Proposal Manager

Proposal Manager

Ballard Spahr is a renowned national law firm with more than 750 lawyers across 18 offices in the United States. A career at Ballard Spahr offers a diverse group of mentors, colleagues, and friends, and strong leadership that provides support and encouragement for career growth. We are seeking a dynamic and skilled leader to join our team as a Proposal Manager. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in developing compelling and competitive proposals that align with our strategic business goals across practices and sectors. In this role, the Proposal Manager will spearhead cross-departmental pitches and proposals, facilitate the creation of precedent documents, and oversee metrics to track and enhance our success rates. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for driving growth and excellence, we invite you to apply and become a key contributor to our success.

The Proposal Manager's primary responsibility is to manage high profile pitches, proposals and RFP responses, working directly with lead attorneys and the Business Development Team, on strategy and positioning, as well as key stakeholders across legal departments. This role interacts with Legal Pricing / Project Management, Risk Management, Finance / Accounting, Human Resources, Information Systems, legal administrative assistants, and partner firms to coordinate and complete fast-paced and high profile projects. This position is remote if located in a state with a Ballard presence.

Innovative Work Environment : Become part of a forward-thinking firm that enjoys substantial support and visibility from the firm's executive leadership. Professional Development : Take advantage of continuous learning opportunities and avenues for career growth. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion : Join a Business Resource Group and share cultural, experiential, or job-related interests, experiences, and / or backgrounds. Impactful Contributions : Play a pivotal role in developing industry-leading solutions that make a significant difference in legal practice and client service.

Your Role

As a Proposal Manager within our Marketing & Business Development team, you will :

• Track and maintain a database of transactional-specific proposal submissions, following up with attorneys on win / loss information as needed, and keep proposal submission, content and experience archives up-to-date.
• Participate in RFP notification review as part of the team's monthly rotation.
• Manage and lead the full proposal development lifecycle cross-departmental opportunities, which includes : reading, reviewing, drafting, analyzing and interpreting requirements and objectives pertaining to proposal opportunities.
• Facilitate proposal kick-off meetings, with appropriate lead attorneys, Business Development Managers, pricing team and if applicable, other members of the proposal team.
• Maintain proposal milestones schedule such as issue and review dates, kickoff meetings, internal administrative department outreach, drafting and review, and delivery dates ensuring (i) full understanding of business requirements and strategy; (ii) a smooth production process; (iii) an intelligent, professional, accurate and compelling final product; and (iv) timely delivery of the finished product.

What We're Looking For

Growth Mindset : Self-motivated with a passion for continuous learning and problem-solving. Communication : Strong verbal and written communication abilities. Detail-Oriented : Keen attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently. Required Experience : 5 years of experience in a proposal role required. Experience in a law firm or professional services environment is strongly desired. The ideal candidate will have experience working within the corporate transaction sector. Demonstrate success in managing and winning corporate transaction-related proposals. Proficiency in proposal management software and tools. The ideal candidate must possess excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills, along with strong attention to detail. They should have strong planning and organizational abilities to establish and meet deadlines while managing multiple projects simultaneously. The candidate must be an independent self-starter, capable of prioritizing and managing several concurrent deadline-oriented tasks. Effective communication skills and a high level of professionalism are essential when interacting with attorneys, clients, staff, and vendors. Additionally, exemplary client service and teamwork skills are required. A high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is also necessary. Regular and predictable attendance is a core requirement for this position, and the ability to work beyond standard scheduled hours, as needed, is required.