What initially drew you to the world of proposal and bid management?
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of storytelling and strategy, which naturally led me to a career in marketing communications and I worked in several marketing roles. In 2009, I joined SRC, Inc. as their Marketing Director. Not long after, I was asked to lead the proposal management team.
What I enjoy about proposal management is how it brings structure to what can often be a chaotic process. There is a real sense of order amid tight deadlines and high stakes. At the same time, you are crafting compelling narratives that showcase complex technical solutions. What really drew me in was the opportunity to directly contribute to company growth.
A CEO at my former company told me, “There’s nothing more important coming out of this company than proposals. They are the lifeblood of our business.” That really stuck with me because proposals do more than just win work. They help our customers achieve their missions, provide meaningful opportunities for our employees and support the growth of our communities.
And – although it’s a different context from marketing – you are still applying those core skills in communication and storytelling. The key difference in proposals is the immediacy and impact. At the end of that intense journey, you have a tangible result – a proposal that has the potential to truly make a difference in your customer’s world.
A CEO at my former company told me,“There’s nothing more important coming out of this company than proposals. They are the lifeblood of our business.”
Could you walk me through your career to date?
At Saab, Inc., I manage a corporate proposal center supporting four Divisions and our Innovation Center. My career to date has been built on my marketing communications interest and finding areas to add value.
Going way back, after graduating, I faced a tough job market and returned to school for a travel and tourism certificate. This led to my first sales role with a major airline. A couple of years later, I transitioned to the marketing department of a utility company, promoting energy efficiency programs in upstate New York. This led to a position at Carrier Corporation, where I marketed products to manage energy needs, from residential furnaces to large commercial chillers.
I travelled extensively for the job and with a growing family, I needed a change. I sought a role with less travel while still doing meaningful work. That’s when I joined SRC, a defense contractor, which sparked my interest in the defense industry.
I helped build their marketing department and within a year, expanded into a broader role managing Business Development Operations, including capture analysts and the proposal team. In this role, we connected business development directors with the teams delivering proposals.
"Proposals do more than just win work. They help our customers achieve their missions, provide meaningful opportunities for our employees and support the growth of our communities."
How has the bid and proposal landscape changed since you started in this field?
The proposal landscape has changed dramatically. It is now more technical, data-driven and compliance-focused. You can write the best story in the world, but if it is not compliant, it will not make it past the first gate. There’s a stronger emphasis on compliance, automation tools and integrating capture strategy earlier in the process.
Speed is also a growing factor. Even large, competitive proposals often start with just a 30-day turnaround. While we sometimes get extensions, timelines are tight. If you have not begun developing proposals artifacts during the capture phase, the pressure when the RFP hits is intense.
COVID also accelerated changes in how we work. We used to have in-person proposal centers. Now everything is virtual. While this model lets us support teams across the country more efficiently, it presents new challenges. For example, team members – especially those new to the company or industry – may find it harder to build relationships and fully understand the business. However, virtual work aligns better with the demands of proposal management. This is not a 9-to-5 job. We’re often working late – prepping for red team reviews or finalizing a submission. Proposal managers always have to stay one step ahead.
"Proposal managers always have to stay one step ahead."
What’s been your biggest professional challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest professional challenge began when I took on my current role. I was afforded an early retirement from my last company, and planned to focus on consulting. However, this opportunity came up – and it was an exciting assignment!
One of the biggest challenges was harmonizing proposal processes across multiple business divisions with vastly different cultures and expectations. I overcame it by listening first – understanding each team’s pressure points – then building trust through quick wins. From there, we built a shared vision and introduced scalable tools like a corporate boilerplate library and automation platforms.
Rather than coming in and trying to change everything immediately, I spent the first 18 months listening. I literally walked around with yellow sticky notes, capturing comments, concerns and suggestions. Over time, I grouped these into themes and used those insights to build a plan.
I shared this plan with stakeholders to build trust and ensure alignment. From there, we created a shared vision which was reviewed and approved by senior leadership. The goal was to align our processes with those of our parent company while also defining what people, tools, and resources we needed.
I truly believe in the idea that to embrace the future, you must honour the past. That applies to individuals and organizations alike. You cannot come in and disregard everything that came before you. The people who built the company got it to where it is today. Change must be respectful and collaborative – built on trust and a shared vision of what’s possible.
When I started in this role we had no automation tools – just SharePoint and Microsoft Office. We were still manually shredding proposals. So, we prioritized tool selection, onboarding and process development. Now, two years in, we are entering the next phase: enforcing the process, training teams and onboarding new talent effectively.
Employee onboarding is a challenge with our rapid growth. We’re building structured training for proposal managers, sales, marketing and leadership. In May, we’ll offer cost volume training with Shipley and capture training is planned for the fall.
"I truly believe in the idea that to embrace the future, you must honour the past."
What skills do you believe are most crucial for success in bid/proposal management today?
As a proposal manager you must think strategically. You need to understand the opportunity you are pursuing, the technical solution offered and how it aligns with the customer’s needs. Working calmly under pressure is essential.
Emotional intelligence is just as important as project management. Team members bring their whole selves to the work – some may be dealing with personal challenges, and in smaller companies, a program manager might be juggling both active contracts and proposal writing. You need to recognize those pressures and respond with empathy and awareness.
Yes, you must be an excellent project manager – but that’s just the baseline. You also need sharp attention to detail. A strong proposal manager operates at both 30,000 feet and ground-level – seeing the big picture while managing every detail. That balance takes time and experience. If you lose sight of that, you risk becoming purely transactional – just following steps and checklists – rather than driving toward what the team is really trying to achieve.
"A strong proposal manager operates at both 30,000 feet and ground-level - seeing the big picture while managing every detail."
How have you approached learning new skills as the industry has evolved?
I stay connected to APMP and attend one of their conferences every couple of years, often giving these opportunities to my team as well.
I also have had a mentor for about 15 years, a former proposal manager from a large company. We met when he was brought in as a consultant on a major proposal at my last company. We have stayed in touch, and I still turn to him when I face challenges or just need to talk. Beyond that, I also reach out to other proposal managers and my teammates here at Saab, for support and insight.
I make time for professional development – workshops, webinars and training sessions. Webinars are especially helpful because they’re often recorded, which allows me to catch up later if my day gets busy.
That said, the most valuable learning has come from being in the trenches – working directly on proposals or alongside my team. Every proposal is different and presents new challenges. Some really stretch your abilities, and those experiences are where growth happens. There’s no substitute for hands-on, real-time learning when it comes to proposal management.
"Every proposal is different and presents new challenges. Some really stretch your abilities, and those experiences are where growth happens."
Are there any skills that you wish that you had developed earlier in your career?
One of the biggest lessons in my career was learning to delegate. A few years back, a leader told me I wasn’t “strategic enough” to move up. At the time, I didn’t understand – I had strategy certifications from leading schools and years of experience. But I eventually realized the issue, I was doing too much myself and not growing my team, so I had to shift my mindset.
I now realize that leadership isn’t about doing – it’s about coaching, mentoring and empowering others. Delegation builds trust, creates shared accountability and allows others to grow. Strong leadership is helping to create more leaders.
What role has mentorship played in your career – are there any individuals that have played an important role in your career to date?
Mentorship has been foundational to my growth. I had female leaders who gave me stretch assignments, helped me navigate corporate culture and prepared me for change. In male-dominated industries, they helped me sharpen my analytical thinking and understand the importance of data and process.
Now, I actively mentor others and pay it forward. It’s one of the most fulfilling parts of my work: helping people find what excites them and guiding early-career professionals who feel stuck or ready for the next step.
One mentee started as a marketing coordinator and led her company’s first website project – today, she’s a Director of IT. Another, a young engineer, asked for help refining his business plan to launch his startup. These are the kinds of transformations I love to support. I truly believe mentorship is one of the most powerful tools for creating impact.
"Strong leadership is helping to create more leaders."
What advice would you give to somebody just starting or transitioning into our proposal management role?
Don’t get overwhelmed – especially in the defence industry – by the acronyms or the complexity of the Department of Defence and its agencies. Focus instead on learning the process, understanding the technology, getting to know your customers and becoming a calm, steady presence at the centre of the storm.
As a proposal manager, if you go off the rails, the team will follow. So, when things get chaotic, bring people back to the moment – think about the next hour, not the next 24. The next day, not the whole week. Be the person who keeps things grounded and moving forward. Always think ahead – not just to the red team meeting this week, but to next week’s review. You don’t need to know everything; you need to bring the right people together to answer the right questions.
And above all, align your career with your values. Early in my career, I faced a real values conflict. I chose to leave and find an environment that aligned with who I am. That’s why I’ve stayed at companies like Saab – places where the mission and values reflect my own. When there’s alignment, you thrive.
What do you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your career?
It’s important to set boundaries – it’s okay to say “no” or “not now.” Boundaries make you more effective. Saying “no” or asking for time to assess how new tasks fit into your priorities can be the best approach.
Additionally, every proposal – win or lose – offers valuable lessons. The lessons learned from each proposal are crucial. There is no such thing as failure, just learning – failure comes only if you don’t apply the lessons learned.
"There is no such thing as failure, just learning. Failure comes only if you don’t apply the lessons learned."
What would you say has been your most valuable lesson from a proposal that has not won?
I remember early in my career we lost a proposal because the capture strategy wasn’t aligned with the information we were receiving from the customer. It wasn’t questioned, and even though I had a feeling something was off, I didn’t feel like I had a voice to speak up. We submitted the proposal and lost. The lesson that stuck with me is that proposal managers are a vital part of the team. If you have concerns, you need to find the right way to raise them. Even if the outcome remains the same, you will feel better knowing you did your due diligence.
How do you maintain work-life balance in a field known for intense deadlines and high pressure?
It’s tough, but at my last company, I focused on understanding why we were working so much overtime. Engineers were often late in providing content, so I took a hard stance: any overtime had to be approved by me to help me determine whether delays were in our control or the customer’s. Building relationships helped us set boundaries and reduce unnecessary overtime.
In this phase of my career, I try not to contact my team outside of working hours unless it’s an emergency and make a conscious effort to log off when I get home to spend time with my family. I plan my week on Sundays, then review the next day each evening for good time management. I also make time for self-care–for example I try to step out of the office for lunch or to get outside for a short walk.
How do you think the profession will evolve in the next few years?
Automation and AI will continue to transform content creation and management, but strategy and human connection will remain key. As an early adopter of technology, I plan to use an AI tool for content development. However, given the rapid pace of AI advancements, we’re all still figuring out how best to utilize it. While AI won’t replace proposal managers, my view is it will handle administrative tasks, like preparing kick-off slides or red team materials, freeing up time for more strategic work.
Ultimately, the heart of proposals will always focus on the customer. AI can help us focus on administrative tasks, allowing proposal managers to focus on strategy and human connection.
"Ultimately, the heart of proposals will always focus on the customer."
What qualities do you believe are essential for success in proposal management?
I look for qualities like resilience, empathy and adaptability. In this field, setbacks happen, whether it’s a lost proposal or challenges with a colleague. How you handle those situations matters. You need to adapt, especially since every proposal is unique – the team, customer and solution vary, so you cannot apply the same approach to a $500 million proposal as you would to a $20 million proposal.
As a proposal manager, you lead through influence. You must build trust with proposal partners and communicate effectively with both executives and engineers. It’s about being able to operate at both high-level and ground-level perspectives. While executives focus on resources and deadlines, engineers focus on the solution. It is your job to ensure everything stays aligned and the proposal is on track for success.
Many thanks to Maria for sharing her inspiring career journey and valuable insights. This marks the first installment in our series of career interviews with leaders in bids and proposals -stay tuned for more to come.
