Bids & RFP Coordinator

  • Illinois
  • World Book
Job Description

Job Description Salary: At World Book, we invest in extraordinary, diverse, talented, and passionate individuals to help us in our mission to spark imagination, cultivate curiosity, and empower education in young learners across the globe.

We are seeking a Bids, Proposals, & Contracts Coordinator to join our dynamic team.

Who We Are

An industry leader in both print and digital educational publishing, World Book delivers engaging content to equip students, parents, and teachers with the tools they need to reach academic success. We first launched the World Book Encyclopedia in 1917 and, since then, have expanded to produce nonfiction and mixed-genre children’s books, reference materials, digital learning platforms, teaching guides, and more—all upholding the same standard of innovation, trustworthiness, and readability upon which we were founded.

Bids, Proposals, & Contracts Coordinator Summarized:

The Bids, Proposals, & Contracts Coordinator will source opportunities (RFP, RFQ, RFI, grants) and lead the preparation and submission of winning proposals. In this role, the Bids, Proposals, & Contracts Coordinator will work with proposal team members to help respond to Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Quotations (RFQs), Requests for Information (RFIs) and manage the proposal development process to ensure on-time delivery of compelling, compliant, and well-written proposals.

The position involves researching, writing, and producing a high volume of client-facing documentation on behalf of our company in support of our print and digital products. This role will successfully communicate and collaborate with a variety of internal stakeholders, including Sales, Digital Product leads, Editorial, and other subject matter experts, as needed.

The Bids and Proposals Coordinator should have strong writing skills, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to generate creative ideas while working both independently and collaboratively. The successful candidate is expected to be a self-starter and multitasker who works well under pressure and follows through on tasks. We are looking for a strong team member who leads by example and keeps the team informed of changes.

Here's What the Bids, Proposals, & Contracts Coordinator will focus on:

Act as the central point of contact on assigned proposals, and lead and guide the work of the Bids and Proposals team Analyze RFQs, RFPs and RFIs to create proposal outlines and development plans Maintain and update all vendor registrations, including those using an online bid portal, with customer purchasing departments. Facilitate vendor registration with new entities, including preparation and submission of required documentation. Seek out new entities with whom we are not registered, to ensure the company receives notification of bidding opportunities Direct proposal kickoff and debrief meetings, as well as prepare detailed proposal plans, schedules, outlines, and compliance matrices for all phases of proposal development Plan winning themes, value propositions, strengths, risk reducers, and differentiated solutions to initial proposal outline Work closely with editorial and digital products team to complete the formulation of “win strategies and themes” (considering strategic relationships, competitor intelligence, etc.) and ensure the message is articulated throughout the proposal Facilitate multi-disciplined groups in brainstorming and developing solutions to key aspects of the proposal providing tactical advice and guidance with the ability to drive strategy and solutions that result in winning submissions Solicit management reviews and approvals during proposal development Monitor proposal content to ensure compliance to RFP requirements, evaluation criteria, and requirements Monitor for relevant competitive opportunities, managing the bid opportunities pipeline and circulating opportunities to the appropriate stakeholders Lead and/or support the development and submission of winning bid responses by working with the Bids team, internal experts and contractors, as required Research and gather information to include corporate information, product information, and other standard materials Maintain, augment and improve library of reusable components, templates, and processes to reduce response time and improve quality on future bids

Proposal Writing:

Write persuasively, including executive summaries and other critical components of deliverables Provide writing guidance to authors, SME leads to ensure proposals are clear and concise Strong aptitude for improving organization, flow, readability, completeness, and clarity of proposals

Post-Submittal Activities:

Debrief teams after proposal submittal Interview team members on successful or unsuccessful strategies and tactics, Facilitate a retrospective assessment on proposals, and refine future proposal strategies, process, templates and training

Basic Qualifications:

BS/BA degree, or equivalent in relevant experience 2+ years' experience writing and seeking grants and proposals in the educational publishing industry, as well as, corporate contract experience Proven ability to work across organizations with effective communication, leadership, and project management skills Proven attention to detail Excellent writing, grammar, and spelling ability Excellent presentation and written/oral communication skills Ability to work in a deadline-conscious, results-driven environment Experience with understanding and interpreting legal terminology a plus

Join a team of those who want to make a difference in education, are intellectually curious and have integrity! We can offer a means for you to achieve the goals you want to accomplish in your career. We can’t wait to meet you!

World Book is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

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