Proposals Administrator

The Proposals Administrator is responsible for working closely with Sales, Management, Costing, Business Development, Engineering, Operations, Project Manager’s, and others, as appropriate, to develop responses for all aspects of Requests for Quotes (RFQ’s), Requests for Information (RFI’s) or other inquiries of a similar nature. The Proposals Administrator is responsible for managing timelines and working with internal colleagues in multiple departments to help the proposals team complete proposals on time.

Responsibilities:

• Assist the Proposal Coordinators with projects to ensure proposal templates are maintained.
• Assist the Commercial Manager with process improvement initiatives.
• Coordinates and schedules meetings which will incorporate HST personnel from multiple departments.
• Create clarification logs for each proposal, coordinating with engineering and operations. Be able to read technical specifications and general arrangement drawings to identify when and how to take exception to customer specification.
• Create cost estimates for engineered to order items, using bill of material, routers, and vendor quotes.
• Send acknowledgement to clients upon receipt of incoming requests for information, quote, or proposal.
• Ensure inquiries are submitted in accordance with the tender instructions and in conformance with Company guidelines and requirements as to pricing, scope of work, terms, and risk with management review.
• Maintain copies of proposals, contract documents and corresponding amendments in an orderly manner for ready reference
• Analyze all Proposal (RFP, RFI, RFQ) requirements, develop cost estimate, initial outline, proposal schedules, and team assignments.
• Coordinate and facilitate internal strategy meetings, identify stakeholders, requirements, assign action items, ensure schedules are maintained and deadlines are met.
• Meet with vendors to obtain raw material and 3rd party costs, clarify RFQS, and keep validity on cost buildups. Track responses and follow up as needed.
• Work with departments to write and refine drafted technical responses.
• Develop project schedules in MS Project, maintain current LT knowledge and adjust schedule times and predecessors according to project specific requirements.
• Enter contracts, projects, and sales orders in the ERP system.
• Create cost buildups for all RFQs. Reference templates where available or similar custom buildups for costs.
• Maintain communication with management and customers, including frequent status updates.
  
  

Required Skills & Experience:

• Required: Bachelor’s degree or three plus years related experience with quotations, inside sales, or product management.
• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in business administration, marketing and/or engineering, with 5 plus years related experience with quotations, inside sales, or product management.
• Experience in manufacturing is preferred.
• MS Project skills is preferred.
• Must have experience working with customers.
• Must have Strong MS Excel and MS Word skills.
• MS Outlook experience.
• Must possess analytical aptitude, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Must be able to calculate margin, markup, and other basic pricing requirements.
• Ability to work with and lead fellow coworkers, analyze, and solve problems. Must be able to negotiate across department lines to deliver the service and products to satisfy the customer requirements.
• Ability to effectively interface with customers.
• Ability to communicate in English both written and orally.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.
• Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.
  
  

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.

• This position requires onsite presence to perform the essential duties.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, use hands to touch, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
  
  

Work Environment/Conditions:

• This position will require working primarily indoors in a smoke-free office and manufacturing facility.
• Limited travel may be required.
• Occasional assignments may include evening or weekend schedules.
• Employee will occasionally work near moving mechanical parts.
  
  

Candidates are required to be authorized to work in the United States. All employees must be able to comply with the company Drug and Alcohol Policy, which includes participation in Company random drug testing. Employment is subject to background checks appropriate to the position.