Lead Technical Proposal Writer

The Lead Technical Proposal Writer is a member of the Business Development team and will work with technical and country staff on proposals to public and private sector funders, primarily to US Government (USG) agencies. This position serves as lead writer for proposals across Pact’s Impact Areas, including Governance, Health, Capacity Development and Innovation, and Sustainable Markets (Environment, Energy, Livelihoods, Responsible Mining), in a wide range of country contexts. The Lead Technical Proposal Writer will be responsible for developing responsive cross-sectoral proposals that are compliant with funder requirements, working with the Integrated Communications team to make narratives visually compelling. The Lead Technical Proposal Writer will also support the development of materials for prepositioning, such as capacity statements, and contribute to thought leadership materials that influence stakeholders in the various technical areas. While reporting to the Sr. Director, Public Business Development, the Lead Technical Proposal Writer is a member of the cross-technical Technical Writing and Editing (TWE) team and takes part in TWE meetings and initiatives. This includes contributing to resource materials and trainings for the TWE team-led Technical Writing Community of Practice (TWCOP).

Key Responsibilities

Technical Proposal Writing and Editing (75%)

• Serve as lead writer for donor-funded proposals across Pact’s Impact Areas in accordance with Pact and donor requirements
• Lead technical proposal development in collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) and proposal manager, including contributing to technical design sessions on proposal strategy, facilitating development of win themes, and participating in discussions with potential partners
• Develop outlines and technical narratives by collecting and integrating contributions of technical sections from SMEs, partners, and consultants, ensuring clear articulation of technical approach, competitive advantage, and corporate capabilities to implement proposed project
• Participate in technical design sessions and color team reviews to draft and revise technical narratives
• Ensure responsiveness of technical proposal to the solicitation
• Collaborate with proposal team members to ensure alignment of technical and cost proposals
• Edit proposals and proposal sections in accordance with Pact standards and solicitation requirements

Training and Mentorship (15%)

• Develop and provide training to Pact staff on proposal writing; mentor members of Business Development team on proposal writing
• Improve proposal writing process, such as developing standardized technical design sessions and proposal writing tools

Thought Leadership (10%)

• Participate in TWCOP meetings and contribute to setting best practices for proposal writing processes, standards, and templates
• Draft business development products for external audiences such as institutional capability statements and past performance references
• Uphold Pact’s core competencies of respect, inclusion, and integrity by helping to build an environment of accountability and learning, keeping work commitments and respecting colleagues’ time, and listening to country team voices

Employee complies with all company policies and procedures, including completing all compliance training topics by the deadline to satisfy each and receiving the corresponding acknowledgment statement that the training has been completed.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree with eight (8) years work experience or bachelor’s degree with at least ten (10+) years work experience
• At least five years of experience designing programs and writing successful proposals of more than $5 million for USG funders, especially USAID, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Labor
• Experience working in and/or writing proposals for at least one of Pact’s Impact Areas with willingness to develop expertise in one or more other Impact Areas
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with country office staff and working with technical and business development teams under time pressure
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office products, particularly Word and SharePoint
• Demostrated organizational and critical thinking skills
• Available for occasional international travel

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of the international development landscape, including funders and implementing partners
• Experience writing proposals for contracts and and global awards, such as IDIQs
• Complementary experience with both public and private funders, such the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Global Affairs Canada, foundations, and companies
• Experience developing prepositioning documents, such as blog posts on technical topics and capability statements
• Experience providing training on proposal writing and other business development topics, including for non-native English speakers
• Proficiency in a foreign language, preferably Spanish or French

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.

At Pact, we recognize your impact, offer you opportunities and support your total well-being. Our comprehensive benefit offerings may include healthcare, retirement (8.8% to 13% based on service tenure) and savings plans, paid time off, disability and life insurance programs, learning and development opportunities, wellness programs as well as other optional benefit elections .

With the continuing impacts of COVID-19 around the world, we are taking action to protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and maintain the safety of the communities where we operate. Pact seeks an environment free from COVID-19 and prefers all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Attestation of vaccination status will be required for employment with Pact. Unvaccinated employees may be subject to additional health and safety requirements to include any federal, state and/or client restrictions.