Lead, Proposal Management
Reference #27777
Waterdown, Ontario
About the Role
WESCAM is seeking an experienced Lead, Proposal Management who is accomplished in all aspects of Proposal Management from the early stages of a pursuit to chairing of Kickoff meetings, costing and pricing in complex spreadsheet models through to the acquiring of bid approvals, bid issuance and transition to the program execution team. This role will be working within a mature Bids and Proposals organization of approx. 20 people to coordinate custom bids and proposal efforts in response to a variety of domestic and international RFP’s from Governments, OEM’s and end users. As a Lead, Proposal Management, you will manage the collection and accumulation of cost, scheduling, compliance and narrative responses from functional departments and be responsible for issuing high quality bids and proposals for the sale of our MX Series Electro-Optic / Infra-Red sensors, Services and System Solutions for installation on Aircraft, Maritime vessels and Land vehicles.
Applicants with prior experience in the Aerospace industry and / or with the bidding of complex System Solutions will be highly valued.
Primary Responsibilities
Manage large, complex proposals of substantial importance to the organization with minimal oversight or direction.
Learn and understand WESCAM’s complete product & service offering (price book) and be very familiar with industry best practices for capture and proposal processes
Analyze and interpret customer requirements (Request For Bid (RFB) / Request For Proposal (RFP) / Request for Information (RFI) / Request for Quotation (RFQ) etc.)
Evaluate the Proposal Request and prepare for Pursuit or Bid Decision meeting
Prepare for and facilitate the Proposal Kickoff meeting
Develop proposal schedule, assign team responsibilities and expedite assignments to/from the proposal team
Develop proposal response strategy with assistance from Capture Lead and Proposal Management as required
Coordinate the collection and accumulation of cost, scheduling and performance elements from functional departments.
Use complex Excel spreadsheets to capture costing / pricing and Basis of Estimates (BOE)
Coordinate the handling of custom proposal requirements (SOW, SPEC, T&C compliance matrices etc.)
Coordinate the proposal narrative responses
Facilitate colour team reviews
Generate concise proposal text / compliance text to fill-in gaps with proposal team text / sales language as required.
Obtain approvals following WESCAM’s approval process (chair approval meeting if required)
Complete the proposal response including editing, formatting and publication, for on-time submission
Provide post-proposal support during subsequent Q&A and BAFO response.
Lead and become an expert in the Price Justification process and requirements and work with members of the B&P, Finance and Contracts teams to respond quickly and accurately to customers.
Participates as a member of the contract negotiating team.
Liaise and lead meetings with customers directly as required.
Closeout the proposal process by completing as awarded information and transition information to the program execution team.
Provides inputs to changes in proposal processes, tools and systems to improve efficiencies and results. As requested, implement the suggested changes.
Work to achieve individual annual goals and objectives with minimal oversight and frequently support the achievement of department strategic goals involving cross-functional teams.
Maintain / update assigned proposal tools, templates and process instructions.
Required Capabilities
Strong proficiency (advanced users) with MS Excel, MS Word and moderate proficiency with MS PowerPoint
Experience Microsoft Dynamics an asset
Strong organizational skills. Technical aptitude considered beneficial
In-depth knowledge of proposal management best practices
Excellent writing skills with the ability to write persuasive proposal text
Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to chair bid management meetings
Excellent attention to detail is essential
Ability to prioritize workload
Flexible schedule to support Major Proposal response timelines
Team player attitude
Ability to multi-task and work under pressure
Ability to work extended hours during major proposal submissions
Excellent communication & leadership skills to facilitate meetings with key stakeholders from a multi-functional team (Sales, Procurement, Program Management, Service, Engineering etc.), to execute bid strategy
Expertise in System level Program Execution (Statement of Work, Work Breakdown Structure etc.)
Desired Education and Experiences
Minimum 9 years bids and proposals or relevant experience in a technical, fast paced environment
Experience in complex aerospace / defense product sales or sales support an asset
University Degree
Participation in Association for Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) Practitioner level an asset.
Working knowledge of the Shipley Business Development Lifecycle
