LFS is looking for a Proposal Development Manager to join our pond

Job Summary:
LeapFrog Solutions seeks an experienced, highly organized Proposal Development Manager with excellent leadership, management, interpersonal and problem solving skills. This is a multi-faceted position requiring hands-on new business support, initiative, adaptability and excellent follow through.

The Proposal Development Manager will be responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s proposal-related activities for the full procurement lifecycle. Working with other staff, this position contributes to the development and implementation of business development strategies, policies and procedures, encourages partnership development, and assures high-quality, compliant proposal submissions.

The primary responsibility is to lead company proposals and to ensure the highest standards in consistent, winning, and responsive bids. The proposals are predominantly technical responses; knowledge of pricing structures is desirable.


Basic Qualifications:

Three major areas: 1) individual proposal management and development, 2) monitoring and review of all proposals, 3) competitive and opportunity research
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or relevant field
Six years of proposal development and related management experience; at least three years experience in federal proposal management
Excellent computer skills; proficient in Outlook, Word, Excel, and automated project management tool (e.g. MS Project)
Track record of success in developing proposals according to federal, state, and local solicitations
Track record of success in supporting marketing communications industry proposal and business development
Demonstrated leadership in assuming responsibility for company proposals, through all development stages
Experience using varied multiple award contract vehicles (e.g. GSA AIMS, GSA ITSS, SeaPort-e)
Demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace
An analytical mind and ability to analyze large amounts of information and data quickly
Strong planning and decision-making skills to engage diverse individuals under tight time constraints
Experience and ability to obtain additional resources (e.g. consultants) as needed
Willingness to do hands-on support for company bids and related new business opportunity responses

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience and/or interest in marketing, media and/or advertising industries and a passion and desire to grow the company and grow with the company
Knowledge of pricing structures (FFP, T&M, cost plus, and combinations)
Strong leadership skills to train, mentor, provide work guidance, coordinate, oversee and lead company staff
Good interpersonal skills working with staff and potential customers
Solid capacity to look at situations from several points of view; flexibility
Experience working in a small firm/agency setting
High comfort level working in a matrixed environment; strength under pressure

Responsibilities:
Assume overall leadership and manage/conduct hands-on support for company document responses to new business opportunities (e.g. responses to sources sought notices, solicitations, and all phases of related marketing responses and proposal development)
Direct hands-on proposal development from qualification stage through market research, and straw man proposal development, engaging appropriate staff, and fully developing and enforcing consistently high quality standards in production and final product:
Qualify bid opportunity
Conduct market research including using resource tools (i.e. FedMine, GSA E-Buy, FedBizOpps, E-VA, E-MD)
Engage appropriate staff for input and support
Outline proposal and develop compliance matrix; enforce compliant response
Facilitate kick-off with win theme development and other strategies
Develop production schedule
Write sections (i.e. boilerplate)
Organize and lead all review stages (pink, red, green, gold)
Do final editing and production of document – hard and electronic copies
Take charge of all volume development including business/costing; contribute to costing
Develop other responses to opportunities (e.g. oral presentation slides)
Refine and update proposal development procedures, template, tools, and techniques
Maintain complete files and records of proposal related materials and final products
Train and develop junior/support staff
Grow the proposal development capabilities as the company grows

Essential Job Functions
Market and Opportunity Research
Investigate information related to a new business opportunity
Conduct competitive analysis
Examine customer buying habits
Recommend bid strategy – technical and cost
Work with bid team and proposed project director to strengthen competitive advantage
Proposal Development Management
Take all steps necessary to produce substantial winning response to solicitations
Establish budgets for proposals (B&P) and for overall proposal development
Manage proposals and department to budgets; often multiple simultaneous proposals
Maintain timelines and enforce deadlines and high quality standards
Ensure full compliance of product with solicitation
Oversee document production including development in Word, integration of graphics and other input (e.g. photos), final production including quality control, and delivery
Corporate Support
Contribute to marketing planning and strategy; support corporate strategic initiatives
Manage and coach staff in consistent high quality responsive proposal development

Compensation:
Competitive and commensurate with experience

To apply for this position, please send an email to LFS_careers@leapfrogit.com with “Proposal Development Manager” in the subject line.

LeapFrog Solutions article in Washington Technology

Check out LFS in Washington Technology:

How one small business chipped away at the market and captured a $75M opportunity
By David Hubler
Dec 19, 2011

Contrary to its name, marketing and communications company LeapFrog Solutions didn’t immediately leap into the government market.

That happened in 2002, when Lisa Martin’s company won three small consulting contracts from the Federal Railroad Administration, Voice of America and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Others modest government awards followed from the Secret Service, National Credit Union Administration and Office of the Currency.

To read more - click here http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/12/19/leapfrog-fema-contract.aspx

Martin said she quickly realized that, like commercial entities, many federal agencies had websites that were not in sync with their mission statements. Also, activities such as direct mail, trade show appearances and ad campaigns also were disjointed because each operation was the responsibility of a different domain.

So for the government market, she said, “Our very ambitious goal was ‘make the message matter.’ Whether it was online, offline, we wanted to make the message consistent.”

LeapFrog’s big leap into the government arena began in 2008, when the Federal Emergency Management Agency set aside its marketing and communications contracting as a small-business award.

To read more, click here http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/12/19/leapfrog-fema-contract.aspx

HopToIt: Don't Make Your PowerPoint Pointless

By Mark Nelson

PowerPoint presentations are so ubiquitous in today's business world that I have difficulty remembering the last time I attended a live or online event where the speaker (or speakers) did not click through a deck of computerized slides overflowing with information, charts, graphs, diagrams, photos or illustrations.

The original PowerPoint was developed for Macintosh computers and called "Presenter." It was renamed PowerPoint in 1987 and its developers sold it for $14 million to Microsoft, which launched it three years later. Businesses worldwide quickly embraced it and used it to create computerized presentations that replaced clear plastic "foils" that were shown on overhead projectors.

Some speakers can't let go of their PowerPoints. A former colleague once announced his candidacy for Congress via PowerPoint. His friends joked that he probably would propose by PowerPoint.

I'm sure you have suffered through 60-slide presentations delivered in machine-gun style by speakers who attempt to cram an encyclopedia of information into their allotted 15 minutes, or worse, the hour-long presentation, usually delivered right after lunch in a darkened hotel conference room.

To read more click here

Happy Birthday Rich Gilroy!

Happy Birthday to our Account Director Rich Gilroy!

His words of wisdom - "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!"

Just Another Friday at the Pond

Look who dropped by the pond!

It was great to see Jim Henry, former and forever froggy, today at the office. Jim was up for a rainy Nationals game and stopped by to check in on the team.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying retirement Jim!!!

Hop To It: Is It Time to Rebrand?

By Pam Long

Before we talk about rebranding, let's talk about what the word "brand" means. A brand is the essence or promise that a product, service or organization delivers to or is experienced by a buyer. Your brand confirms your credibility and connects your target audience emotionally. A strong brand will motivate and create loyal users. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions. Although your organization's name, logo and theme help to support the brand, they are not the only elements. Indeed, successful brands — such as Apple, McDonald's and Coca-Cola, to name a few — are represented by every aspect of their communications, from advertising to websites to press releases to promotions.

So what does "rebranding" mean? An organization goes through changes and evolves over time. As a result, sometimes the current brand does not align with whom and what the organization is, nor does the brand represent where the organization is heading. And sometimes an organization's relationship with its customers changes.

Another way to define rebranding is to think of your brand as the foundation of your organization. If your foundation has developed a few cracks, it may be time to lay a new one.

Keep in mind that rebranding is more than just enhancing your company logo. Rebranding means taking a hard look at your current positioning, messaging and values. Sometimes, for example, an organization's ownership and mission shift, and your values and priorities may shift as well. Sometimes, public tastes and attitudes change, and it's time to align your brand accordingly. In the late 1990s, for example, Target was viewed as just another low-price retailer, indistinguishable from Walmart or Kmart. Through exclusive deals with high profile designers and personalities such as Isaac Mizrahi, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Graves and others, Target positioned itself as "affordable chic" and began to stand out from its competitors. Today, Target is second only to Walmart in retail sales.

In determining whether to rebrand, you might consider an internal analysis of your brand by looking at its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). It is also a good idea to determine if your brand has "equity." Brand equity is the existing value of how and what you do, plus your reputation with you customers, staff and other stakeholders. You can measure your brand equity by looking at the following attributes:

Brand Reputation — Exactly how is your organization perceived and viewed?

Brand Awareness — Is your target audience aware of your organization? Do your competitors get more attention than you do?

Brand Momentum — Is your brand stale or is it growing? Have you outgrown your current brand? Does your brand have a negative issue associated with it?

A key to a successful brand is to understand the needs of your target audience and prospects. Remember, if you do not create your brand, your customers will create it for you.

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Pam brings over 20 years of industry experience in marketing communications and branding. She is a successful manager of complex projects at every phase of marketing and specializes in developing and fostering strong client relationships in understanding their needs and business objectives to align with the appropriate marketing strategies and tactics.