About SMS Assist

SMS Assist is a growing Chicago tech company that specializes in managing our clients’ facilities in a better, faster, and simpler manner. SMS Assist’s tremendous growth over the past few years has resulted in numerous awards, including being recognized as an award-winning technology company and industry leader.

Core Responsibilities of the Proposal Manager

• Increases SMS Assist’s revenue, margin and customer experience by developing and delivering proposals for high value facilities maintenance work tickets.  These proposals range in value from $5,000 to $75,000 per job.

• Prepare, review, and approve proposals for facilities maintenance work (pricing, scope, etc.) as submitted from affiliate service provider base.

• Assess reasonability of cost.

• Assess feasibility and likelihood of proposed scope to address the customer’s need and produce a high first time fix rate.

• Negotiate proposals with affiliates and customers.

• Ensure proposals contain adequate justification and support (financial / cost data, context, photographs, schematics, etc.) for proposed scope to secure customer’s approval for the job.

• Draft coherent, effective text to properly and clearly communicate proposals.

• Deliver, as necessary, comparative data points.  

• Increase velocity of quotation cycle time from first draft proposal submitted by affiliate to customer disposition.

• Serve as a technical expert and resource for Operations/Customer Service Managers in our Commercial Department

• Serve as key point of contact and able to resolve contract issues with affiliates/contractors

• Answer inbound calls and Queue calls from (as well as make calls to) field techs regarding pricing and technical assistance.

• Assist operations in technical advice.

• Make outbound calls to customers for quote approvals.

Key Competencies of the Proposal Manager

• Technical expert in the General Building Maintenance field

• Ability to negotiate contracts and resolve conflicts with contractors/affiliates

• Ability to onboard, and train new affiliates in the proposal process

• Ability to review and approve quotes and invoices 

• Strong verbal and written communication

• Successful, professional negotiation and conflict management skills

• Flexible and adaptable

• Ability to develop relationships with affiliates and customers

• Strong work ethic and integrity

• Awareness of risk mitigation techniques

• Strong desire and ability to contribute to and work with a team

• Ability to solve problems

• Takes initiative to proactively solve problems

• Ability to collaborate with others in a corporate/office environment

Education and Experience of the Proposal Manager

 • 10+ years professional experience in facilities maintenance management
o 5+ years at management level preferred
• Estimating experience 
• Proposal drafting
• Strong financial acumen
• Hands-on technical expertise in the field is a plus
• Relevant industry certifications are a plus
• Proficient with: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook

Additional Requirements of the Proposal Manager

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities, and schedule may change at any time with or without notice.

SMS Assist is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that welcomes and encourages all applicants to apply regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify and/or expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital or parental status, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy or other reasons prohibited by law. 

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.