Pursuit Manager, K-12

We are an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients, our communities, and our planet. If this sparks your interest, you’re in the right place.

Locations: Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Seattle, or Washington, DC

DLR Group operates within a hybrid work model, supporting flexibility between office time and work from home.

The Pursuit Manager – K-12 leads the pursuit process and production of on-time, brand standard compliant deliverables (statement of qualification, request for proposal response, and interviews) from RFP receipt to interview completion for the firm’s K-12 market. The Pursuit Manager will lead and produce their own pursuits while delegating and coordinating the production of specific supporting content.

Essential Functions:

• Experience with and knowledge in marketing communications and proposal response for public sector audiences including K-12 education school districts and / or government institutions preferred.
• Analyze complex solicitation documents to develop proposal plan, content outline, and compliance red flags and opportunities
• Inspire a multi-disciplinary pursuit team (designers, project managers, client leaders, consultants, and creative services) to leverage business development intelligence, develop persuasive win themes, and deliver content in support of the client’s needs.
• Synthesize complex information streams into compelling written responses to client needs and RFP requirements; edit written content from pursuit team (designers, client leader, etc.) to match brand voice and professional style.
• Coach project team on presentation best practices to support win in an interview setting.
• Support DLR Group’s shortlist and win rate goals, with strong conversion strategy and execution.
• Support DLR Group’s ROI goals and BD framework by identifying Random Acts of Marketing (RAM) and adhering to strong process management.
• Record discovered project and people information in firm database (Deltek Vantagepoint) to ensure institutional knowledge.
• Develop and leverage your knowledge base – including industry research, business development intelligence, firm capabilities, and market sector expertise – to inform win strategies, add value, and increase likelihood of winning.
• Champion DLR Group as a best-in-class brand by completing comprehensive quality control checks on materials.
• Collaborate with: a. Pursuit teams to produce and maintain up-to-date library of on-brand pursuit materials including resumes, project plates, and boilerplate information to facilitate effective and efficient workflows across the team; this includes proactive content capture following submittal b. Graphic designers on key pursuits to develop custom, on-brand visual assets that support defined win themes

Required Experience and Skills:

• Degree in Marketing, Communications, English, or similar
• 5 years of experience creating, writing, and editing proposals in the AEC industry
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign
• Proficiency working within, organizing, and synthesizing data from multiple sources to support compliant, accurate submittals, for example corporate databases (Deltek Vantagepoint), digital asset management tools (open asset or similar), etc.
• Experience managing color team approach for review and critical analysis of proposal content and compliance checks
• Demonstrate a sense of urgency to manage and prioritize multiple concurrent deadlines
• Attention to detail and an ability to craft deliverables that comply with RFP requirements while creatively expressing the DLR Group brand and differentiators
• Critical thinker who can quickly evaluate needs and recommend responsive solutions
• Strong project and people management skills –ability to quickly build consensus, and positively 'manage up' to get senior level individuals to support established processes with input and insight in a timely manner

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite, including PowerPoint and Teams; familiarity with Deltek Vantagepoint
• Experience with or certification in Shipley proposal management methodology

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new builds, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration, open information sharing, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge, the ME2040, and the SE2050, and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Our comprehensive Benefits at DLR Group include: medical, dental, vision, disability, wellness programs, flex spending, paid holidays, and paid time off. We also offer a 401k, employee stock ownership, and bonus opportunities. Compensation considerations are based on location, experience, and skills.

Through our values – commitment, creativity, environmental stewardship, fun, integrity, ownership, sharing, teamwork – we elevate the human experience through design, together.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.