Proposal Specialist

Why join us? Our purpose is to design for the good of humankind. It’s the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of MillerKnoll means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows MillerKnoll to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone. The Proposal Specialist will work with internal, cross-functional groups in responding to customer and prospective customer requests for proposals, information and presentations. Works in conjunction with MillerKnoll field sales and dealer representatives to create accurate, up-to-date, strategic proposals and presentations that highlight MillerKnoll capabilities and influence customer decisions to purchase products and services within the MillerKnoll Collective of Brands. Essential Functions Act as liaison between the needs of the field sales force/dealer network and the capabilities of relevant writing, editing, graphic communication, and presentation software technology. Act as style and content editor of proposals developed outside of the proposal center, when requested. Analyze customer requests to assess challenges and needs, and develop strategic responses and solutions drive business forward. Consistently monitor the quality and effectiveness of proposals and make appropriate adjustments to improve deliverables and influence sales success. Extract and add information to the content database as necessary. Facilitate discussions with everyone involved in a sales opportunity and develop written and graphic communications in pursuit of business. Leverage customer-facing content database to obtain responsive information to customer inquiries, curate standard content to provide accurate, up-to-date responses to customer requests, and develop custom content when required/appropriate. Present information and training programs to field sales, dealers, and other stakeholders. Promote and implement brand standards for content and visual assets to ensure quality and consistency across deliverables. Provide time-sensitive project management for responses to large-scale and complex customer RFPs, RFIs and RFQs, from coordination of content collection and development to response production in electronic and/or print formats. Track all projects and opportunities utilizing team reporting tools, and update data as required. Work collaboratively with MillerKnoll sales and dealer teams to create accurate, high-quality, strategic, customer-focused responses to large, complex RFIs, RFPs and RFQs. Work collaboratively with subject matter experts (SMEs) to obtain information responsive to customer requests. Work cooperatively with sales, sales management, and distribution to achieve stated business objectives. Work with internal customers and sales representatives to analyze market conditions, competition, customer needs, and MillerKnoll’s organizational strengths and weaknesses in order to formulate strategic, impactful and persuasive proposals and communications for customers. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Education/Experience Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Marketing, or Graphic Design required 3 years of experience in a proposal generating and/or presentation generating environment preferred 3 years of experience in proposal management or high-level project management preferred 3 years of industry experience preferably in the areas of sales or marketing preferred Working knowledge of Adobe InDesign preferred Skills and Abilities Proven strategic ability to mentally develop a big-picture view and perspective, looking beyond the deliverable at hand to develop a holistic strategy geared toward winning business. Excellent writing and communication skills; must have the ability to write in a number of styles, recognize which is most appropriate in each instance and incorporate the correct style in each proposal. Ability to change priorities quickly and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Solid knowledge of MillerKnoll entities, products and partners is a plus. Must have exemplary skills in dealing with people, and ability to work effectively across teams, with corporate resources and with outside copy developers. Must be deadline-oriented and have the ability to work under pressure. Ability to deal effectively with stressful situations is critical. Demonstrated ability to effectively and efficiently use office automation, communication, software and tools utilized in the MillerKnoll office environment. Must be extremely computer literate in both text-based and creative software applications. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions Must be able to perform all essential functions of the position with or without accommodations. Who We Hire? Simply put, we hire everyone. MillerKnoll is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veterans from every branch of military service, and more. Here, you can bring your whole self to work. We’re committed to equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities. This organization participates in E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification. MillerKnoll is a collective of design brands coming together to remake modern for the 21st century. We are aware that there are a number of scams targeting current job seekers. MillerKnoll will not ask you to provide money or any financial account information, such as bank account or routing numbers, as part of our application or job offer process. If you suspect a job application related scam involving MillerKnoll, or our collective of brands (Herman Miller, Knoll, KnollTextiles, Muuto, HAY, Geiger, Spinneybeck, Filzfelt, NaughtOne, DatesWeiser, Maharam, Design Within Reach, Maars Living Walls, Edelman Leather, Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Holly Hunt), please contact careers_help@millerknoll.com. Want to be part of a team that’s making a positive impact? From creating spaces that help people live and work better to lifting our local and global communities, MillerKnoll is working hard to make a difference. Join us as we design a more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful future together. Enter your email address to tell us about yourself. We will keep you informed about job opportunities and events that match your interests.