Job Overview:

The mission of the bids and proposals department is to seek and establish sales opportunities that increase company revenue and expand market penetration of our products and services through multiple sales channels related to bids and proposals. The PDM's main roles are: 1) liaise with the business unit and Bids and Proposal team and 2) lead the business unit’s responses to bids, listings, proposals, and adoption submissions.

Location: Remote, USA

Job Responsibilities:

Business Unit (BU) Communication:

• Respond quickly (usually within one business day) and appropriately (using good judgment and clear communication) to business unit inquiries and requests.
• In meetings, emails, and messages, clearly guide the business unit in strategic matters of bids, listings, proposals, and adoptions supporting good judgment and decision making that helps the business unit accomplish its goals and leverages B&P expertise.
• Communicate clearly and directly with BU stakeholders.
• Lead and facilitate state adoption decision making for the BU using analysis tools.
• Guide BU on go/no go recommendations using the business unit’s culture, philosophies, and values.
• Conduct regular meetings to update, check in, and collaborate with sales and marketing.

BU Collaboration:

• Attend regular meetings the business unit conducts to stay informed of BU direction.
• Make connections from business unit strategic direction to internal bids and proposals team processes to ensure comprehensive B&P service is considered.
• Provide leadership both outward to the BU and inward with the B&P team by applying the strategic/tactical liaison information within our processes for improvement, providing actionable feedback to team members.
• Organize and document notes for B&P team in a way that helps the team stay informed of the business unit's big picture strategies/initiatives.
• Check in with the business unit’s leadership regularly to make sure that we’re serving them appropriately.
• Bring high-quality adjustment suggestions back to the team for all B&P members’ benefit and to incorporate into our service.
• Listen and understand the culture of the business unit to ensure nothing stands in the way of serving the BU’s needs (as if reporting into that organizational structure).
• Be a contributor/leader/thought leader with the business unit to help them do what they do even better.

Bids and Proposal (B&P) Leadership

• Be a contributor/leader/thought leader with the B&P team to help the team improve our bids, proposals, and processes.
• Advise B&P leaders on who is best to respond to specific opportunities (if multiple PDMs on the BU team).
• Embrace and contribute to the evolution of team processes and ongoing adjustments for improvement.
• Communicate clearly and directly with B&P internal supports.
• Mentor junior team members in team proposal development, processes, and practices.

Lead the BU’s responses to bids, RFPs, listings, adoption submissions, and other types of proposals

• Perform RFP opportunity analyses.
• Determine appropriate tactical steps for a winning bid/proposal/submission.
• Create bid/proposal/submission project plans.
• Ongoing cross-matrix management and coordination of company resources and departments needed to both analyze and create responsive bids and proposals.
• Serve as a subject matter expert when possible for the product content to ensure a cohesive proposal.
• Ensure all bid specifications are addressed (compliance to the opportunity).
• Ensure customization to the opportunity for optimal award potential.
• Ensure deadline delivery of all go-forward bids.
• Create and maintain a system of springboard assets to assist in faster, accurate preparation of higher numbers of proposals (e.g., templates for products and services).
• Complete FOIA analyses for 1) competitive product information and 2) proposal quality/tactics.

Special (On Occasion) Projects

• At times, research, identify, evaluate and communicate education market trends that will result in RFPs, bids, adoptions, and new market requirements affecting the team.
• At times, perform state-by-state opportunity analyses (extensive research required).
• At times, identify, research, and evaluate funding opportunities for Cambium Learning companies.
• At times, identify, research, evaluate, and communicate educational policy issues that affect Cambium Learning companies.
• Cover the Associate and other PDM tasks when needed

Job Requirements:

Prerequisites Required

• 3+ years’ experience in proposal development
• Have proven experience with bids, RFPs, and proposals for a range of dollar values
• Bachelor’s degree or higher

Prerequisites Preferred

• Have APMP Foundational Certification or above
• Experience with the K-12 education industry
• Experience with the education technology industry

Systems Knowledge Preferred (and if not present, ability to achieve on the job)

• Intermediate-Advanced proficiency with Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, and Office) and their Google suite equivalents
• Intermediate-Advanced Qvidian experience/expertise preferred
• Intermediate proficiency with project workflow tool
• Adept ability with Web searching, researching, and data wrangling

Skills (if not present, ability to achieve on the job)

• Organization
• Problem solving: ability to approach new issues regularly without a set solution in place
• Prioritization: ability to decide which projects take precedence over others
• Writing (approach, content, design, and publishing finished proposals)
• Editing (grammar, punctuation, and spelling)
• Design (ability to manipulate the aesthetic appeal of an image, page layout, and/or project)
• Project Management: proven problem solving and analytical ability to effectively and efficiently create and manage plans of action.
• Research: Ability to research and review a large amount of disparate information from a variety of sources, and then analyze and organize the information to establish and recommend an appropriate course of action.
• Self-motivation: ability to seek, start, manage, and complete work ensuring appropriate guidance, approvals, and communication about what has been accomplished.
• Precision: must produce high quality work under immovable deadlines with speed and accuracy.
• Initiative to learn: must come up to speed and stay up to speed to be proficient in the tasks required to perform the job.
• Communication: must communicate clearly and concisely with all levels of personnel (executive management, middle management, associate, coordinator, etc.) in many different forms (chat, email, meeting, presentations, etc.)

Why Work With Us?

When you work with Learning A-Z, you’ll be helping students across the globe develop the comprehension, curiosity, and continued joy of learning they need to succeed in today’s world.

We’ve been awarded numerous accolades from a wide variety of edtech organizations. Our flagship products Reading A-Z, Raz-Kids, and Raz-Plus are beloved by teachers and students alike, and are currently used by approximately 1/5 of public students in the United States.

To learn more about our organization and the exciting work we do, visit www.learninga-z.com.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

We are dedicated to fostering a culture that celebrates unique backgrounds, ideas, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.