Proposal Engineer

The Proposal Engineer plays a central role in shaping winning proposals that align with Waterleau’s business objectives and client requirements. Working closely with the Sales Leader and Proposal Director, this role is responsible for ensuring that proposals are strategically positioned, technically accurate, high-quality, and delivered within defined timelines.

The Proposal Engineer combines technical expertise in water and wastewater treatment with strong organizational and communication skills to coordinate inputs from cross-functional teams, ensuring that each proposal effectively showcases Waterleau’s capabilities and solutions.

Responsibilities

The job will include a mix of the following activities:

• Proposal Strategy: Collaborate with the Sales Leader and Proposal Director to develop competitive and client-focused proposal strategies. Perform competitive analysis to tailor solutions according to the client’s needs.
• Proposal Development & Execution: Plan and manage timelines using the gate system. Monitor progress, keep stakeholders informed, and ensure persuasive and client-tailored proposal content is delivered on schedule.
• Proposal Quality: Ensure all proposals are aligned with Waterleau’s product strategy, use standardized deliverables, and meet agreed quality levels. Guarantee compliance with client requirements, technical feasibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with Sales, Technical, and Management teams to align proposals with capabilities and strategy. Support Sales with client interactions, clarifying requirements, answering questions, and contributing to long-term customer intimacy.
• Process & Tools Management: Develop and maintain proposal templates, tools, and documentation processes. Provide feedback to the Proposal Director on tools and process improvements.
• Process Design Competence: Ensure technical calculations follow internal rules and standards. Use approved process design tools and ensure proper validation is applied.
• Performance Metrics & Reporting: Provide regular updates on technical and financial aspects of proposals, highlighting risks and progress to management.

Competences and Skills

• Technical/process design competences
• Understanding of biological, chemical, and physical wastewater treatment processes (activated sludge, MBR, MBBR, nitrification/denitrification, sludge treatment, etc.)
• Experience with process simulation and design tools
• Process design and mass balance calculations
• Sizing of tanks, pumps, blowers, aeration systems, clarifiers, filters, etc.
• Familiarity with P&ID development, instrumentation, and process control concepts

Strategic Competencies

• Understanding client needs through active listening, clear communication, and analytical problem-solving.
• Competitive positioning: Ability to match Waterleau’s solutions to client challenges while articulating a compelling value proposition.
• Strong writing skills: Crafting clear, persuasive, and concise proposal content that resonates with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Operational Competencies

• Cross-functional coordination: Collaborating with Sales, Technical, and Management to deliver complete and coherent proposals.
• RFP compliance: Matching tender specifications with Waterleau’s portfolio while maintaining deadlines and quality standards.
• Proposal preparation: Managing proposals within the gate system, ensuring consistency, quality, and timely delivery.

Interpersonal Competencies

• Communication & collaboration: Ability to simplify complex topics and align diverse stakeholder perspectives.
• Negotiation & persuasion: Positioning proposals in a client-centric way, addressing objections, and strengthening customer trust.

Organizational Competencies

• Time & stress management: Maintaining resilience when working under pressure and strict deadlines.
• Process & workflow optimization: Building standardized templates, managing version control, and ensuring accurate documentation.
• Attention to detail: Guaranteeing compliance, proofreading deliverables, and ensuring high-quality output.

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Engineering.
• Experience:
• 3-5 years of experience in a similar function
• Extensive knowledge of water and wastewater treatment processes, covering theory, design, and operations.
• Skills:
• Strong technical writing and editing abilities.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Proficiency in proposal tools and software.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are an asset.

What you can expect

• A dynamic and innovative work environment within a globally recognized leader in water technology.
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
• A chance to work on impactful projects that contribute to sustainability and water conservation.

Are you ready to make a difference? Join Waterleau and help us shape the future of water technology