Senior Manager, Proposals and Pursuits

Ranked a Best Employer in Canada for 24 years, Bennett Jones is one of Canada’s premier business law firms and home to 500 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and New York, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world. Serving clients since 1922, we are proud to be the firm that businesses trust with their most complex legal matters.

We are currently recruiting for the following role in our Toronto/ Calgary office:

Senior Manager, Proposals and Pursuits

The Role:

The Senior Manager, Proposals & Pursuits, plays a strategic leadership role within the firm’s national Client and Business Development Team, overseeing the Proposals and Pursuits team and collaborating closely with the Business Analytics and Pricing group. This individual leads the team in developing high-quality, client-focused proposal responses in support of new business opportunities, including the end-to-end management of requests for proposals (RFP, RFI, RFQ), client pitch materials, and presentations. The successful candidate must be able to articulate clear and compelling value propositions, develop persuasive, opportunity-specific content, and exhibit the flexibility and creativity to respond to individualized needs of lawyers.

As the leader of the proposal function, this role is responsible for driving a strategic, proactive proposal approach by enhancing processes, fostering innovation, and identifying value-added initiatives that improve efficiency and effectiveness. They mentor and develop team members, ensuring continuous skill growth and knowledge sharing, while also providing strategic guidance to lawyers and stakeholders. Additionally, they apply a project management mindset to balance competing priorities, drive collaboration, and ensure high-impact deliverables. This role also includes oversight of proposal analytics and reporting, refining strategies and measuring success. The ideal candidate thrives in a leadership role, inspires excellence, and is committed to continuous improvement and achieving results.

Essential Functions:

• Manage credentials and proposal development requests from start to submission, including: reviewing and interpreting client RFP requirements, requesting/conducting initial research, coordinating with lawyers and BD Team members for strategic analysis, competitive intelligence information, go/no go decision, drafting and customizing proposal materials, coordinating schedules and deadlines, production of hard copies, and coordinating delivery
• Act as point person for complex RFPs, and coordinate the contributions of proposal team members including lawyers and BD Team members, as well as finance, pricing, knowledge management, competitive intelligence and IT professionals, where appropriate
• Review and edit proposal materials to ensure accuracy, compliance with RFP requirements and responsiveness to client needs/expectations
• Oversee the selection, editing and maintenance of frequently-used content, such as representative experience descriptions, value propositions, differentiators, pricing structures, custom lawyer biographies and RFP Q&A in the firm’s content management database (Litera legal tech product, Foundation), and ensure compliance with the firm's Business Development writing style guide
• Triage and assign proposal opportunities within the team, with a view towards complexity and industry focus, and, as appropriate, take the lead to support highly strategic, high potential proposal processes
• Track pitch and proposal activity in the firm’s proposal tracking tool (Asana) and follow-up with lawyers to track wins and losses and coordinate client debriefs, as appropriate
• Prepare reporting to firm management on proposal processes, win/loss rates and emerging trends. Coordinate and collaborate with other areas of the Client and Business Development team to ensure relevant information is being captured and updated based on proposal development materials, including practice descriptions, experience descriptions, website content and lawyer bios
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of proposal and pursuit initiatives, ensuring alignment with firm business objectives and maximizing competitive positioning

Qualifications:

• 10+ years' experience in business writing, with a strong understanding of effective proposal and business development strategies, preferably in the legal or other professional services industry
• Post-secondary education in Law, Business, Public Relations, Communications or related field
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills with an ability to quickly grasp legal and industry subject matter and client expectations
• Exceptional oral communication, writing, editing and proofreading skills.Strong attention to detail is a must
• A passion for creating and consistently improving compelling business-to-business proposal and sales material
• Ability to manage competing priorities and effectively deliver quality work under tight deadlines
• A proposal management or project management qualification would be an asset
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, specifically Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience with content management and proposal generation software an asset
• Experience with Asana and Foundation an asset

Additional Details:

• Compensation: $121,000- $170,000 per annum
• Vacancy: This position is for an existing vacancy

Apply To:

Human Resources
Bennett Jones Services Limited Partnership
3400 One First Canadian Place
P.O. Box 130
Toronto, ON M5X 1A4
E-mail:   hrdepttor@bennettjones.comHybrid #LI-Hybrid

All offers of employment are conditional upon the satisfactory verification of a Canadian criminal record check and social media search.  Determination of the factors that constitute satisfactory verification is within the sole discretion of Bennett Jones.

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

Bennett Jones is committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment process in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, 2005.  If you require accommodations, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.  We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.