Proposal Manager Development

SUSAN M. SAVAGE

Previous name: Susan M. Richardson prior to December 2020

*** ********* *****, ******** *****, VA 23451 757-***-****

*************@*****.*** https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanrichardson/

Summary

Innovative proposal development expert with over 26 years of progressive and transferable experience. Proven ability to successfully manage proposal development processes and advertising and marketing projects to produce quality marketing programs that maintain and grow business. Knowledgeable of Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR), and the Shipley/APMP Proposal Process. A motivated self-starter seeking an opportunity that will benefit from my key areas of expertise: Proposal Management, APMP & Shipley Standards, Desktop Publishing, Proposal Graphic Design, Compliance Matrix Development, Writing, Grammar and Editing, Color Team Facilitator, Art Content Development, Training & Development, FAR Knowledge, Coaching Proposal Teams, Newsletter and Brochure Design.

Experience

Proposal Manager

Loyal Source Government Services, Worked Remotely

Apr 2024 – Nov 2024 (7 months)

Led proposal teams consisting of proposal writers, pricing, contracts, and coordinators; working with business development (BD) managers, BD leadership, and functional leaders to initiate, develop, and complete compelling and fully compliant responses to solicitations (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Sources Sought, and Capability Statements).

Developed compliance matrices and outlines before creating writing templates

Used SharePoint and MS Teams to manage proposal development processes

Through Salesforce/Technomile, created SharePoint proposal file structure, made sure dates were accurate for current opportunity status

Prepared for the Proposal Kickoff Meeting with an opportunity overview, proposal instructions, winning themes and strategies, writing templates, and the proposal schedule showing key milestones

Tracked deliverables and held data calls with the proposal team to check status and ensure timely proposal delivery

Populated proposal outline with appropriate content from the Knowledge Center before sending it to our SMEs for review

Developed cost proposal outlines, ensuring compliance with RFP requirements and FAR/DFARS regulations

Developed strategic proposals by collaborating with cross-functional teams, ensuring compliance with legal/business terminology, resulting in increased awards.

Worked with the proposal team to develop our value proposition—a concise statement communicating unique benefits and value, highlighting the specific problem it solves, and why our solution is superior to our competitors.

Managed color team reviews and recovery, checked for compliance with RFP, and conducted final proof check/White Glove Review before converting to PDFs.

Prepared submission email and renamed final documents using the Government’s requirement for the file naming convention. Sent this information to the person submitting our response

Produced Capability Statements, Requests for Information, Marketing Questionnaires, and Sources Sought for potential opportunities

Investigated potential Proposal AI programs and participated in a week-long demonstration of BD.ai

Prepared a training presentation on preparing an Acronym List for a proposal and presented training to proposal staff.

Communicated with proposal staff and leadership regarding current project status or issues.

Senior Proposal Manager

Fluor Mission Solutions, Worked Remotely

Apr 2022 – Nov 2023 (1 yr 8 months)

Managed proposal teams consisting of proposal writers, coordinators, and graphic designers; worked with capture and operational managers and functional leaders to initiate, develop, and complete compelling and fully compliant responses to solicitations

Assessed the proposal requirements from Draft RFP to submission and in post-submission Evaluation Notices

Developed a compliance matrix and outline before creating writing templates

Used SharePoint and MS Teams to manage proposal development processes

Project-managed proposal teams in concert with the capture manager, providing the team at the Kickoff Meeting with an opportunity overview, proposal instructions, winning themes and strategies, writing templates, and the proposal schedule showing key milestones in the process.

Reviewed content as it is being developed by SMEs and proposal writers, providing feedback on writing styles (customer-focused) and compliance with the RFP requirements

Worked with the proposal team to develop our value proposition—a concise statement communicating unique benefits and value, highlighting the specific problem it solves, and why our solution is superior to our competitors.

Managed color team review recovery, conducted quality checks on all volumes, conducted a final proof check/ White Glove Review before packaging and shipment or turning over to contracts for electronic submission

Worked remotely using MS Teams and Outlook to coordinate with proposal team members.

Participated in the development of the Qvidian Proposal Knowledge Center.

Accountable for communicating to the leadership team providing proposal status, issues, and any concerns throughout the proposal process

Consulted with another proposal team on how to recreate a corrupted document and then wrote step-by-step instructions documenting the process

In addition, I was the proposal writer for the Management Section for an Intel proposal, interviewed SMEs for information, and wrote the program management content based on PMP principles before the document went into the secure environment before Red Team—this was a winning proposal.

Senior Proposal Manager

CLIENT SOLUTION ARCHITECTS (CSA), Worked Remotely

Sep 2021 – Apr 2022 (8 months)

Similar to the above job description

Senior Proposal Manager

MAG Aerospace, Worked Remotely

Nov 2020 – May 2021 (7 months)

Same as above job description, plus

Use Virtual Proposal Center (VPC) to manage proposal development and configuration control

Director, Proposal Development

DynCorp International, LLC, Fort Worth, TX

Sep 2018 – Apr 2020 (1 yr 8 months)

Same as above job description, plus

Monitored opportunities through SAM.gov and GovWin.com and tracked company activity status through SalesForce.

Assessed the proposal requirements from Draft RFP to submission and in post-submission Evaluation Notices

Participated in Blue Teams and Black Hat meetings

Worked with the proposal team to develop our value proposition—a concise statement communicating unique benefits and value, highlighting the specific problem it solves, and why our solution is superior to our competitors.

Used SharePoint to manage proposal development and configuration control

Requested writers, SMEs, coordinators, graphic support, and other resources from their various managers

Facilitated over 26 color team reviews using PleaseReview for other proposal teams over two years

Proposal Development Consultant

STAT LLC, Virginia Beach, VA

Jan 2013 – Jul 2018 (5 yrs 7 months)

Independent company specializing in proposal management, graphic design, publishing, and editing for small businesses in the Hampton Roads area and nationally. Clients include SM&A, Irvine, CA; Minuteman Security Systems, New Bern, NC; and Fairlead Precision Manufacturing & Integration, Portsmouth, VA.

Proposal Manager Consultant

Manage and prioritize the proposal process from pre-RFP release through delivery.

Create a Proposal Management Plan.

oUnderstanding Solicitation Requirements. Review the solicitation by compiling a compliance matrix by analyzing RFP (or RFI, RFQ) requirements (Section L), evaluation factors (Section M), and Statement of Work (SOW) (Section C)

oDevelop proposal response templates (outline) from the compliance matrix

oCreate proposal schedules incorporating all milestones (section due dates, reviews, production, etc.) to ensure meeting the deadline for delivery

oCreate the Proposal Kickoff Presentation in collaboration with the Capture Manager

From subject matter expert input, create proposal content in response to RFP requirements

Coordinate color team reviews

Edit and re-write content for grammar and acronym usage

Format Word documents using styles, create PDF files for submission

Prepare proposal documents for electronic and/or print delivery, including binding and shipment.

Graphic Designer/Publisher Consultant

Proposal consultant for SM&A deployed as Graphic Designer/Desktop Publisher for a PHEAA proposal to FSA and Delta Dental proposals to the state of Tennessee and Washington DC.

Created proposal graphics using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and MS PowerPoint

Prepared Cover designs, logo development, brochures, newsletters, business graphics, and presentations

Formatted and edited client’s technical publications for Government deliverables

Proposal Manager

CAPSTONE CORPORATION, Virginia Beach, VA

Feb 2016 – Nov 2017 (1 yr 10 months)

Responsible for the proposal development process for maintaining and acquiring new business, which includes:

Be aware of capture activities and opportunities that Capstone is pursuing

Work with Capture Manager to prepare pre-RFP documents and discuss potential strategies and win themes.

When RFP is released, prepare a Proposal Plan that includes:

oA compliance matrix—showing all RFP and FAR requirements and where in the proposal they are addressed

oProposal outlines for each volume

oWriting templates for each volume

oProposal schedule

oPOC list with Capstone POCs and teammate POCs

oProposal Kickoff Brief

Hold Kickoff Meeting – coordinate with the Capture Manager

Hold status calls and keep the team on track with upcoming milestones and any updates from the Government

Prepare Color Review documents for review, which includes formatting, editing, graphic production, acronym lists, and compliance tables, at various stages depending on the level of review

Schedule and hold Color Review Team Meetings and compile individual review documents into a single document, including all track changes and comments.

Prepare all graphics for the proposal.

Design and print covers, spines, and CD labels as needed

Final proposal production: Final edit, formatting, acronym list, and compliance table if required, for all volumes. Print and bind the proposal for White Glove review and make necessary corrections.

Double check RFP delivery requirements

Schedule FedEx or hand-carry delivery of proposal, pack, and ship as required

Assist with developing RFI responses, capabilities statements, white papers, briefings, etc.

Investigation of ISO certifications for ISO 9001-2015 and ISO 270001 and potential consultants who could assist Capstone to become ISO certified and presented ISO findings to Corporate management

Proposal Development Consultant

American CyberSystems/Northrop Grumman, Suffolk, VA

Nov 2013 – Feb 2016 (2 yrs 4 months)

Compiled compliance matrix by analyzing RFP (or RFI, RFQ) requirements (Section L), evaluation factors (Section M), and Statement of Work (SOW) requirements (Section C)

Developed proposal response templates (outline) from the compliance matrix

Created proposal schedule incorporating all reviews to ensure meeting the deadline for delivery

Coordinated with corporate functional management on proposal-related status

From subject matter expert input, created proposal content in response to RFP requirements. Wrote resume and past performance responses that specifically relate to the RFP requirements.

Reviewed and edited proposal responses and provided comments to section writers

Organized and setup Color Reviews and got information back to the writers following the outbrief

Created proposal graphics using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Edited and re-wrote content for grammar and acronym usage

Formatted Word documents using styles, created PDF files for submission—attention to detail important

Prepared proposal documents for electronic and/or print delivery.

SAIC Deputy Proposal Manager/Proposal Writer

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Virginia Beach, VA

2010 – 2012 (2 yrs)

Managed the past performance questionnaire (PPQ) and key personnel resume process for new solicitations.

Managed PPQ process: read and analyzed solicitation instructions, prepared PPQ form, researched and populated form with contract data, coordinated with program managers for accuracy and delivery of PPQ to government contract point of contacts, monitored status of PPQ to submission completion.

As volume resume or past performance book boss, managed a team of three to four writers by allocating writing assignments, monitoring status, and editing writers’ products for accuracy and relevance to RFP requirements, statement of work, and job descriptions.

Technical Writer/Proposal Production Lead – Top Secret Clearance

BAE SYSTEMS, San Diego, CA

2008 – 2010 (2 yrs)

A global defense and security company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics security, information technology solutions, and support services.

Managed art content for proposals from conception through the production process.

Trained the production team on proposal art content and publication procedures.

Administered Virtual Proposal Center software and served as access manager for PDC computers, printers, and door access requests.

Produced large volume documents in excess of 1,000 pages for proposals of technical, management, BOEs and cost volumes. Managed a staff of 4-6 people with instructions and process flow details to desktop publish and do last-minute edits, as needed, to meet required deadlines.

Received a recognition award and bonus from a major proposal team for key contributions to a successful project.

SAIC Consulting Employee/Part-Time

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Virginia Beach, VA

2008 – 2010 (2 yrs)

Integral member of a team that wrote and published Standard Operating Procedures for multiple Amtrak Stations to be used as procedures “in case of emergencies” or terrorist attacks.

Formatted and edited document deliverables and designed binder covers for each station.

Researched and negotiated the final production price for the books with the printer and saved 40% from the original price quote.

AMTI/SAIC Proposal Specialist – Top Secret Clearance

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)/Applied Marine Technology Incorporated (AMTI), Virginia Beach, VA

2002 – 2008 (6 yrs)

Analyzed solicitations, developed outlines based on requirements, created proposal templates and managed art content for proposals from conception through the production process.

Prepared for and coordinated kickoff meetings with the proposal team and management.

Collaborated with proposal authors to develop graphics relevant to proposal requirements.

Trained new staff members on art content, publication procedures, and troubleshooting techniques.

Formatted MS Word proposal documents by incorporating styles, inserting graphics, and creating headers, footers, tables of contents, indexes, and lists of figures.

Designed Proposal and CD covers, inserts, and labels for training products and proposals.

Education and Memberships

Master’s in Business Administration ~ Sigma Cum Laude Honors ~ Keller School of Management (2022)

B.A. in Technical Management ~ Magna Cum Laude Honors ~ DeVry University (2011)

Shipley Proposal Training: Proposal Writing (2020), Executive Summary Development (2020), Proposal Outlining (2020), Customer Focused Writing (2019), Managing Federal Proposals (2019), Capturing Federal Business (2010), Winning Executive Summaries (2009), Shipley Capture Guide -Winning Strategic Business (2009), Shipley Proposal Guide for Business Development and Sales Professionals (2009)

Member of CapturePlanning.com with a subscription to the PropLIBRARY

Member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP.org)

Technical Skills

Over 25 years of experience using PC and Apple Macintosh computers and software. Proficiency in the following software:

Photoshop

WinZip

Visual Basic for Applications

Illustrator

MS Outlook 365

Qvidian Virtual Proposal Center (VPC)

MS Word 365

MS SharePoint

PleaseReview

MS PowerPoint 365

MS Project

Acrobat Professional

MS Excel 365

MS Teams

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