Proposals Coordinator | Employee Benefits

CBIZ, Inc. is a leading professional services advisor to middle market businesses and organizations nationwide. With unmatched industry knowledge and expertise in accounting, tax, advisory, benefits, insurance, and technology, CBIZ delivers forward-thinking insights and actionable solutions to help clients anticipate what's next and discover new ways to accelerate growth. CBIZ has more than 10,000 team members across more than 160 locations in 21 major markets coast to coast.

CBIZ strives to be our team members' employer of choice by creating an environment where team members are appreciated, recognized for their contributions, and provided with opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally, throughout their careers.

The Proposals Coordinator supports the development and submission of winning proposal responses to procurement opportunities. Reporting to the National Client Support team, this role is responsible for managing the entire proposal process-from initial research and drafting to final submission. The Proposals Coordinator collaborates closely with sales professionals and senior leadership to respond effectively to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), prepare finalist meeting presentations, and deliver well-structured, compelling, and compliant proposals on time.

This position requires a high volume of client-facing documentation that highlights our services and value. To produce these materials, the Proposals Coordinator will engage and collaborate with a range of internal stakeholders, including Sales, Client Services, and subject matter experts, ensuring clear communication and alignment with our business goals. As a result, this is a highly visible and impactful role within the organization.

The ideal candidate will bring strong writing skills, meticulous attention to detail, and the creativity to generate engaging content. A successful Proposals Coordinator is a proactive project manager and self-starter who thrives under pressure effectively manages multiple tasks, and adheres to internal timelines to meet external deadlines. We seek a team player who leads by example, keeps all relevant parties informed of updates, and ensures a seamless proposal process.

Essential Functions and Primary Duties

1. Project Management, Coordination, and Training

• Serve as the central contact and project manager for assigned proposals, managing internal and external deadlines, resources, and team communications.
• Lead kickoff and debrief meetings, establishing detailed schedules and development plans for each phase of proposal creation.
• Provide training to internal team members on the RFP process internally to ensure all sales team members are educated on the resources available.

2. Strategic Proposal Development

• Analyze qualified RFPs to create strategic proposal outlines and development plans.
• Consult on key proposal strategies, including winning themes, value propositions, strengths, and differentiated solutions to maximize competitive positioning.
• Drive the development and submission of winning bid responses by collaborating with the proposals team, internal experts, and contractors.
• Conduct retrospective assessments on proposal performance, using feedback from interviews and team debriefs to refine proposal strategies, processes, templates, and training.

3. Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Coordinate compliance reviews, including management, legal, and insurance approvals, to ensure all proposals align with company standards and client requirements.
• Monitor proposal content for adherence to RFP requirements, evaluation criteria, and technical specifications.

4. Resource and Content Management

• Research and gather information to expand a library of reusable proposal components, templates, and processes for enhanced efficiency and quality in future responses.
• Maintain and update proposal templates, ensuring they meet current standards and best practices.

5. Market Research and Strategic Insights

• Analyze RFP trends to inform product strategy and provide actionable insights and recommendations to the Director for future strategic planning.
• Support product strategy development by identifying trends and insights in the RFP landscape.

6. Writing and Content Development

• Craft persuasive content, developing compelling, high-impact executive summaries and other key proposal sections that clearly articulate the business's value proposition and address client needs.
• Offer writing support and proofing to all team members involved in a response, ensuring all proposal sections are clear, concise, and cohesive.
• Improve the organization, flow, readability, completeness, and clarity of RFP responses, elevating overall presentation and effectiveness.

• Write persuasively, including executive summaries and other critical components of deliverables such as an understanding of the business's value proposition
• Provide writing guidance to authors, volume leads, and capture coordinators to ensure proposals are clear and concise
• Strong aptitude for improving organization, flow, readability, completeness, and clarity of insurance proposals

Basic Qualifications of the Coordinator of Bids & Proposals:

• BS/BA degree, or equivalent in relevant experience. Proven attention to detail, excellent writing, grammar, and spelling ability, in addition to excellent written/oral communication skills. Ability to work in a deadline-conscious, results-driven environment is imperative.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, or a related field
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) and Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
• Familiarity with video creation, Google Analytics, Pardot, and Qualtrics is a plus
• 1-2 years of experience using InDesign, or relevant certification
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective interaction with management, staff, and clients
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Self-motivated, with the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team
• Willingness to learn and grow within the role
• Ability to facilitate training on programs and systems

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• Less than 3 years of related insurance industry experience including proposal writing
• Experience with CRMs, Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, and the ability to quickly learn new platforms
• Organized, detail-oriented, thorough, and accurate with a strong sense of urgency and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Advanced customer service skills
• Ability to work as part of a team, meet deadlines and take instruction from multiple sources
• Proactive decision-maker with the ability to see the big picture

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