Proposal & Business Development Associate

ABOUT THE POSITION

DMGroup is hiring a Proposal & Business Development Associate for its Boston office. The position offers an opportunity to support our firm's mission to improve public education.

The Associate will be part of the Partnerships and Client Development (PCD) team and support business unit owners across the front end of our sales process: researching district opportunities, preparing proposals and RFP responses for schools and school districts, and keeping our CRM and sales records accurate and up to date.

LOCATION

DMGroup's headquarters are located in Boston, MA. This role will be expected to report to the Boston office on a regular basis (3 days per week) with some flexibility to work remotely as business needs allow.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Proposals and RFP responses

• Monitor procurement portals and district sites for relevant RFPs, RFQs, and bid opportunities.
• Coordinate RFP responses from start to submission: build response timelines, assign sections to business unit owners, and track deadlines.
• Draft, edit, and format proposal content, ensuring every response follows the district's requirements and format.
• Build and maintain a library of reusable proposal content, including firm background, case studies, bios, and references.
• Manage required forms, certifications, and submission logistics.

Sales research

• Research districts and prospects using Burbio and other sources, including school board minutes, strategic plans, budgets, and leadership changes.
• Identify early buying signals and share relevant opportunities with the PCD team and business unit owners.
• Prepare account background and briefing materials ahead of sales and client meetings.

CRM and sales administration

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in our CRM, including contacts, accounts, opportunities, and communication notes.
• Run pipeline and activity reports for the PCD team and leadership.
• Support data cleanup and process improvements as we consolidate our CRM systems (Salesforce/Hubspot).
• Provide administrative support to the PCD team, including preparing PowerPoint decks and meeting materials.

Events and conferences

• Support the PCD Director and marketing team with sales and marketing events and conferences, including the firm's annual summit.
• Assist with participant registrations and communications, vendor coordination, and event materials.

Additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have:

• A bachelor's degree (preferred)
• 3–5 years of experience in proposal development, sales support, or sales operations
• Strong writing and editing skills, with a sharp eye for detail and compliance with submission requirements
• Experience writing and preparing RFP responses or grant applications for public-sector or education clients, ideally schools or school districts; grant writing experience is highly valued
• Hands-on CRM experience, including data management and reporting
• Comfort conducting research and turning it into clear, useful information for a sales team
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines at once in a fast-paced environment
• A positive, solutions-oriented approach to work
• Strong competency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and AdobePro

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with CRM administration, data cleanup, or system migration
• Experience with event registration or event management software such as Cvent
• Knowledge of the K-12 education market or public procurement
• Candidates may be asked to complete a short real-time writing or editing exercise as part of the interview process.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.

ABOUT DMGROUP

For over 20 years, District Management Group (DMGroup) has been assisting the superintendents and CEOs of school districts and their leadership teams to dramatically improve public education for all students.

DMGroup provides school systems with superior strategic insights and tactical solutions to the most pressing challenges facing school system leaders today. In addition to direct consulting, we research and publish on best practices and develop technology solutions to help district leaders implement and sustain reform. Through our consulting, research and technology solutions, we are recognized as thought leaders in national conversations on education reform including the areas of strategic planning and resource allocation, human capital including pay for performance, special education and struggling students, and in stakeholder engagement.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or physical ability.