Proposal Manager

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we're committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

As a Proposal Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the entire RFP process from start to finish, ensuring that all proposals meet the required standards and are submitted within the designated timeframes. You will collaborate with various departments, including marketing, sales, and customer service, to create strategies, programs, and resources that empower our sales force to improve efficiency, increase revenue, and maintain a high level of customer engagement. Your role will involve training and maintaining the RFP library, working with the marketing team on branding and messaging, and using automated proposal collaboration and document management tools. Additionally, you will build and maintain a pitch plan, gather and create content assets, and partner with client leaders and pursuit teams to ensure timely delivery of work. You will also conduct competitor reviews, design sales tools and processes, support the development of GTM strategies, and stay informed about industry trends to identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation. Finally, you will define and track key performance indicators for sales enablement effectiveness and act as a liaison between sales and marketing to ensure seamless communication and collaboration

Essential Duties And Tesponsibilities:

• Train and keep RFP library up to date.
• Project manage the entire RFP process from start to finish. Collaborating with all business lines, regions, practices, sales and service teams.
• Work with Marketing Team on concise, consistent branding and messaging.
• You will be responsible for creating strategies, programs, and resources that empower our sales force to improve efficiency, increase revenue, and maintain a high level of customer engagement. This position will work closely with Line of Business Leadership, Sales Leadership, Corporate Marketing, and Customer Service teams to align content, training, and tools to the broader business objectives.
• Uses automated proposal collaboration and document management tools, including SharePoint and Proposal Repository Software.
• Ensures responses meet all RFP requirements, complete required questionnaires and forms, arrange all proposal information into required format and submit proposals within required timeframes.
• Build and maintain a pitch plan with key milestones.
  • Gather and create content assets as agreed with the team.
  • Partner with client leaders and work with pursuit teams enabling each contributor in each role to own their work and deliver it on time.
  • Work with design or production resources as assigned to ensure flawless delivery of content and pitch theatre.
• Conduct competitor reviews and help create winning sales propositions.
• Partner with sales leadership to design sales tools and processes that enhance sales effectiveness.
• Support the development of GTM strategies (events, lead generation, outbound marketing) and execute with a focus on what will land with prospective buyers.
• Stay informed and report on industry trends, competitor offerings, and market dynamics to identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for sales enablement effectiveness, including ramp-up time, quota attainment, and win rates.
• Act as a liaison between sales and marketing to ensure seamless communication and collaboration.
• Maintain proficient knowledge of, and demonstrate ongoing compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to this position, ensure ongoing adherence to policies, procedures, and internal controls, and meet all training requirements in a timely manner

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education:

• High School Diploma Required
• Bachelor's degree, Desired

Travel:

• Some travel required

Experience/Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of proven/related project management experience
• Experience with Loopio and all Microsoft applications a plus
• Excellent writing skills
• Customer and servicing customer knowledge required.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Working knowledge and competency in use of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook and other software as required by position.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with all levels of employees.
• Assertive, self-starter.
• Strong influencing skills ability to influence others and present information.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
• All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience plus potential for annual merit increase. In addition to your competitive salary, you will be rewarded benefits including: 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, Medical, Vision & Dental insurance, 401K with generous match, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, Banking discounts and the list goes on!

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk or sit. Use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms, and speak and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to lift and or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to focus.

The Company is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

The Company will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability. If you have a physical or mental impairment and would like to request an accommodation with respect to the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.