Proposal Centre Manager

at  General Dynamics Mission Systems Canada

Company Description
At General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, our focus extends beyond engineering technology solutions—we are dedicated to cultivating careers. Our mission is to establish a workplace that thrives on diversity, where your beliefs, cultural background, experiences, and ideas are valued and contribute to our collective strength. If you seek a purpose-driven career solving some of the world’s most critical problems, alongside some of the brightest engineering minds, your application is welcome. Join a community where your unique perspective propels innovation.
Job Description
The Proposals Team is an absolutely key enabler to the business development and capture success in any organization! At GDMS-C, the Proposal Centre Manager works with a broad group of stakeholders, where their primary objective is to support the growth of the business by leading and developing a team of highly professional and engaged Proposal Managers, Proposal Support Specialists, and Contractors. The Proposal Centre Manager works closely with a number of company stakeholders including Business Area Vice Presidents, Capture Managers, Program Managers, Head of Proposals & Strategic Offsets, and other Functional Area Leads to support the delivery of the company’s strategic plan. The Proposal Centre Manager ensures that the Proposal Managers and Proposal Support Specialists plan, manage, and support the proposal development phase, working with a broad team of contributors to produce compelling, competitive, and winning proposals for Canadian and International customers.
Who you are?
You are a motivated and self-directed individual with demonstrated leadership abilities and a passion for proposals. You thrive in a collaborative environment but know when to switch to independent deliverables. Communication is paramount so having excellent writing, proofreading and editing skills is not only a must, but is essential to you also. You have project management skills with a demonstrated ability to set priorities and meet deadlines. We follow a continuous improvement mindset so we are looking for enthusiasm about learning new techniques and technologies. The last key area will be your stakeholder management. You will need to be adept at interfacing with all business groups at various levels with the ability to bring ideas forward and dialogue about approach while keeping a customer-service oriented mindset.

Key Responsibilities for the Proposal Centre Manager:

• Leads a team of Proposal Managers and Proposal Support Specialists and is responsible for team performance management, career development, training, and succession planning;
• Maintains close working relationships with the Business Area Vice Presidents; P&L Directors; Business Development, Capture, and Program Managers; and Functional Area Leads, to ensure that business area capture and proposal support needs are identified early.
• Has overall responsibility for the delivery of compliant, professionally produced, and compelling proposals in accordance with customer requirements and timelines, delegated to the team of Proposal Managers, taking on proposal management activities as required;
• Overseeing the response to solicitations including RFIs, ITQs, RFQ, RFPs, and other solicitations as required in Canada and internationally;
• Team oversight for the delivery of the proposal development phase which includes:
• Proposal plan development (outline, schedules, compliance matrices, templates, training, etc.);
• Coordinating review and editing of inputs from a variety of stakeholders;
• Maintaining and updating a Content Management System for proposal documentation;
• Coordination and delivery of colour team reviews;
• Contribution to final management reviews;
• Management of the Proposal Centre resource pool which includes the assignment of Proposal Managers, Proposal Support Specialists, and Contractors to Capture Teams;
• Champion the execution of the GDMS capture process – which aligns to Shipley Capture methodology – with special focus on the Proposal Development phase, providing support to the GDMS-C user community as required;
• Oversee the Proposal Team’s online proposal content (SharePoint, Workplace);
• Maintain oversight for all active bids, engaging strategically to support Proposal Managers and Proposal support specialists, as required (early proposal planning, strategy, colour teams reviews, etc.);
• Engage in recurring Business Area Management meetings to maintain an understanding of the opportunity pipeline and company strategy, enabling proactive proposal planning and resource management;
• Driving continuous improvement activities within the Proposals Team processes, procedures, and tools by leveraging lessons learned, information received from customer debriefs, and through other feedback channels;
• Leads recurring meetings with the Proposal Team members, reviewing ongoing activity, business strategy, and other topics as required.

The following responsibilities are delegated through the Proposal Managers:

• Develop robust proposal plans that include:
• Proposal schedules;
• Proposal outline;
• Proposal templates;
• Contributor/author training;
• Proposal author assignments;
• Ensure that the proposal section outlines are complete and respond to all customer requirements as defined in the RFx;
• Update baseline material as amendments are received;
• Assign section authors in alignment with the proposal outline, in collaboration with the Capture Manager;
• Develop storyboards/work packages and provide guidance on pre-Pink Team content requirements;
• Ensure that strategic positioning messages are reflected in the proposal while ensuring brand, style, and standards are observed;
• Planning and delivery of colour team reviews including, Pink, Red, and Gold. This includes:
• Identification of colour team reviewers;
• Preparation of read-in material;
• Delivery of colour team instructions;
• Management of the colour team feedback and resolution of identified issues;
• Managing all productions activities whether print or digital
• Lead recurring proposal status meetings to engage with capture team members and track proposal development status, identifying issues early;
• Oversee the proposal SharePoint collaboration site:
• Manage the proposal production activities, whether print or digital;
• Conduct and document lessons learned as part of the Proposal Centre’s continuous improvement process.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Desired 5 years’ experience in proposal management and/or capture management in the Defence sector, with opportunities greater than $50M CAD;
• Creative thinking with strong externally facing and internally astute business acumen required to come up with creative business solutions;
• A proven successful leader who has experience in winning and closing business pursuits;
• A collaborative leader who is competent in pulling multi-disciplinary teams together and aligning them around common goals and objectives as they relate to winning and corporate growth;
• Significant knowledge of the Shipley Proposal Development Process, from capture planning through to proposal submission;
• Experience dealing with government standards and compliance;
• Advanced Microsoft Office suite skills.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science, Engineering, Business, Technical Writing or other relevant field.
• Master’s Degree considered an asset.

Other

• Must be able to obtain and maintain Canadian Security Clearance and a positive Controlled Goods Assessment. Eligibility to work in Canada either as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident

Additional Information
Our success is fueled by individual diversity, encouraging applications from women, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, multi-cultural backgrounds, and persons with disabilities. We will work with you around any workplace accommodation required during our application process. If you require accommodation or have questions, please contact Human Resources via recruitment@gd-ms.ca.

Our comprehensive benefits package is just another reason our employees stick around, enjoy:

• A Flexible Working Environment: Embracing a Hybrid work model with the choice of enjoying every other Friday off is more than a perk; it’s a commitment to fostering a healthy work-life balance.
• Personalized Career Development: Your growth within the organization is not just supported; it’s valued. Anticipate regular progress reviews, access to an Educational Assistance Program, and a personalized development plan tailored to your aspirations.
• Total Rewards Package: Consider it covered—health, dental, and beyond. Early access to a pension plan, coupled with various perks to acknowledge your contributions to the organization.

Apply now to be a part of a workplace defined by who we are, and who we do it for

Key Responsibilities for the Proposal Centre Manager:

• Leads a team of Proposal Managers and Proposal Support Specialists and is responsible for team performance management, career development, training, and succession planning;
• Maintains close working relationships with the Business Area Vice Presidents; P&L Directors; Business Development, Capture, and Program Managers; and Functional Area Leads, to ensure that business area capture and proposal support needs are identified early.
• Has overall responsibility for the delivery of compliant, professionally produced, and compelling proposals in accordance with customer requirements and timelines, delegated to the team of Proposal Managers, taking on proposal management activities as required;
• Overseeing the response to solicitations including RFIs, ITQs, RFQ, RFPs, and other solicitations as required in Canada and internationally;
• Team oversight for the delivery of the proposal development phase which includes:
• Proposal plan development (outline, schedules, compliance matrices, templates, training, etc.);
• Coordinating review and editing of inputs from a variety of stakeholders;
• Maintaining and updating a Content Management System for proposal documentation;
• Coordination and delivery of colour team reviews;
• Contribution to final management reviews;
• Management of the Proposal Centre resource pool which includes the assignment of Proposal Managers, Proposal Support Specialists, and Contractors to Capture Teams;
• Champion the execution of the GDMS capture process – which aligns to Shipley Capture methodology – with special focus on the Proposal Development phase, providing support to the GDMS-C user community as required;
• Oversee the Proposal Team’s online proposal content (SharePoint, Workplace);
• Maintain oversight for all active bids, engaging strategically to support Proposal Managers and Proposal support specialists, as required (early proposal planning, strategy, colour teams reviews, etc.);
• Engage in recurring Business Area Management meetings to maintain an understanding of the opportunity pipeline and company strategy, enabling proactive proposal planning and resource management;
• Driving continuous improvement activities within the Proposals Team processes, procedures, and tools by leveraging lessons learned, information received from customer debriefs, and through other feedback channels;
• Leads recurring meetings with the Proposal Team members, reviewing ongoing activity, business strategy, and other topics as required

The following responsibilities are delegated through the Proposal Managers:

• Develop robust proposal plans that include:
• Proposal schedules;
• Proposal outline;
• Proposal templates;
• Contributor/author training;
• Proposal author assignments;
• Ensure that the proposal section outlines are complete and respond to all customer requirements as defined in the RFx;
• Update baseline material as amendments are received;
• Assign section authors in alignment with the proposal outline, in collaboration with the Capture Manager;
• Develop storyboards/work packages and provide guidance on pre-Pink Team content requirements;
• Ensure that strategic positioning messages are reflected in the proposal while ensuring brand, style, and standards are observed;
• Planning and delivery of colour team reviews including, Pink, Red, and Gold. This includes:
• Identification of colour team reviewers;
• Preparation of read-in material;
• Delivery of colour team instructions;
• Management of the colour team feedback and resolution of identified issues;
• Managing all productions activities whether print or digital
• Lead recurring proposal status meetings to engage with capture team members and track proposal development status, identifying issues early;
• Oversee the proposal SharePoint collaboration site:
• Manage the proposal production activities, whether print or digital;
• Conduct and document lessons learned as part of the Proposal Centre’s continuous improvement process