Senior Communication & Pursuits Strategist/Proposal Writer (Chicago) - 00J9L

Position Summary: The Senior CaPS provides a full spectrum of communication support to pursuit teams - from high level consulting on leading practice communication plans, to plan development and project management, to writing, editing and design direction. This person actively participates in the development of pursuit strategies and also fulfills the tactical role of developing proposals, qualifications documents, oral presentations and other documents to help win new business. This person is able to understand high-level, yet technical, conceptual material and communicate it effectively and succinctly in written form. He/she oversees adherence to firm guidelines and branding. Essential Functions of the Job:Co-develops strategic and tactical proposals and other collateral with Business Development Executives and client service professionals to win new business. Contributes to and understands pursuit strategy. Clearly and succinctly describes the firm's differentiating factors specific to each pursuit. Takes a proactive role in driving the pursuit process, including the document timeline and following through on action items to ensure a coordinated effort by the team. Coordinates the flow of information from various department contributors to ensure that all deadlines are met. Conducts and interprets research. Help to develop talking points for client presentations. Keeps pursuit teams informed of firm policies and procedures on proposal development, including legal guidelines, quality control, and brand management. Directs document specialists in creating visual themes and oversees document layout. Manages / prioritizes multiple proposals simultaneously. Stays current on the firm's business development strategy and service line offerings. Builds relationships with industry / practice leaders. Develops best practice document templates for the Area CaPS team, Business Development, and the practice groups to leverage. Serves as an Area liaison by working with other CaPS and national professionals to identify and leverage best practice documents. Problem Solving / Decision Making: Applies advanced principles and concepts to the pursuits and communications process. Acts as project manager for medium/large proposals or oversees significant portions of major or highly complex proposals. Supervision Responsibilities: Frequently works independently on proposals; receives general direction rather than supervision. May manage the work of others. May work independently of Business Development Executives by teaming with practice professionals to develop proposal responses. Review of work generally occurs at longer intervals. To qualify, candidates must have: Knowledge and Skills Requirements: Excellent oral and written communication skills Planning, time management and organizational skills A strong working knowledge of a professional services organization Solid technology background in order to navigate firm databases and efficiently manipulate data and document content Education: A bachelor's degree. Experience: Approximately 5-7 years of proposal management experience. As the job involves preparing materials for clients, long hours are required. IL-Chicago