We are mission-driven to advance wellbeing across the Quality of Life ecosystem through impactful leadership. Come join us!

THE ORGANIZATION

At WittKieffer, we recognize that the well-being of people and communities is inextricably tied to health, education, and scientific advancement. That is why WittKieffer exclusively serves organizations aligned to these areas of impact, as we have for more than 55 years. We help our clients navigate this ever-evolving and complex world by using our unique insight to identify and enable exceptional leadership. We precisely tune our services to the needs of each client, delivering high-impact executive search, interim and on-demand leadership, and leadership advisory solutions. Our insight-driven approach to building and enabling leadership teams is fundamental to our purpose: Improving Quality of Life through Impactful Leadership.

The Commercial Strategy & Insights (CSI) team is a strategic imperative serving our clients, candidates, and colleagues at WittKieffer. The team plays a pivotal role in fully establishing and embedding knowledge and data-grounded insight as a foundational element of the firm’s brand, client leadership solutions, business development, and operations. To differentiate WittKieffer through an insight-driven advisory approach, there are four interconnected levers building the CSI team: insights, impact assessment, client strategy, and pursuit management.

THE ROLE

WittKieffer considers the role of the Senior Pursuit Strategist instrumental in driving commercial effectiveness. To build lasting and high-value client relationships, the firm must respond to clients’ needs in a tailored fashion efficiently and effectively. This starts with producing timely and compelling content for Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), new business pursuits, and pitches (collectively, “proposals”).

The primary responsibility of the Senior Pursuit Strategist is to deliver high-quality, opportunity-specific proposals with competitive and compelling messages to optimize WittKieffer’s new business opportunities in the higher education market. The Senior Pursuit Strategist will drive and manage every facet of the proposal lifecycle in support of business development activity, including: 1) creating content for proposals, executive summaries, pitch decks, and other sales-related materials; 2) expertly guiding and partnering with consultants through the proposal processes; and 3) contributing to the development and continuous improvement of proposal management processes, tools, and templates.

With responsibilities across multiple concurrent projects, this position is characterized by shifting priorities, strict deadlines, and occasional extra hours to accomplish tasks within non-negotiable client deadlines. Work will be conducted in a remote or hybrid environment.

This position offers a base salary of $84,000 to $139,000, plus a target bonus of 10%. Salary within our ranges is determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, location, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. WittKieffer offers a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, life and disability insurances, and generous paid time off.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Independently develop, write, and manage compelling, client-centric proposals from intake to submission, articulating strong, concise value propositions and impactful messaging across various formats (e.g., text, slide design, etc.).

• Lead the development of complex proposals for leadership positions, integrated solutions, or new service offerings, collaborating with teams to craft and present unique talent/market insights and client solutions.

• Partner with consultants in the higher education market to prepare for pitches, offering consultative guidance, innovative ideas, talking points, and visually engaging slides/materials.

• Work independently and collaboratively with consultants in the higher education market, the CSI team, and others to understand the unique needs of current and prospective higher education clients, crafting tailored messaging, visual content, insights, and data that enhance differentiation and drive brand positioning.

• Ensure all assigned proposals are submitted on time and in compliance with client requirements and internal quality standards.

• Diligently review, edit, and proofread proposals for accuracy, incorporating the latest insights/data and adhering to brand guidelines.

• Identify and help implement opportunities for process improvement, including building and maintaining a response asset library to improve efficiency and consistency in proposal development; advocate for and institutionalize proposal best practices.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal clients, consultants, and other key stakeholders.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree is a plus.

• A minimum of five years of experience in proposal development, business writing, marketing, or a related field, ideally in professional services or higher education.

• Good understanding of current market trends in higher education and talent-related themes.

• Proven track record of producing winning proposals and securing new business opportunities.

• Advanced writing, editing, and proofreading abilities with meticulous attention to detail.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint; familiarity with CRM systems and proposal automation tools is a plus.

Critical Competencies:

• Displays a high degree of gravitas, resilience, and ability to influence through a strategic, hands-on approach.

• Demonstrates critical thinking and the ability to quickly learn a wide variety of topics, applying specialized expertise to align proposals with client needs and market trends.

• Excels in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment, effectively managing competing priorities and demonstrating strong time management and project management skills.

• Communicates with precision, confidence, and clarity, particularly in written form.

• Demonstrates strong business acumen and a sense of urgency in responding to client needs and dealing with senior decision-makers and critical business issues.

• Maintains consistency, accuracy, and exceptional attention to detail across deliverables.

• Embraces a culture of purpose, collaboration, and trust.

Witt/Kieffer Inc. ("Witt/Kieffer") provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. WittKieffer will recruit, employ, train, promote and compensate our employees without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, pregnancy, military status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identify, disability or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. WittKieffer will endeavor to make reasonable accommodation, as required by law, for qualified individuals with known disabilities or religious practices unless doing so would result in an undue hardship on the operation of our business.