Proposal Development Lead

Cascade Energy

• $92K — $138K *
Energy & Utilities
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in English, Communications, Journalism, or related field or equivalent experience.
  • 6+ years' experience in writing and editing proposals, grants, and business development content.
  • Familiarity with energy efficiency, demand response, decarbonization, climate, and sustainability programs.

Responsibilities

  • Manage proposal team activities to meet deadlines and milestones.
  • Own the full lifecycle of proposals for priority sales efforts.
  • Lead Cascade's most important proposal initiatives.
  • Conduct research and collaborate with subject matter experts for RFX responses.
  • Draft initial responses to post-proposal requests and manage revisions.
  • Oversee communications during contract negotiations and maintain organized records.
  • Support knowledge transfer to the program delivery team and mentor junior roles.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, and vision coverage with flexible spending and health savings account options.
  • Life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, and paid parental leave.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with a guaranteed 3% employer contribution.
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and annual cash performance bonuses.
  • Paid vacation and sick time along with a flexible holiday policy.
  • $500 contribution for HSA, FSA, or Lifestyle Spending Account.
Full Job Description
About This Opportunity
We are seeking a Proposal Development Lead. In this role, you will help Cascade's Customer Engagement team deliver high-quality, compliant, and compelling proposals to meet company sales goals. The Proposal Development Lead follows detailed checklists to coordinate the entire RFX*-based sales process from opportunity assessment through proposal development, interviews, contract negotiations, and handoff to the delivery team. The Proposal Development Lead can expect to coordinate approximately twelve active proposals in various stages at any given time. * RFX = Request for Proposals, Qualifications, Information, etc

What You Will Be Doing
Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
  • Project Management: manages proposal team activities to support milestone achievement, including scheduling meetings, developing work plans, assigning and tracking action items, and following up to keep proposal efforts on schedule.
  • Assignments: owns and delivers on the full lifecycle of proposals for large and/or priority sales efforts, with the ability to work on higher-stakes proposals as experience increases.
  • Responsible for leading Cascade's most important proposal efforts.
  • Proposal Development: conducts research and outreach required to draft RFX response and coordinates with subject matter experts for input as needed.
  • Post-Proposal Facilitation: manages and drafts initial responses to post-proposal requests including interview presentations, follow-up questions, and revisions.
  • Contract Negotiations: manages communications and maintains organized records during contract negotiations. Proficient at reading and interpreting contractual documents, managing redlines, and drafting required deliverables such as scopes of work, subcontractor agreements, logic models/diagrams, and guidance documents.
  • Knowledge Transfer: supports compilation and transfer of relevant materials and information to program delivery team.
  • Mentorship: provides mentorship support for Proposal Coordinator I and II roles. Supports some initiatives (e.g., workload balancing) in coordination with Sales Operations Manager.
  • Teamwork: contributes to the team's high-quality written proposals by proofreading proposals and collaborating on proposal efforts. Identifies process improvements and works with the team to implement them.
  • RFX Discovery: regularly monitors inboxes and check websites for relevant opportunities.
  • Emerging Technology: utilizes AI tools (such as Copilot, Claude, and others) and other emerging technology to refine proposal content, enhance productivity, and improve business outcomes.

This is a full-time, exempt position, preferably located in Portland OR. We are also open to non-Portland candidates who reside near one of Cascade Energy's offices with a willingness to travel occasionally.

Qualifications
Applicants for this role are required to have:
  • Bachelor's Degree in English, Communications, Journalism, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • 6+ years' experience writing and editing proposals, grants, marketing materials, or other business development content.
  • Experience working with energy efficiency, demand response, decarbonization, climate, and sustainability programs, or, a very similar industry.

Compensation & Benefits
The full salary range for this full-time, exempt position in Portland OR is $92,400 - $138,600. At Cascade, transparency and fairness are core to how we work. We post the full salary range for every role because we value clarity and equity. Our offers are thoughtfully determined based on factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and internal equity, to ensure fairness. We aim to ensure consistency and integrity in every decision.

Our total rewards include competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and financial security. We provide health, dental, and vision coverage, along with flexible spending and health savings account options that include employer contributions. Additional benefits include life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, paid parental leave, and a 401(k)-retirement plan with a guaranteed 3% employer contribution. Cascade is proud to offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), annual cash performance bonuses, paid vacation and sick time, and an inclusive, flexible holiday policy. To further support wellbeing, we provide a $500 contribution that can be applied to an HSA, FSA, or Lifestyle Spending Account.

Application Process

We would appreciate a current resume with your application. We would also appreciate a letter of interest describing why our team or the position resonates with you, and how your experience makes you a great choice for the role.
  • Please, no phone calls.
  • Please, no outside recruiters or agencies.
  • Cascade Energy is not able to provide sponsorship for work authorization in the U.S., which includes OPT.

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