We are recruiting for a Proposal Specialist to join our team in our Toronto or Montreal office. The successful candidate must have a minimum of of 3 years of relevant business experience, ideally with 2 years in a large professional services organization and will be responsible for proposal and pitch support, content improvement and management and operational and project leadership . McCarthy Tétrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment. This position is to fill an existing vacancy.

Salary Range (Toronto Only): $90,000 – $105,000 annually 

The offered salary may vary based on the candidate’s job-specific knowledge, skills, and experience.

As a Proposal Specialist, you will be:

Proposal and Pitch Support

• Leading the development of responses to Requests for Proposal (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), Expressions of Interest (EOIs), pitch materials and collateral. This includes leading opportunities originating from clients nationally, and involves understanding the unique aspects of the legal market and collaborating with lawyers in each region to develop client-centric proposals that articulate the Firm’s value and market differentiation. Responsibilities include:
  • Working directly with lawyers and members of the Clients and Markets team to draft responses to RFPs, RFIs, EOIs, pitch materials and collateral;
  • Providing strategic direction and insight, applying proposal best practices, and influencing and negotiating with stakeholders to ensure proposals and pitch materials are responsive, client-focused, and articulate the firm’s value and differentiation;
  • Organizing and leading kick-off meetings to determine win themes and proposal strategy; 
  • Creating first drafts using internal content and tools;
  • Overseeing and finalizing client-ready pitches and proposals (including production using our internal print shop and/or submission via procurement sites);
  • Ensuring RFPs, proposals and pitches are tracked in the Firm’s business development databases.
• Reviewing procurement sites to identify potential new business opportunities.  Working with lawyers on go/no go decisions. 
• Leading, organizing and coordinating support for in-person pitches to clients and prospects, including drafting agendas, speaking notes, presentations, hand-outs, and associated credential materials, and facilitating dry-run practices. 
• Leading and coordinating the response development for client reporting requests, including liaising with diverse firm stakeholders such as Finance, Inclusion Office, HR, IT, and more. 
• Supporting lawyers with time-sensitive client requests for Firm credentials. 
• Diarizing follow-ups with lawyers on proposal opportunities and tracking results in Firm databases.
• Providing support with respect to reporting of proposal statistics such as volume, win rate, proposals by industry, etc. 
• Working with the Research and Information team to gather and distill client/prospect and industry intelligence to assist lawyers in the proposal process. 
• Developing industry- and practice-focused proposal templates to improve efficiency.

Content Improvement and Management

• Undertaking the writing and editing of “stock” proposal content, including differentiators, value propositions, and content related to practice areas, industries and international markets, legal project management, client solutions, value-added services, pricing, and more.
• Updating Firm proposal tool with approved content. 

Operational & Project Leadership

• Ensuring that processes and projects are effectively carried out within our Proposal team.
• Leading and supporting efficiency projects related to the continual upgrading and enhancement of our tools, content and processes.
• Developing and/or updating training tools and resources for the Proposal Team.
• Providing training to team members.

Other responsibilities

• Providing proposal process and development training to new employees and onboarding new Proposal Team members.
• Providing support and input as needed on other important writing assignments critical to marketing and business development. 

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant business experience, ideally with 2 years in a large professional services organization. 
• Professional maturity, including strong interpersonal skills, tact and discretion.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills. 
• Excellent organizational skills.  Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and set priorities with challenging deadlines.
• Ability to complete designated tasks in a systematic and logical way, with great attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail in writing and editing. 
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable.

As a member of the McCarthy team, you will have access to:

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation, paid overtime and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels, supported by a culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

How to Apply: 

We encourage external candidates to apply online and internal applicants must apply directly through our internal careers portal on Espresso. We look forward to receiving your application.

McCarthy Tétrault utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) technology as part of our application screening process to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our recruitment efforts by analyzing applications to identify candidates whose qualifications and experiences align with the requirements of the position.