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Director Proposal Development Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

ASRC Industrial

Proposal Director

Chattanooga, TN · On-site

Job Summary The Proposal Director position is a strategic leadership role responsible for managing enterprise-level proposal development efforts, advancing proposal excellence, and strengthening ...

ASRC Industrial

Proposal Director

Chattanooga, TN · On-site

Job SummaryThe Proposal Director position is a strategic leadership role responsible for managing enterprise-level proposal development efforts, advancing proposal excellence, and strengthening ...

EES Agency

Director of Relationships

Nashville, TN · On-site

Position Summary The Director of Sales leads EES Agency's corporate meetings sales strategy ... Build and maintain documented SOPs for prospecting, proposal development, contracting, and account ...

EES Agency

Director of Relationships

Nashville, TN · On-site

Description Position Summary The Director of Sales leads EES Agency's corporate meetings sales ... Build and maintain documented SOPs for prospecting, proposal development, contracting, and account ...

Consor Engineers

Proposal Coordinator

Knoxville, TN · On-site +1

The marketing coordinator reports to the marketing director. What You'll Do: * Collaborate with a ... Support or lead production of deliverables associated with proposals and other business development ...

Consor Engineers

Proposal Coordinator

Brentwood, TN · On-site +1

The marketing coordinator reports to the marketing director. What You'll Do: * Collaborate with a ... Support or lead production of deliverables associated with proposals and other business development ...

Consor Engineers

Proposal Coordinator

Knoxville, TN · On-site +1

The marketing coordinator reports to the marketing director. What You'll Do: * Collaborate with a ... Support or lead production of deliverables associated with proposals and other business development ...

Consor Engineers

Proposal Coordinator

Brentwood, TN · On-site +1

The marketing coordinator reports to the marketing director. What You'll Do: * Collaborate with a ... Support or lead production of deliverables associated with proposals and other business development ...

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Director Proposal Development information

See Tennessee salary details

$45.8K

$83.8K

$116.6K

How much do director proposal development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for director proposal development in Tennessee is $83,764.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $72,600.00 and $101,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of proposal development do?

A Director of Proposal Development oversees the creation, management, and submission of proposals, typically for business development or government contracts. They lead a team of proposal managers and writers, coordinate with subject matter experts, and ensure proposals meet requirements and deadlines. Their role involves strategic planning, quality control, and often working closely with sales and executive leadership to align proposal efforts with organizational goals. Success in this role requires strong leadership, project management, and communication skills.

How does a director of proposal development typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during the proposal process?

A Director of Proposal Development regularly works with subject matter experts, sales teams, project managers, and executives to gather the necessary information and create compelling, compliant proposals. This role involves coordinating input from various departments, leading meetings to align on strategy, and ensuring deadlines are met. Effective communication and project management skills are essential, as the director must balance multiple priorities while ensuring consistency and quality in every submission. Building strong relationships across departments is key to streamlining the proposal process and improving win rates.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of proposal development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Proposal Development, you need expertise in proposal management, strategic planning, and persuasive writing, often supported by a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, communications, or a related field. Familiarity with proposal automation tools (like RFPIO or Loopio), CRM systems, and certifications such as APMP are commonly required. Strong leadership, attention to detail, and exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills set top performers apart in this role. These competencies are crucial for leading teams, producing compelling proposals, and securing business opportunities in competitive environments.

What is the difference between Director Proposal Development vs Proposal Manager?

AspectDirector Proposal DevelopmentProposal Manager
ResponsibilitiesOversees proposal strategy, manages teams, and ensures alignment with organizational goalsCoordinates proposal efforts, manages proposal timelines, and ensures compliance with RFP requirements
Required CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor’s degree, extensive proposal experience, and leadership skillsUsually requires a bachelor’s degree and experience in proposal coordination
Work EnvironmentStrategic, leadership-focused, often in corporate or government sectorsOperational, detail-oriented, often in government contracting or consulting firms

The main difference is that the Director Proposal Development focuses on strategic leadership and overseeing proposal teams, while the Proposal Manager handles day-to-day proposal coordination and compliance. Both roles require strong proposal experience, but the director role involves higher-level planning and management responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee?

The most popular types of Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee are:

What are popular job titles related to Director Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee?

For Director Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Director Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee look for?

The top searched job categories for Director Proposal Development jobs in Tennessee are:

What cities in Tennessee are hiring for Director Proposal Development jobs?

Cities in Tennessee with the most Director Proposal Development job openings:

Director Proposal Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Proposal Development job openings in Tennessee as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $83,764 per year, or $40.3 per hour.

Proposal Director

ASRC Industrial

Chattanooga, TN • On-site

Full-time

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

Company Overview
ASRC Industrial (AIS) is a people-oriented organization of complementary, providing construction services, industrial contracting for heavy civil and commercial private and state/government projects, and environmental solutions.
At AIS we have the opportunity to support a diverse set of companies and their unique services. We are unified by purpose to deliver safe, reliable solutions to our clients' unique challenges. And committed to providing superior service and leaving things better than we found them.
Job Summary
The Proposal Director position is a strategic leadership role responsible for managing enterprise-level proposal development efforts, advancing proposal excellence, and strengthening organizational competitiveness on priority pursuits. This position operates at both tactical and strategic levels, leading complex opportunities while contributing to the overall effectiveness, scalability, and continuous improvement of the proposal function.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record of managing proposal teams and leading winning federal proposals, ideally in the environmental, construction, nuclear, or industrial markets. Reporting to the Vice President of Proposal Operations, you will partner with business development, capture, operations, program management, contracts, pricing, and executive leadership to write compelling, compliant, and winning proposals that support organizational growth objectives.
This corporate position offers advancement opportunities and is based on-site at one of our corporate offices, preferably in Oak Ridge, TN; Tempe, AZ; or Albuquerque, NM. Other locations may be considered for highly qualified candidates.
To be the most successful you should have;
  • Has a strong understanding of federal government contracting and the procurement lifecycle.
  • Excels at managing the proposal process and writing compelling technical narrative.
  • Demonstrates strong business and financial acumen.
  • Is a driven professional who embraces challenges, is eager to learn new things, and takes ownership of their assignments.
  • Understands cost and pricing concepts.
  • Thrives in a dynamic, rapidly growing environment.
  • Is self-motivated and comfortable leading pursuits independently or contributing as a collaborative team member.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Proposal Leadership
  • Lead strategic, high-value proposal efforts from pre-RFP through submission and post-award lessons learned.
  • Facilitate the development of win strategies, key discriminators, themes, and messaging that align with capture activities, customer requirements, and organizational capabilities.
  • Provide guidance and expertise to capture teams during pursuit shaping and proposal planning activities.
  • Advise stakeholders on proposal best practices, compliance considerations, and competitive positioning.
  • Contribute to strategic initiatives that improve proposal effectiveness, efficiency, and overall business performance.

Proposal Management and Execution
  • Manage all phases of the proposal development lifecycle, including planning, scheduling, content development, reviews, production, and delivery.
  • Lead cross-functional proposal teams consisting of technical subject matter experts, program personnel, pricing staff, and executive leadership.
  • Ensure proposals comply with solicitation instructions and evaluation criteria.
  • Facilitate proposal reviews, including Pink Team, Red Team, Gold Team, and executive reviews.
  • Monitor schedules, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure successful proposal outcomes.
  • Maintain high standards for proposal quality, consistency, and responsiveness.

Team Leadership and Development
  • Mentor and develop proposal managers, coordinators, writers, and contributors.
  • Foster a collaborative, high-performance proposal culture focused on accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Support resource planning and workload balancing across multiple concurrent pursuits.

Operational Excellence
  • Identify and recommend opportunities to improve proposal processes, workflows, tools, templates, and knowledge management practices.
  • Promote the adoption of automation, collaboration technologies, and emerging tools that enhance proposal effectiveness.
  • Support organizational process improvement initiatives and quality management objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner closely with business development, capture, contracts, finance, pricing, security, and operations teams.
  • Support strategic planning activities related to pipeline development and business growth.
  • Build strong relationships with leaders and stakeholders across the organization.

Compliance and Risk Management
  • Ensure compliance with solicitation requirements, organizational policies, and applicable regulations.
  • Support adherence to CUI handling requirements, security processes, and customer-specific mandates.
  • Maintain accurate proposal documentation and records.

CORE COMPETENCIES
  • Demonstrated success managing and winning large, complex federal proposals.
  • Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to understand, interpret, and communicate technical requirements.
  • Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with executive leaders, capture managers, subject matter experts, proposal teams, and teaming partners.
  • Strong writing and research skills to support federal business development and sales efforts.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proficiency in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  • Ability to work under pressure in a deadline driven environment.
  • Is detail oriented, organized, and a problem solver.
  • Has an ownership mentality and is accountable for compliance and quality.
  • Skilled in managing multiple assignments with varying degrees of complexity and competing deadlines
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and at times under pressure in response to specific customer and stakeholder requests and deadlines

REQUIREMENTS
To be considered for an interview, candidates must submit a cover letter and resume tailored to this job posting (hint: treat this job posting as your RFP and tell us how you meet or exceed the requirements!).
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, English, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 18 years of proposal management with leadership experience supporting federal government procurements.
  • APMP certification and/or Shipley training is highly desirable.
  • Demonstrated success leading large, complex, and strategically important proposal efforts.
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
  • Strong understanding of proposal management methodologies and best practices.
  • Exceptional written, verbal, organizational, and presentation skills.
  • Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, Adobe Acrobat, and proposal collaboration tools.
  • Work may be required outside normal business hours and sometimes on short notice.
  • Must be willing and able to travel.

EEO Statement
AIS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, gender, color, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, religion, marital status, ancestry, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, or any other factor prohibited by applicable law.

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