Demo

Proposal Specialist

Durham School Services
Lisle, IL Full Time
POSTED ON 9/26/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 11/10/2025
Safety, Customers, People, Community & Excellence

A leading provider of student transportation, Durham School Services operates out of 250 locations in North America, employs 30,000 individuals and has revenues of $1.2B. As a leader in school transportation, Durham committed to exceptional safety, outstanding customer service and positive employee relations.

We are currently seeking a Proposal Specialist based in Lisle area with hybrid in office/remote focusing on proposal bids.

Responsibilities

  • Develop clear, compelling, and concise proposals that not only comply with individual RFP requirements but present Durham in the best possible light and differentiate us from our competitors.
  • Leverage your strong knowledge of proposal development principles, the trends/services/programs inherent in the public transportation industry, effective presentation and marketing methods, contract administration policies, proposal, and the company’s mandate/vision/service commitments/goals to develop industry-leading proposals.
  • Liaise with stakeholders across the organization (e.g. Finance, Operations, Maintenance, etc.) to obtain required bid information, collaborate and/or clarify and maintain approved proposal boilerplate content.
  • Proofread and edit final proposal submissions for grammar and consistency aligned with Company policies and RFP requirements.
  • Participate in the development of new formats, tools, graphics, and procedures to support the Company’s bid proposal process.
  • Participate in bid planning sessions to support the development of strategies and annual sales plans for identifying potential new business opportunities.
  • Work with Senior Stakeholders to gain their approvals and/or signatures, where necessary.
  • Ensure all bids are submitted on time using the required delivery format. This includes physical proposal production.
  • Track all RFPs received by the Company and actions taken in Salesforce.
  • Assist business development leads in interview preparation which may include PowerPoint presentations and leave behinds.
  • Assist in keeping proposal software up to date.
  • Other duties as assigned.

The pay range is $75k-$95k.

Qualifications

Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, English, or related field or equivalent experience.
  • Two or more years of Marketing experience and/or two or more years of experience in comprehensive proposal preparation.
  • Experience with effective presentation/marketing methods and contract administration policies.
  • Transportation industry experience preferred.
  • Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio), Customer Relationship Management Systems (Salesforce preferred), SharePoint, and Adobe Software (InDesign and PhotoShop preferred), UPS and Fed Ex Shipping Software knowledge an advantage.
  • Working knowledge of proposal software preferred.
  • Strong attention to detail and time management skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Flexible attitude, a team-player and strong problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to meet tight deadlines, if required, and manage multiple projects effectively.

We offer medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance coverage, holiday pay, and PTO accrual. Additionally, employees are able to enroll in a retirement savings plan. The pay rate range, along with most all of the other terms and conditions of employment, vary between different sites, geographical markets, customer/ contractual terms and positions.

At National Express our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

National Express LLC’s independent subsidiaries and affiliates are an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer

The pay rate range, along with most all of the other terms and conditions of employment, vary between different sites, geographical markets, customer/ contractual terms and positions.

Salary : $75,000 - $95,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Proposal Specialist?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Proposal Specialist career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$71,759 - $89,764
Income Estimation: 
$88,372 - $112,798
Income Estimation: 
$71,759 - $89,764
Income Estimation: 
$88,372 - $112,798
Income Estimation: 
$88,372 - $112,798
Income Estimation: 
$122,618 - $162,081
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Durham School Services

Durham School Services
Hired Organization Address College, AK, AK Full Time
Job Requirements School Bus Driver - Fairbanks, AK Hiring Immediately - On the Spot Offers – No Experience Necessary – T...
Durham School Services
Hired Organization Address Overland Park, KS Part Time
School Bus Driver – Paid CDL Training Immediately hiring School Bus Drivers in Overland Park, KS! Paid CDL training, fle...
Durham School Services
Hired Organization Address Beloit, WI Part Time
Hiring Immediately – No Experience Necessary Starting salary: Up to $13.00 Join us for Walk-in Interviews: Monday-Friday...
Durham School Services
Hired Organization Address Hampton, NY Part Time
Now Offering a Sign-on Bonus - $500 (conditions apply) Pay rate: $18.50/hr Walk-in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am -...

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Proposal Specialist jobs in the Lisle, IL area that may be a better fit.

Proposal Specialist

TKDA, Downers Grove, IL

Proposal Specialist

Enercon Services, Inc., Naperville, IL

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!