Proposal Specialist

The Opportunity

Dillon Consulting is seeking motivated candidates to fill several positions available for a Proposal Specialist to join our Business Development and Sales (BDAS) group. The addition of a new Proposal Coordinator is part of an exciting new approach to managing our proposal sales operations in Dillon!

As part of our Proposal and Sales Team, this key role would be working closely with our Business Units and technical subject matter experts to create high impact proposal sales submissions.  As a Proposal Specialist, you would be responsible for assisting with the management of all aspects of the proposal submission, as well as proposal content generation utilizing Dillon’s proposal management software and associated content reference library.  In addition, this role includes guiding technical staff through our established proposal process systems.

This role is well suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys collaborating with Business Unit pursuit leads and technical experts across the country, as well as a person that is highly organized and self-motivated to excel. 

If you are driven by reliability, achievement, continuous development, and creativity then our values align and we highly encourage you to apply for this exciting role.

At Dillon, we operate as one team. The successful candidate can be based at any one of our 23 offices across Canada. We offer flexible work hours and hybrid work arrangement options to help balance the competing demands of work and personal life.

Proposal Specialist reports directly to the Proposal Support Manager and works closely with  the Director of Business Development and Sales, Submission Managers, Marketing Specialists, Graphic department, and other executives/associates, on assigned pursuits. They are responsible for the direct, hands-on production of proposals and presentation materials and the development, growth, execution, and representation of the Dillon brand. The role is specialized for individuals with a high attention to detail, outstanding writing and editing abilities, outstanding time management skills, and expert knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite.

If you are driven by reliability, achievement, continuous development and creativity then our values align and we highly encourage you to apply for this exciting role.

What your day will look like

Proposal Development & Execution

• Prepare professionally written responses to proposal documents that address client requirements and are compliant, accurate, concise, and effective; ensuring professional and easy-to-understand final products through writing, copy editing, formatting, and selection of supporting materials
• Responsible for the end to end management of the proposal development and submission process including coaching technical content authors and submission managers to enhance proposal response process and improve win rate
• Lead and collaborate with Business Unit Managers and various cross-functional teams
• Collaborate with the Business Development & Sales and Marketing departments to write and develop clear, persuasive, accurate descriptions of corporate content and experience that resonate with our clients and are technically correct, on brand, tangible, and engaging
• Collaborate with the Graphics department to develop innovative design templates to take our proposals to the next level and wow our clients
• Coordinate and conduct kick-off and other meetings/calls; ensuring that all key cross-functional areas are represented; and develop detailed action plans and timelines/schedules based on submission requirements and deadlines
• Leverage project management skills to define and manage the proposal response process, section assignments, and schedule (including intermediary and final reviews) to ensure internal deadlines are met and final deliverables are of the highest quality
• Coordinate proposal production with internal/external resources, including editing, formatting, printing, distribution, and delivery of final materials to the client
• Oversee a proposal coordinator that is supporting the same Business Unit, checking on any workload capacity constraints, assisting with their ongoing development, and providing any required guidance
• Support business and proposal development process improvements
• Track and monitor potential project opportunities using internal systems.
• Adhere to Dillon’s business processes and quality management system.
• Occasional/Infrequent business travel upon request.
• Other duties as assigned

Learning & Development

• Commit to self-development and ongoing learning and professional development
• Input to the career development of junior staff, including technical direction, training recommendations, coaching and mentoring
• Contribute to Dillon’s corporate profile through active participation in professional associations and committees

What you will need to succeed

• University Degree, preferably in Marketing, Communications English, Journalism, Business, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 5+ years’ experience in a similar proposal management/writing role required, working within a virtual team setting and with cross-functional teams is an asset

• Knowledge of proposal management/development best practices including project management, content analysis, compliance matrix development, and value proposition development
• Ability to write and organize compelling content is required
• American Proposal Management Professionals(APMP), Canada Certification, considered an asset
• Experience in a professional services consulting firm (environmental/engineering/planning) considered an asset
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite considered an asset
• Superior verbal and written communication skills to effectively establish relationships and articulate clear ideas
• Ability to influence without authority and work well with a variety of team structures and individuals, virtually and in person
• Proven expertise in Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent attention to detail, highly organized, and motivated with strong time-management skills
• Ability to multi-task, being flexible and manage multiple projects simultaneously with firm deadlines
• Client focused; adopting client perspective in all interactions
• Skilled at researching information using internet and other research tools
• Overtime and irregular hours may be required periodically

Why choose Dillon

Dillon is powered by people who are technically proficient, passionate about socially important projects, and motivated to deliver superior, tangible results. We strive to remain at the forefront of technology and innovation, and are empowered to continually grow and develop.

We live our core values:

• Reliability: words that result in actions build trust;
• Achievement: do the work to hit the target;
• Continuous development: always learning; always adapting; always growing;
• Creativity: discover new possibilities;
• Courage: do the things that matter, especially when it’s hard;
• Inclusiveness: enabling belonging to draw strength from our differences

In addition, we offer:

• Employee share purchase plan
• Dillon is 100% employee owned and share ownership is open to all full-time regular employees
• A competitive compensation package
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Generous retirement savings plan
• Student loan repayment assistance with matching employer contributions
• Flexible work hours 
• Dillon values its staff and the contributions that are made each day and understands that work arrangements can differ based on personal needs and business needs.  We are taking a trust-based approach to offer a variety of flexible work options to help balance the competing demands of work and personal life.
• Learning and Development opportunities
• As a knowledge-based business, the organic growth of our knowledge and skills occur through our work performance and roles. The creation and sharing of knowledge allows us to take local knowledge to scale, capture lessons learned through experience, and continuously improve service delivery. The development of self and others is an evident and measured core behaviour within our organization
• We use a composite approach to development including coaching to build the how, mentoring to share lessons, advising to round out perspectives, and co-creation of knowledge through internal learning opportunities
• Focus on Innovation
• The ability to anticipate, examine, and adopt new and innovative solutions is a crucial driver for the continual and progressive advancement of our business performance. In our culture, people are empowered to reflect and question current practices and seek forward looking solutions to today’s problems and tomorrow’s opportunities
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
• A variety of EFAP tools and online resources to support well-being are available to all employees
• Wellness Subsidy
• Our employees can take advantage of wellness subsidy that can be put towards expenses for a variety of health and/or wellness related activities such as gym membership, purchase of home fitness equipment, yoga classes  and dance classes

About Dillon

Dillon is a proudly Canadian, employee-owned, professional consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science and management. We partner with clients to provide committed, collaborative, and inventive solutions to complex, multi-faceted projects. With over 20 offices and more than 1000 employees across Canada, Dillon offers a wide range of services related to building and improving facilities and infrastructure, protecting the environment, and developing communities.

Now operating for over 75 years, we continue to strive for excellence in everything we do. Dillon has been listed as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the past 18 years and has the distinction of having achieved Platinum Club member status in this program.

Employment Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Dillon

Dillon is committed to the principles of employment equity, inclusiveness, and diversity within our organization. We strive to achieve a workplace where opportunities are based on skills and abilities and that respects and values differences. 

Inclusion is more than a word to us, it is the way we choose to run our business. Please connect with us if you require accommodation in the interview process. We would love to hear from you!

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