Proposal Manager

Company Description

Swiftly is on a mission to help cities move more efficiently. We are the leading transit data platform for agencies to share real-time passenger information, manage day-to-day operations, and improve service performance. Today, over 200 transit agencies in 12 countries – including LA Metro, MARTA, SEPTA, and MBTA – rely on Swiftly to improve on-time performance by up to 40% and increase passenger information accuracy by up to 50%. The result is better service reliability, increased ridership, and more efficient transit operations.

Even though Swiftly's HQ office is located in San Francisco, CA, we are open to candidates in most locations across the U.S. as well as Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. At this time we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.

The Role

As Proposal Manager, you will own the project management of all RFP, RFI, and RFQ responses from intake to submission. You are the person who ensures the right people are contributing the right content at the right time — while account owners focus on tailoring proposals to their agency's specific priorities and needs. You'll report to Business Operations and work as a shared resource across Marketing, Sales, and Solutions Engineering.

Proposals at Swiftly

Our proposals function supports Swiftly's go-to-market efforts by managing the complex, multi-stakeholder process of responding to government procurement solicitations. Proposals at Swiftly require deep coordination across technical, commercial, and strategic content areas, and every submission is an opportunity to demonstrate how Swiftly's platform can transform transit service for the riders who depend on it.

What You'll Do (Key Outcomes):
RFP Project Management

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Own the end-to-end project management of all proposal responses, including timeline development, task assignment, compliance tracking, and on-time submission

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Support the evaluation of incoming RFPs/RFIs/RFQs to assess fit and develop go/no-go recommendations in partnership with Sales and Business Operations

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Build and manage proposal schedules, ensuring all internal contributors know their deadlines, deliverables, and review milestones

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Manage compliance matrices and ensure every submission requirement is addressed and accounted for in partnership with Sales, Marketing, Product and Solutions Engineering.

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Coordinate proposal production logistics: formatting, packaging, electronic or physical submission, and post-submission follow-up

Cross-Functional Coordination

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Serve as the central hub for proposal activity, coordinating inputs from Account Executives, Account Managers, Solutions Engineers, Marketing, Partnerships, Customer Success, and Business Operations

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Manage the operational components of each proposal, thereby freeing account owners to focus on agency-specific content

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Facilitate internal reviews and ensure feedback is incorporated before submission deadlines

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Partner with Solutions Engineers on technical response sections and with Partnerships on subcontractor and integration content

Content & Process Improvement

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Own the end-to-end proposal process across RFPs, RFIs, and proactive procurement processes, serving as the central coordinator across account owners, sales engineers, marketing, and product teams to produce professional and cohesive proposals.

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Drive content assembly by sourcing and adapting material from a content library and/or prior submissions, leveraging subject matter experts for written contributions, and editing for consistency, clarity, and alignment with each agency's specific context and goals.

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Manage the visual asset workflow — pulling screenshots, adapting graphics, writing graphic descriptions — to ensure every proposal meets a high visual and professional standard.

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Maintain and continuously improve Swiftly's proposal template library, ensuring templates reflect current product capabilities, implementation methodology, and competitive positioning

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Build and manage a centralized content library of reusable proposal responses, organized for quick retrieval and easy customization

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Conduct win-loss analysis on completed proposals to identify patterns and improve future submissions

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Leverage AI tools to improve proposal efficiency — from drafting initial responses to reviewing compliance and identifying content gaps

Forecasting & Operations

• Own RFP forecasting and tracking in partnership with Sales and Business Operations, providing visibility into upcoming solicitations and resource requirements

• Develop and maintain operational reporting on proposal volume, win rates, resource utilization, and process bottlenecks

• Build onboarding and enablement materials so GTM team members understand proposal processes, templates, and their roles in a response

• Establish proposal management best practices that scale as Swiftly's pipeline and product portfolio grow

What Will Set You Up for Success:
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3+ years of experience in proposal management, bid management, or RFP coordination — ideally in a B2B SaaS, govtech, or public-sector sales environment

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Proven ability to project-manage complex, multi-stakeholder deliverables with firm deadlines

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Experience with government procurement processes (RFPs, RFIs, RFQs) and familiarity with public-sector evaluation criteria and compliance requirements

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Excellent writing and editing skills, with an eagle eye for grammar and a strong sense of company voice

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Exceptional organizational skills — you can manage multiple concurrent proposals without dropping details

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Strong cross-functional collaboration skills; you're comfortable working with Sales, Engineering, Marketing, and executive stakeholders simultaneously

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Experience building and maintaining proposal content libraries, templates, and process documentation

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Comfort with AI-powered tools (e.g., Claude, proposal management software) and a drive to find efficiencies through technology

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Transit, transportation, or govtech industry experience is a strong plus but not required

Pay Range

In accordance with pay transparency laws, please see the approximate salary ranges below. These ranges represents the anticipated low and high end of the salary and any on-target earnings (if applicable) for this position. Actual salaries will vary and are based on a multitude of non-discriminatory factors including final role leveling decisions, a candidate’s relevant work experiences/skills, and geographic location. Salary is one component of Swiftly’s total compensation package, which also includes stock options, competitive benefits, 401(k)/ RRSP matching, a fantastic team and culture, opportunity to have a huge impact, emphasis on professional growth and holistic wellness, and other perks.

US Salary Range: $87,000 - $130,000 USD

Canadian Salary Range: $117,000 - $179,000 CAD

Beyond the Skills:

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about mobility, sustainability, or mission-oriented projects that have a significant real-world impact. Ideal candidates encompass the core values of our company:

• Team. Together, we are more effective and better supported

• Impact. Drive impact for our customers, our company, and all of our teams

• Diversity. See differing perspectives as ways to address our weaknesses and find new strengths

• Communication. Assume others internally and externally have good intentions

• Feedback. We share feedback because we want each other to grow professionally and personally

• Growth. Foster personal, professional, and company growth

Benefits:

• Competitive salary

• Equity compensation for every employee

• Medical, Dental and Vision

• Retirement with Employer Match

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Home office setup reimbursement

• Monthly cell/internet reimbursement

• Monthly "Be Well" stipend

• Flexible PTO with a recommended minimum

• Flexible work environment

• 16 paid holidays, including holidays in months without US national holidays

• 12 fully paid weeks of leave for child birth/adoption

Travel note: Swiftly employees can generally expect to travel 1–2 times a year for in-person company or team offsites. As a fully distributed company, we consider these offsites important for cultivating strong relationships across our teams! Attending these in-person is expected and encouraged, although we understand everyone has different personal circumstances and we will consider requests for exceptions. Customer-facing team members and other specific roles may be expected to travel more frequently.

We are a truly mission-driven culture that is set to change the world of transit

We are an equal opportunity employer - we are committed to a workplace that is as dynamic, diverse, and passionate as the communities we serve.

Because we work with public agencies, we participate in E-Verify.