Senior Proposal Manager

About inquirED

inquirED supports teachers with high-quality instructional materials that make joyful, rigorous, and transferable learning possible for every student. Our pre-K/TK and elementary curricula include Great First Eight (Pre-K/TK), Inkwell (K–2 integrated ELA and social studies), and Inquiry Journeys (K–5 social studies). Together, they help students develop the deeper knowledge, comprehension, literacy, and inquiry skills they need to grow as readers, writers, thinkers, and participants in a thriving democracy.

About the role

Description

inquirED is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager to own state and district RFP responses and instructional materials adoption submissions for pre-K/TK, elementary social studies, and elementary core ELA.

You will lead the full proposal process—from interpreting solicitation requirements and developing a response plan to writing persuasive narratives, coordinating supporting materials, and submitting complete, accurate proposals on time. As the primary writer and project owner, you will turn complex curriculum information into clear, evidence-backed responses that address each evaluator’s requirements and priorities.

This role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong writing skills, and the judgment to manage complex submissions independently. You will coordinate colleagues across Sales, Marketing, Curriculum, Product, Partner Experience, and Operations, establish clear responsibilities and deadlines, and resolve routine issues with minimal guidance. Your work will help inquirED earn state approvals and district awards that bring our curricula to more teachers and students.

Own state and district submissions

• Manage RFPs and adoption submissions across pre-K/TK, elementary social studies, and elementary core ELA, taking responsibility for the complete submission from initial review through confirmed receipt.
• Read all solicitation documents, rubrics, attachments, and addenda; build compliance matrices that capture eligibility criteria, required responses, supporting evidence, forms, submission rules, and deadlines.
• Develop project plans with clear owners, milestones, review cycles, and internal deadlines, managing multiple submissions simultaneously.
• Identify potential disqualifiers, unclear requirements, and resource constraints early; prepare clarification questions and escalate decisions that require leadership or specialist input.

Write persuasive, accurate proposals

• Serve as the primary writer for executive summaries, curriculum narratives, implementation plans, and other substantive proposal responses.
• Tailor each response to the state or district’s priorities, evaluation criteria, and scoring rubric.
• Translate input from curriculum and product experts into clear explanations of instructional design, standards alignment, research, assessment, differentiation, and implementation support.
• Accurately represent each curriculum’s scope, available grade levels, components, and any required companion programs.
• Verify claims and supporting evidence, adapting existing content to each solicitation rather than relying on generic responses.

Coordinate contributors and protect submission quality

• Give subject matter experts focused requests that identify the question, required evidence, response format, and deadline.
• Coordinate standards alignment materials, research documentation, pricing, certifications, contractual exceptions, samples, and reviewer access with the appropriate owners.
• Review and edit contributor materials before circulating consolidated drafts for further review.
• Conduct final checks for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and compliance, including signatures, file naming, page limits, formatting, and addendum acknowledgments.
• Complete portal uploads and coordinate electronic or physical delivery, retaining submission records and confirming receipt before deadlines.

Improve proposal readiness and results

• Maintain a calendar of relevant state adoption windows and district RFP opportunities, partnering with Sales to assess eligibility, product fit, and submission readiness.
• Provide bid/no-bid recommendations based on requirements, evaluation criteria, available evidence, and the resources needed to submit a competitive response.
• Maintain an organized, current library of approved narratives, evidence, standards documentation, and submission materials across all three curriculum areas.
• Track submission outcomes, request evaluator feedback when available, and use findings to strengthen future responses.
• Improve workflows and quality checks to prevent recurring errors and reduce unnecessary rework.

Requirements

• Typically 4–7 years of related experience in proposal writing and management, with demonstrated ownership of complex competitive submissions.
• Experience managing state or district education RFPs, instructional materials adoption submissions, or comparable public-sector procurements.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including experience serving as the primary writer of persuasive, evidence-backed proposals.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret detailed solicitation requirements, build compliance matrices, and write to formal evaluation criteria.
• Strong project management skills and a record of coordinating contributors and meeting overlapping deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accountability for the accuracy and completeness of final submissions.
• Ability to work independently, determine an effective approach to new assignments, resolve problems, and improve processes.
• Ability to learn and clearly explain pre-K/TK, elementary social studies, and elementary core ELA curricula, including their instructional approaches and implementation requirements.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with educational publishing, curriculum procurement, or state instructional materials reviews.
• Familiarity with early childhood instruction, inquiry-based social studies, knowledge-building ELA, and the science of reading.
• Experience preparing standards alignment documentation or coordinating curriculum evidence for formal reviews.
• APMP certification or training in an established proposal methodology.

Why Work For Us

• Health & 401K: Employee-covered health care and retirement match
• Flexible PTO & Company Closures: Flexible PTO and 12+ observed days off.
• Chances to Connect: Biannual company retreats and optional local meetups 
• Remote Opportunities:  Most positions are remote, supporting work-from-home flexibility  
• Perks and Stipend: Technology package provided, plus a home office stipend
• Learning and Development: Educational and development opportunities, monthly Brunch and Learns, and more!

The base compensation range for this role is $97,750–$132,250. Total compensation for this role also includes a full benefits package. This compensation range and title may be adjusted based on actual experience.

Please note that because of high application volume, we are only able to respond to applicants moving forward in the process.

Must be U.S. based.