Proposal Specialist

Are You Ready?

CAI is a professional services company established in 1996 that has grown year over year to nearly 800 people worldwide. For mission-critical and regulated industries that need to deliver critical solutions in high-stakes environments, we provide accelerated operational readiness and unparalleled performance at the highest standard through our rigorous approach, field-tested processes, and elite expertise developed over 30 years.

Our approach is simple because our Purpose informs everything we do:

We exist to be the trusted solution for our clients as they strive to build a better working world and improve the human experience.

Our Foundational Principles:

• We act with integrity
• We serve each other
• We serve society
• We work for our future

At CAI, we believe in a relentless dedication to excellence, pushing boundaries and surpassing expectations. From the beginning, we’ve challenged ourselves to do what others wouldn’t. Not just setting industry standards, but redefining them entirely. We are bold in our thinking and creative in our approach. We operate at the intersection of wisdom and technology and thrive when they come together with humanity.

For us, operational readiness isn’t simply a goal—it’s a way of life. Tomorrow demands to be at the forefront of today. We get there through tireless effort, precision, efficiency, and an unwavering belief that there is always room for advancement. We’re not interested in how it used to be done. We’re obsessed with how it will be done.

 

The Proposal Specialist assists with all aspects of proposal development and bid submissions, and the dedicated team that supports our field operations and business development personnel in the generation of proposals. 

This is a dynamic position that requires strategic thinking, flexibility, planned and proactive approaches, and the ability to shift priorities frequently while maintaining attention to detail and achieving high quality standards. The Proposal Specialist must be able to prioritize, multi-task, and manage time effectively under multiple deadlines and time constraints under the direction of the Director, Proposal Support. 

 

Key Responsibilities: 

Collaborate with each of our Practice Leaders, business development and operations team members, as well as others to achieve the following: 

• Collect and assist with the development of proposal responses both collaboratively with regional pursuit team as well as being empowered to develop responses on your own 

• Review and measure the quality of proposals written by others.  

• Draft proposals using industry best practices, technical writing skills, and language specifically suited for proposals. 

• Assist with continuous process improvement duties, including participating with proposal after-action-review meetings, proposal process scoring, identification of lessons learned and improvements. 

• Responsible for a variety of response types including detailed RFP responses in proposal form, Requests for Information, Cost Opinions, and Statements of Qualification. 

• Lead the overall the proposal development from creation to bid submission.  

 

Qualifications: 

• BA or BS in English, liberal arts, business, engineering, marketing, or equivalent experience required. 

• Minimum 3 years of experience developing and producing proposals. 
• pharmaceutical industry or providing professional services to the pharmaceutical industry (preferred). 
• Technical experience related to the services is highly desired. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams. 
• Ability to work flexible schedules (e.g., extra hours to meet deadlines, etc.) and able to shift priorities frequently while maintaining attention to detail, meet deadlines, and achieve high quality standards. 
• Ability to understand and organize large volumes of information 
• Effective proposal coordination skills, including planning, organization, communication, and resource management skills. 
• Exceptional English written and verbal communication skills and professional demeanor – speaks clearly and concisely, listens and asks for clarification. 
• Must have strong Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills. Customer relationship management database experience is also desired. 
• Ability to work within Adobe and Microsoft program templates and comply with our corporate standards to present a consistent appearance/style. 
• Team player willing to step in an assist team for a range of tasks 
• Initiates and maintains communications with supervisors and team members