposal Manager will drive the full life cycle of the proposal process and pursuit-related activities, creating compelling visual storytelling elements such as infographics and presentations to differentiate our firm. The ideal candidate is a highly organized, results-driven professional, who successfully interacts with diverse individuals in a fast-paced, creative environment. The ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks, and excellent communication, proofreading and editing skills are critical for this individual to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality, winning marketing packages, proposals, and presentations.
This position is required to be onsite at assigned office a minimum of 3 days per week and as required for office/team/employee meetings.
Interested? If so, please read through this entire posting and follow instructions to apply. Please note - your attention to this is an important part of how we evaluate our candidates.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead proposal strategy and development of winning proposals across all sectors and offices, from discovery through RFP/Q preparation and production of final deliverables.
• Initiate the GO NO/GO evaluation on various pursuits in the initial stages; guide teams through the essential questions and criteria to make informed decisions on all RFP/Qs.
• Collaborate with Marketing Coordinators, Project Managers and Principals to produce SOQs, proposals, and interview presentations in alignment with DAHLIN's brand style guidelines.
• Generate themes, brand messaging, infographics, and other visual elements to customize pursuits to clients as appropriate.
• Develop and maintain relationships with sub-consultants to gather information related to RFP/Qs, as required.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team and technical staff for project interview preparation; working with consultants as needed.
• Conduct storyboarding to drive content plans, develop graphics and layouts.
• Lead and participate in proposal meetings, reviews, and related activities.
• Review proposal drafts and final versions for responsiveness, compliance, accuracy, quality, consistent writing style, and effective layout and design.
• Build and maintain relationships with technical staff, subject matter experts, and prospective teaming partners to promote effective communication and partnerships.
• Work with Marketing Coordinators to organize and customize marketing information for cut sheets, case studies, resumes, copy database, etc.
• Conduct client and opportunity research in support of various pursuits as needed.
• Build and develop presentation slide decks and relevant marketing materials for industry conferences and events.
• Produce graphics for social media, website, DAHLIN swag, tradeshow booths, and other campaigns/collateral.
• Ensure consistency in branding, format, and content in relation to all deliverables and graphics; consult external resources as needed on specialty graphic production.
• Assist with the organization of written content and boilerplate information in Vantagepoint CRM, and support the teams in tracking wins/losses and debriefs.
• Assist with the organization and maintenance of all pursuit-related graphic assets in OpenAsset

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator) and Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word).
• Works well under pressure with the ability to meet strict deadlines and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Exercises independent judgment and discretion.
• Ability to work in a decentralized team environment while located in a regional office. Well-organized, extremely detail oriented and a self-starter.
• Professional demeanor and ability to present a positive image of the DAHLIN brand.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent grammatical, proofreading and editing abilities.
• Graphic design experience, sensitivity, and taste.
• Ability to handle proprietary and confidential information.
• Adaptable personality, with a sense of urgency and desire to increase proposal win rate.
• Knowledge of Vantagepoint or other CRM is a plus.
• Knowledge of OpenAsset or other DAM is a plus.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, graphic design, journalism, or relevant field.
• 3 years of related industry (A/E/C) experience is required.
• 5 years managing the proposal process is required.
• Demonstrated experience working in a creative or professional services environment supporting multiple leaders.
• Membership in SMPS and CPSM certification is preferred.
• Commitment to their own professional growth.
• Must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States without any restrictions or visa sponsorship.

We offer a competitive compensation package based on experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage. We also offer the opportunity to participate in a pre-tax Flexible Spending plan, Employee Stock Ownership Plan, and 401k.
Salary range: $90,000 to $115,000 depending on qualifications. Placement within this pay range will be determined by factors such as education, qualifications, project complexity and/or experience. The maximum is reserved for candidates who currently meet all job requirements. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.
How to Apply: Please include a cover letter with your resume (PDF or Word/5MB max) that tells us why you are our ideal candidate and why you want to our work for our firm. Please also include samples of your work (PDF or website links) that showcase your graphic design capabilities. Inquiries that do not follow these instructions may not be considered.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are committed to welcoming and supporting a diverse community of professionals. As such, women and people of color are especially encouraged to apply. Our firm participates in E-Verify.
We do not accept resumes from recruiters, placement agencies, or other staffing vendors who have not signed an agreement with us. Unsolicited resumes will be ineligible for referral fees.
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