Senior Proposal Writer, Water

RTI International / Research Triangle Institute (RTI) is both a global research institute and a leading international development organization. We combine these powerful capabilities with those of our partners to co-create smart, shared solutions for a more prosperous, equitable, and resilient world. Based in North Carolina, USA, RTI is one of USAID’s top implementing partners. A commitment to making meaningful change energizes our 6,000 staff who deliver results across eight international development sectors and in more than 80 countries.

RTI's Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI's experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

The Senior Proposal Writer, Water will work in close collaboration with the Water and Urban Resilience team to develop market capture strategies, support proposal solutioning, and lead proposal writing for multiple proposals a year. This position reports to the Senior Director of Water and Urban Resilience. This position will be based in Raleigh, NC, Washington, DC or remote within the US. The position will be expected to travel internationally approximately 25% of the time.

Candidates will be expected to submit a writing sample for consideration.

Capture and Proposal Writing (70%)

• Serve as lead writer for high-value, complex proposals beginning with working with a capture team to develop a capture plan and, as appropriate, leading or supporting on-the-ground capture efforts.
• Collaborate with the technical lead, local resources, and partners to ensure local context and knowledge is captured and fully reflected in proposal drafts.
• Develop technical approach outlines and draft proposal sections with technical input, as agreed with the Proposal Leader and other proposal team members.
• Synthesize inputs from multiple authors to reflect a clear approach, readability, style, and one voice.
• Participate in design workshops and other proposal strategy, preparation and review activities and synthesize inputs from various data sources and stakeholders.
• Participate in collaborative business development opportunities across RTI’s technical divisions, including in roles such as technical advisor, reviewer, or other roles as appropriate.

Technical Leadership (20%)

• Lead or participate in RTI research on topics related to WASH, WRM, resilience, climate change, disaster risk management and/or other relevant topics.
• Provide technical support to ongoing projects through tasks like development of technical reports, presentations, or short-term technical assignments as appropriate.

Positioning and Marketing (10%)

• Write blog posts or articles about RTI project successes and research and share on/at social media, conferences, round tables, and other relevant events.Support other writing/editing tasks (including marketing material, executive communication, etc.) as required.

• Master's degree in English, communications, international development or related field and minimum of 10 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor's degree and 12 years of relevant experience. 
• Minimum of seven years of experience in international development, with at least five years writing winning competitive proposals and supporting other business development efforts.
• Demonstrated experience, as a lead proposal writer, with a proven track record on USAID proposals.
• Experience supporting capture and proposal development processes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with business development standards, terminology and best practice.
• Ability to communicate well, manage and cultivate strong relationships, convene the right people at all levels, and collaborate inclusively with a wide variety of individuals.
• Past experience working in the WASH and WRM sector and other related technical areas such as resilience, economic growth, and disaster risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute as part of a team to produce high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines.
• Must be able to work effectively under deadlines, both independently and as a team member
• Must be able to manage a multitude of tasks simultaneously and prioritize as necessary.
• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking and problem-solving skills, with a capacity to articulate the big picture and provide attention to detail.
• Fluency in oral and written English required. Working ability in French or Spanish a plus.

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For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.

Salary : $118,000 - $144,000