Senior Proposal Specialist

Senior Proposal Specialist

GFT is seeking a Senior Proposal Specialist to join our BD&M team in the Northeast (New York, New Jersey). In this role, you will apply strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and strong organizational skills to support pursuits for our Transportation, Construction Services, and Buildings & Places teams.

This role blends proposal leadership, capture planning, interview development, and client serviceand offers opportunities to mentor junior staff, contribute to process improvements, and help shape the future of our business development efforts.

The GFT Strategic Services team, which includes Human Resources, Legal, Accounting & Finance, IT Services and Business Development and Marketing, are essential for managing and supporting the company's global operations. Strategic Services are part of a broader strategy to transform the business and improve efficiency. The support of this amazing team of professionals, is the backbone of our ability to deliver infrastructure consulting and design services.

In this capacity, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following :

• Lead the planning, development, and delivery of compelling, compliant, and client-focused proposals, qualifications, and presentations.
• Collaborate with technical teams, subject matter experts, and marketing resources to craft materials that win.
• Lead standard- and strategic-level pursuits, driving capture kick-offs, follow-up meetings, and early positioning discussions.
• Conduct research into clients, competitors, and markets to inform win themes and pursuit strategies.
• Draft pre-RFP content to support strategic positioning.
• Determine resource needs for assigned pursuits.
• Collaborate with BD leadership to ensure consistent implementation of best practices.
• Lead complex proposals from initial request to final submission, including alternative delivery pursuits.
• Analyze SOQs / RFPs to prepare compliance matrices, schedules, and outlines.
• Facilitate and participate in kick-off meetings, milestone reviews, and client debriefs.
• Develop client-focused proposal sections including cover letters, executive summaries, personnel bios, project descriptions, firm overviews, and subconsultant qualifications.
• Edit technical approaches for narrative clarity, structure, and alignment with visual messaging.
• Partner with graphic designers to develop custom visuals and infographics that reinforce win themes.
• Coordinate and prepare interview teams, including scheduling, content preparation, and rehearsals.
• Track all opportunities and deliverables in CRM.
• Support Tier I client management activities in collaboration with BD Client Service Leaders; serve as BD Partner for Tier II / III clients.
• Conduct client research (contract awards, budgets, press coverage, events) to inform pursuit strategies.
• Prepare client meeting materials, capabilities briefings, and targeted marketing collateral.
• Participate in or lead working groups focused on improving BD systems, processes, and tools.
• Use approved AI tools for writing, research, and proposal efficiency; collaborate with leadership on new use cases.
• Manage communications, delegate tasks, and monitor progress to ensure deadlines are met.
• Mentor junior BD staff, providing feedback and coaching to support their professional growth.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values quality, consistency, and best practices.

Education | Experience : What you will bring to our firm :

Bachelor's degree in English, Marketing, Journalism, Communications, or equivalent experience. Minimum 5 years of experience in the AEC industry managing proposal lifecycles, preferably with New York and New Jersey transportation clients. Proven ability to lead, coordinate, and produce high-quality, winning proposals and interviews. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM tools; experience with Adobe InDesign preferred.

Compensation : The salary range for this role is $85,000 - $100,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.

Featured Benefits :

Company Overview : At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships that's why we're the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry's brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century's experience, together we're building a lasting legacy for future generations : stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.

GFT : Ingenuity That Shapes Lives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans' status or other characteristics protected by law.