Ready to make a difference in our world and its built environment while in a fast-paced, dynamic position? Looking to be a valued contributor to a team of professionals advancing new technologies and processes? Bored by a technical writing position that doesn’t allow for creativity and flexibility?

ARA is an employee-owned company offering exceptional work environments and substantial benefits and incentives. You can be part of a team of passionate, service-focused professionals, located all around North America. With recent growth and expansion, ARA’s Transportation Infrastructure Division (TID) is actively recruiting a detail-oriented, energetic, and driven professional to participate in technical proposal submissions.

ARA has a long history of providing technical and highly innovative solutions to a wide range of government and commercial clients. We provide answers to solve problems of national and global significance. The TID staff includes nationally recognized leaders in applied research, consulting and technical assistance, software, and technology deployment in the areas of infrastructure engineering, asset and risk management, project selection, safety, traffic, and sustainability.

Ideally, our proposal development professional / writer will work in Champaign, Illinois, alongside other members of the proposal support team, but we also invite candidates interested in working in our office in Madison, Wisconsin. Remote work options may also be available for the right candidate.

What you will do as a proposal development professional / writer:

The primary responsibility of this proposal development professional / writer is to assist in the generation of compelling and compliant engineering- and science-related proposals to government and commercial customers. The right candidate will have exceptional writing and editing skills, as well as being able to meet strict deadlines. In this position, you will be:

• Working with technical staff to generate win themes, discriminators, staffing/management plans, and technical approaches for responses to requests for proposals (RFPs).


• Ensuring that we submit proposals that effectively address RFP requirements and highlight ARA’s qualifications and offering.


• Coordinating with ARA managers and monitoring progress to ensure proposals are reviewed, approved, and completed.


• Tracking multiple proposal opportunities by maintaining accurate and timely information.


• Maintaining qualifications documents, resumes, past performance summaries, photo/graphics library, and related proposal materials.

The proposal development professional / writer also develops or participates in the preparation of project reports, presentations, exhibits, and promotional materials as needed.

Proposal development professional / writer requirements:

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or higher in a related field—generally English, journalism, marketing, etc., but we also may consider someone with a degree in an engineering/science field, with appropriate experience. In addition, qualified applicants must have:

• 2+ years of experience, including experience in both writing and editing proposals and/or grants


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Word)


• Strong communication skills with basic understanding of engineering and science terminology


• Willingness to work extended and/or flexible hours to meet proposal deadlines

Experience developing cost/price proposals, formatting documents for electronic media (including compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act), and graphic design are highly desirable.

About ARA:

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs about 1,500 professionals and continues to grow. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in civil technologies, computer software and simulation, defense technologies, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for pavement analysis, environmental site characterization, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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