Senior Manager, Proposals and Pursuits
About the role
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 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.com
About Bennett Jones
For over a century, Bennett Jones has been an internationally recognized Canadian law firm founded and focused on principles of professional excellence, integrity, respect and independent thought. Our firm’s leadership position is reflected in the law we practise, the ground-breaking work we do, the client relationships we have and the quality of our people.
Bennett Jones is home to more than 500 lawyers and business advisors in seven offices—Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montréal and New York. Our professional practice encompasses virtually every sector of business, industry and government. Operating seamlessly across our geographic locations, our business practice is to assign lawyers to work on client files who have the skills and experience that best meet our clients’ needs.
Our ranks are filled with leaders in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, energy and natural resources, corporate finance and banking, bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial litigation, climate change, environment, ESG, construction, technology and intellectual property, tax, competition, international trade and public policy. Members of our exceptional Public Policy group have served at the highest levels of office and been invaluable for their leadership in shaping public policy in Canada—and in developing business responses to those policies.
Among our group we count a former governor of the Bank of Canada, two former deputy prime ministers of Canada, a former Supreme Court of Canada justice, a former Canadian ambassador to the United States of America and a former commissioner of the Canadian Competition Bureau.
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Senior Manager, Proposals and Pursuits
About the role
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 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.com
About Bennett Jones
For over a century, Bennett Jones has been an internationally recognized Canadian law firm founded and focused on principles of professional excellence, integrity, respect and independent thought. Our firm’s leadership position is reflected in the law we practise, the ground-breaking work we do, the client relationships we have and the quality of our people.
Bennett Jones is home to more than 500 lawyers and business advisors in seven offices—Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montréal and New York. Our professional practice encompasses virtually every sector of business, industry and government. Operating seamlessly across our geographic locations, our business practice is to assign lawyers to work on client files who have the skills and experience that best meet our clients’ needs.
Our ranks are filled with leaders in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, energy and natural resources, corporate finance and banking, bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial litigation, climate change, environment, ESG, construction, technology and intellectual property, tax, competition, international trade and public policy. Members of our exceptional Public Policy group have served at the highest levels of office and been invaluable for their leadership in shaping public policy in Canada—and in developing business responses to those policies.
Among our group we count a former governor of the Bank of Canada, two former deputy prime ministers of Canada, a former Supreme Court of Canada justice, a former Canadian ambassador to the United States of America and a former commissioner of the Canadian Competition Bureau.