About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced Manager - Proposals to lead the end-to-end proposal development process for large-scale warehouse automation and supply chain transformation projects.

The role will work closely with Sales, Solution Engineering, Product, Delivery, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to translate customer requirements into technically robust, commercially viable, and executable proposals.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in proposal/bid management, RFP/RFQ management, project estimation, implementation planning, commercial models, and cross-functional stakeholder management.

Key Responsibilities:

Proposal & Bid Management:

- Lead the complete proposal lifecycle from RFP/RFQ evaluation through final submission.

- Own proposal planning, coordination, reviews, approvals, and timely submission.

- Partner with Sales and cross-functional teams to develop customer-centric proposals.

- Ensure proposals meet technical, commercial, quality, and compliance requirements.

- Track proposal turnaround time and success metrics and drive process improvements.

Solution Scoping & Implementation Planning:

- Understand customer requirements, warehouse operations, and automation objectives.

- Define implementation scope, methodology, deployment approach, timelines, milestones, and acceptance criteria.

- Develop implementation plans covering installation, commissioning, UAT, go-live, and hypercare.

- Collaborate with Delivery, Engineering, and Product teams to validate feasibility.

- Prepare effort estimates, resource plans, project schedules, and cost models.

Commercial & Engagement Models:

- Develop proposals across CapEx, Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS), SaaS, Hybrid, System Integrator-led, and Direct Deployment models.

- Work with Finance and PMO teams to validate costing, pricing, margins, and commercial assumptions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

- Work closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, Solution Engineering, Supply Chain, Installation & Commissioning, Delivery, and PMO teams.

- Facilitate requirement-gathering sessions, customer workshops, and implementation discussions.

- Translate customer expectations into executable project deliverables.

- Identify and align technical assumptions, dependencies, and implementation risks.

Proposal Documentation & Knowledge Management:

- Develop high-quality proposal documentation covering:

1. Implementation methodology

2. Project plans and timelines

3. Resource plans

4. Risk and mitigation plans

5. Assumptions and dependencies

6. Solution overviews

- Maintain proposal templates, documentation standards, and knowledge repositories.

- Drive continuous improvement of proposal content and best practices.

Customer Engagement:

- Participate in customer meetings, workshops, technical discussions, and proposal walkthroughs.

- Respond to customer clarifications during the bidding process.

- Support Sales teams during solution presentations and implementation discussions.

Requirements:

- 8 - 12 years of relevant professional experience.

- Strong experience in Proposal Management, Bid Management, RFP/RFQ Management, and Project Estimation.

- Strong understanding of warehouse operations, supply chain processes, and warehouse automation.

- Experience in implementation planning and project execution.

- Knowledge of automation deployment methodologies and project execution lifecycles.

- Strong commercial awareness and cost-estimation capabilities.

- Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

- Strong written and verbal communication skills.

- Excellent documentation and presentation skills.

- Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and project documentation tools.

Preferred Experience:

- Candidates with experience in the following areas will be preferred:

1. Warehouse Automation

2. Robotics

3. Material Handling Systems

4. WMS / WES

5. Supply Chain Technology

6. Large-scale Enterprise Deployments

7. Global Customer Proposals

8. Large RFP/RFQ Responses

9. Product-based Technology or Engineering Organizations