Business Development Coordinator and Proposal Writer

Southwest Strategies and Katz & Associates (K&A) are seeking a full-time Business Development Coordinator and Proposal Writer to join our business development and marketing team and help us to accelerate growth for the future. We are a full-service public affairs and strategic communications firm, focused on public outreach, and with K&A, we are the largest public outreach firm in California focused on infrastructure, including land use, energy, transportation and water.

We are focused on building leaders in our industry and community. We seek people who are creative and have a passion for communication and enjoy jumping in and learning everything they can about a client or project.

A successful person in this role understands business development and the government RFP process, is a strong writer, and ideally has some experience in the public relations and public outreach space. They are a confident problem-solver with excellent attention to detail and project management skills with the ability to lead teams through the proposal development process independently.

Position Responsibilities:

• Lead proposal development processes, including creating outlines and managing logistics from the time an RFP is released to the time the proposal is due
• Provide strategic oversight and QA/QC of proposals
• Draft proposal content, complete administrative elements of proposals including required forms and coordinate with Creative Team for proposal design
• Research and proactively track business leads, including mining government and quasi-government RFPs, tracking competitors and researching appropriate lists of contacts for target clients
• Prepare materials requested from the prime consultant when company is serving as a subconsultant
• Assist with interview preparation activities for shortlisted teams, including scheduling and participating in rehearsal sessions and coordinating with the Creative Team to develop compelling slides and visuals
• Assist with CRM system management and maintain proposal, lead and contact database sections
• Manage content libraries for case studies, resumes, staff headshots, marketing photos and other key items
• Improve bid and proposal processes through implementation of new tools and ideas
• Assist with firm marketing activities, including brochure and other marketing materials development and conference/booth preparation activities as needed

What we Offer:

• Competitive salary with opportunities for growth
• Benefits including comprehensive medical care, flexible spending accounts, paid time off and profit sharing
• Opportunities to support impactful projects that affect the future of our state
• Ability to be a part of a fast growing, collegial and exciting company in an industry with enduring tailwinds

Location Options:

San Diego, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Fresno/Central Valley, CA; San Francisco/Bay Area, CA

Salary Range:

$68,000-$88,000 (dependent on experience and location) Requirements:

Experience:

• 3-6 years of experience working in business development and/or proposal roles in public relations, public affairs, consulting or communications, or a communications role within a PR agency, utility, government agency or infrastructure company
• Demonstrated experience managing and drafting responses to government and/or robust RFPs
• Understanding of marketing for professional services consulting firms
• Previous public relations agency or public outreach experience?preferred?
• CRM management experience preferred

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required, ideally with major in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, English, Public Affairs or Public Administration

Skills/Abilities:

• Be an enthusiastic self-starter and an agile, collaborative team player with a professional presence and demonstrated capability in business development
• Have exceptional verbal and written communication skills including an ability to develop high quality written materials
• Have expert multitasking skills with the ability to handle multiple projects at once, work quickly and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with high attention to detail
• Possess outstanding organizational skills and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through the entire proposal development process, ensuring all team members stay on track and deliver assignments on time to meet strict proposal submission deadlines for government RFPs