Bids and Proposal Specialist

Description

Capstone is seeking a Bids and Proposals Specialist to support the preparation, coordination, and submission of compliant, accurate, and competitive bids, proposals, RFX responses, and contract renewals within a children-focused, highly regulated edtech organization. This role supports multiple concurrent proposal and renewal activities. This includes existing bid contracts, BOCES agreements, cooperative purchasing submissions, streamlined proposal opportunities, and competitive RFPs. This role executes established proposal processes and ensures alignment with approved business, legal, and regulatory requirements.

Our preference is for this role to be hybrid based out of North Mankato, MN, or Eden Prairie, MN, locations. However, fully remote work may also be considered.

Why You’ll Want to Join Capstone

We support teaching and learning with amazing content that engages students, inspires teachers, and connects families and communities to move literacy forward. Capstone is a fast-paced growth company committed to cultivating a love of reading and learning. We know that Learning is for Everyone.

For more than 30 years, Capstone has been a national leader in K-5 educational content including digital products (PebbleGo, PebbleGo Next, PebbleGo Create, Capstone Interactive, Capstone Connect) and award-winning books. We combine a passion for helping foster a powerful love of reading and learning with the talent to create amazing content.

We are a mission-driven company that provides opportunities for professional learning and development and a culture of inclusion and belonging.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Proposal Management

• Coordinate and execute bids, proposals, RFX responses, amendments, and renewals in accordance with established processes, timelines, and internal approval requirements.
• Support renewals for existing bid contracts, BOCES agreements, and cooperative purchasing vehicles by preparing required documentation, validating pricing and terms against approved guidelines, and ensuring timely, compliant submissions.
• Prepare and submit streamlined proposals and amendments using approved templates, pricing, and contractual language, escalating exceptions as required.
• Assist with competitive RFX responses by organizing inputs from cross-functional subject matter experts (SMEs), drafting and editing content, and ensuring compliance with solicitation requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Maintain proposal content libraries, templates, and related documentation to ensure accuracy, version control, and audit readiness.
• Apply quality control and compliance review procedures, coordinating legal, privacy, security, and internal approvals prior to submission.
• Track proposal and renewal activity, maintain records of submissions and outcomes, and support reporting on proposal pipeline and renewal status.
• Support early-stage capture and opportunity assessment activities, including tracking upcoming bids and renewals and assisting with customer or stakeholder outreach as directed.

Collaboration

• Collaborate with cross-functional internal teams, including Sales, Marketing, Product, Security, Technical, and Legal SMEs, to gather required information and inputs for bids, proposals, RFX responses, and renewals. Serve as a central point of coordination to support a consistent and unified proposal approach.
• Coordinate proposal development activities by verifying factual accuracy, editing and proofreading content, and ensuring information is current, accurate, and aligned with approved product offerings and messaging.
• Schedule, host, and facilitate proposal-related project meetings to support alignment, track progress, and manage inputs across contributors, including coordination of technical assessments and questionnaires.
• Support and guide SMEs on interpreting RFX requirements and using approved tools and templates to develop clear, accurate, and responsive content that addresses solicitation criteria and evaluation requirements.

Education, Experience, and Skills desired:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or relevant proposal management certification.
• Project management certification preferred.
• Two to four years of experience coordinating proposals from RFP receipt and evaluation through kickoff, compliance review, production, and final submission.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong customer service and stakeholder support skills, including responsiveness and professionalism in customer and internal communications.
• Proficiency with proposal management tools and systems.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe and Microsoft 365 applications.
• Working knowledge of Salesforce or similar CRM platforms.
• Understanding of contract terms and conditions and the ability to work within approved legal and pricing frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft, edit, and proofread proposal content accurately.
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to coordinate multiple complex projects and subject matter experts simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a cross-functional team.
• Willingness and ability to learn and adapt to new tools and technologies, including AI-assisted writing tools and online procurement systems.

Travel Requirements

This position requires minimal travel.

Inclusion & Belonging

Capstone embraces equal opportunity and a culture of belonging for all employees and applicants. We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidate information will be kept private according to EEO guidelines. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to hrservices@capstonepub.com.

The pay range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered surrounding compensation including but not limited to: skill sets, experience and training, work location, and other business and organizational needs. At Capstone, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $65,000-$85,000.

Capstone strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our employees and their families. Click here to see our benefits.

Pre-Employment Background Check Required.

California Applicants:

Applicants from California can access our California Privacy Notice here.

Employment Authorization:

At this time Capstone unfortunately cannot sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. To be considered for one of our roles, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.