Job Summary

The Senior Proposal Writer, Water will work in close collaboration with the Water and Urban Resilience team to develop market capture strategies, support proposal solutioning, and lead proposal writing for multiple proposals a year. This position reports to the Senior Director of Water and Urban Resilience. This position will be based in Raleigh, NC, Washington, DC or remote within the US. The position will be expected to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time.

Candidates will be expected to submit a writing sample for consideration.

Responsibilities

Capture and Proposal Writing (70%)

• Serve as lead writer for high-value, complex proposals beginning with working with a capture team to develop a capture plan and, as appropriate, leading or supporting on-the-ground capture efforts.
• Collaborate with the technical lead, local resources, and partners to ensure local context and knowledge is captured and fully reflected in proposal drafts.
• Develop technical approach outlines and draft proposal sections with technical input, as agreed with the Proposal Leader and other proposal team members.
• Synthesize inputs from multiple authors to reflect a clear approach, readability, style, and one voice.
• Participate in design workshops and other proposal strategy, preparation and review activities and synthesize inputs from various data sources and stakeholders.
• Participate in collaborative business development opportunities across RTI’s technical divisions, including in roles such as technical advisor, reviewer, or other roles as appropriate.

Technical Leadership (20%)

• Lead or participate in RTI research on topics related to WASH, WRM, resilience, climate change, disaster risk management and/or other relevant topics.
• Provide technical support to ongoing projects through tasks like development of technical reports, presentations, or short-term technical assignments as appropriate.

Positioning and Marketing (10%)

• Write blog posts or articles about RTI project successes and research and share on/at social media, conferences, round tables, and other relevant events.Support other writing/editing tasks (including marketing material, executive communication, etc.) as required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in English, communications, international development or related field and minimum of 10 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of seven years of experience in international development, with at least five years writing winning competitive proposals and supporting other business development efforts.
• Demonstrated experience, as a lead proposal writer, with a proven track record on USAID proposals.
• Experience supporting capture and proposal development processes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with business development standards, terminology and best practice.
• Ability to communicate well, manage and cultivate strong relationships, convene the right people at all levels, and collaborate inclusively with a wide variety of individuals.
• Past experience working in the WASH and WRM sector and other related technical areas such as resilience, economic growth, and disaster risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute as part of a team to produce high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines.
• Must be able to work effectively under deadlines, both independently and as a team member
• Must be able to manage a multitude of tasks simultaneously and prioritize as necessary.
• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking and problem-solving skills, with a capacity to articulate the big picture and provide attention to detail.
• Fluency in oral and written English required. Working ability in French or Spanish a plus.