Proposal Development Manager

PSE Healthy Energy is an independent scientific research institute that puts rigorous, evidence-based science at the heart of energy policy. Our work delivers tangible impact: protecting public health by exposing pollution risks from fossil fuels, accelerating an equitable and prosperous clean energy transition for all, and safeguarding vulnerable communities from climate threats. Our multidisciplinary team conducts targeted research in five practice areas: Clean Energy Transition, Environmental Public Health, Climate, Energy Equity, and Oil and Gas. We translate our scientific findings into credible, actionable insights that inform decision-making to drive meaningful change across policy and practice.

POSITION

Reporting to the Director of Development, you will partner closely with them to execute on PSE's strategic fundraising priorities for restricted funding opportunities. The Director sets the overall revenue strategy, cultivates high-level funder relationships, and balances restricted/unrestricted goals; you serve as the operational leader for proposal development, owning the full lifecycle from opportunity pursuit through award handoff. This role transforms innovative research ideas and partnerships into compelling, compliant, and fundable projects by uniting scientific staff, Programs, Finance, Operations, and Communications teams. Through disciplined processes, strategic positioning, and seamless transitions, you enable our researchers to focus on generating evidence that drives policy change and protects public health.
Success in this role is defined by the measurable impact of your leadership, producing winning, high-quality proposals that strengthen client confidence, accelerate delivery, and drive organizational growth. It means shepherding a streamlined, compliant process that enables seamless handoffs to project teams, reduces cycle times, and sustains an audit ready operation. Above all, success is empowering our team to stay focused on advancing mission critical research while the proposal process runs with clarity, consistency, and excellence. 

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Proposal Development & Leadership

• You lead the full lifecycle of funding proposals, from opportunity identification and cultivation to successful award and smooth handoff to program teams.
• You coordinate cross-functional teams—including scientific staff, Programs, Finance, Operations, and Communications—to transform innovative research concepts and partnerships into high-quality, funder-aligned submissions.
• You establish clear timelines, facilitate kickoff and review meetings, manage iterative drafting, and ensure timely, compliant preparation of final packages for submission.
• You contribute strategic insights to bid/no-bid decisions and proposal positioning in collaboration with the Director of Development and Program Leadership, helping shape winning themes that align with PSE's fundraising strategy and funder priorities.

Compliance, Risk Management & Assurance

• You embed rigorous compliance into every proposal to protect PSE from legal, financial, reputational, and operational risks.
• You develop and apply detailed compliance checklists, verify all required certifications, forms, eligibility rules, and data submissions, and confirm PSE's full ability to deliver on proposed commitments ethically and feasibly.
• You coordinate essential agreements such as NDAs, LOIs, due diligence reviews, and subaward documents to secure strong partnerships.

Budget, Staffing & Technical Integration

• You align financial plans with scientific objectives to create realistic, compelling, and internally consistent proposals.
• You gather and incorporate workplans, effort estimates, staffing needs, resumes, biographical sketches, and salary justifications from Principal Investigators and technical experts.
• You verify precise alignment between technical narratives, budgets, and subaward details, including thorough cost explanations.

Strategic Positioning & Partner Coordination

• You enhance PSE's competitiveness by researching funders, competitors, and potential collaborators to strengthen proposal positioning in line with Director-led strategy.
• You serve as the central coordinator for multi-organization proposals, managing shared deadlines, document exchange, role assignments, compliance flow-downs, and collaborative responsibilities.
• You integrate equity considerations throughout the process to advance PSE's commitment to environmental justice and inclusive outcomes.

Award Management, Negotiation & Transition

• You oversee post-submission progress from award notification through negotiations, final signatures, and project start dates.
• You facilitate efficient agreement reviews and secure archiving of final contracts, budgets, and terms.
• You prepare comprehensive handover packages and lead knowledge-transfer meetings with program, finance, and operations teams to ensure seamless project launch without gaps.

Process Improvement, Knowledge Management & Capacity Building

• You strengthen PSE's overall proposal capabilities by developing and maintaining a central library of reusable templates, boilerplate language, resume collections, and successful examples.
• You track key metrics—including submission volume, win rates, cycle times, and bottlenecks—and maintain accurate Salesforce pipeline data to support the Director's forecasting and strategic adjustments.
• You lead debrief sessions after submissions to capture lessons learned, document best practices, and recommend process enhancements.
• You provide hands-on training and coaching to staff on proposal best practices, compliance standards, and clear, funder-focused writing.
• You research and implement tools or automations to streamline workflows, improve system integrations, and reduce administrative burdens so our researchers can focus on mission-critical science.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years proven expertise in managing the full lifecycle of institutional funding proposals, including grant writing, compliance, budgeting, submission, and award transition for foundations, federal agencies, philanthropies, or similar funders.
• Strong project management and organizational skills to lead cross-functional teams, coordinate complex timelines, and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.
• Excellent ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with scientific/program staff, finance/operations teams, leadership, and external partners.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, with strategic insight to develop compelling, funder-focused narratives and winning themes.
• Familiarity with CRM systems for pipeline tracking (Salesforce preferred) and common proposal development tools/workflows.
• Familiarity with securing and managing multi-year or high-value grants/contracts in competitive funding environments.
• Deep commitment to PSE's mission, including advancing equitable, health-protective energy and climate solutions, public health protection, environmental justice, or closely related fields.

LOCATION and WORK CONDITIONS

Remote within the United States. Extended or irregular work hours will be required during project sprints or rollouts. Position requires computer usage and sitting for extended periods of time,  good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read technical information. Overall mobility is essential.

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS

• Competitive Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications.​
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.​
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with employer match.​
• Flexible spending accounts
• Flexible time off and 15 Paid holidays
• Professional Development: Opportunities for continued education and training.​
• Work-Life Balance: Flexible working hours and remote work options.​

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume or CV and provide a cover letter and provide any relevant certifications in the online portal. Applications received by February 20, 2026 will be given priority review. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

PSE Healthy Energy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity and expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

E-VERIFY NOTICE

PSE Healthy Energy participates in E-Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration, and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. Please note that we do not use this information to pre-screen job applicants.