We’re looking for a seasoned communications agency professional who understands how scopes are developed, written, and managed—and knows what it takes to win new work. Deeply rooted, hands-on experience working within a communications agency is a strict, non-negotiable requirement for this role

Who We Are

D&A Communications is a San Francisco–based, equity-first agency with over 30 years of experience advancing inclusive, community-centered strategies. We are culturally fluent storytellers who integrate public relations, creative services, and public engagement to deliver transformative communication programs for clients in both the public and private sectors—including government agencies, nonprofits, and mission-driven companies.

Our work focuses on meeting people where they are—developing strategies that reflect community voices and promote equitable outcomes. From expanding transportation access and affordable housing to raising awareness about environmental resilience to healthcare access and educational equity, we address the barriers impacting low-income residents and communities of color.

With deep cultural competency and a strong understanding of diverse social landscapes, we specialize in social impact sectors such as healthcare, housing, transportation, and education. Partnering with government agencies, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), and socially responsible companies, we design inclusive, community-centered campaigns that foster trust, build lasting connections, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

What You Will Be Doing

You will lead business development efforts by proactively managing our agency’s full pitch and proposal lifecycle—from opportunity vetting and go/no-go recommendations to final submission—ensuring absolute alignment, clarity, and strategic focus.

You must demonstrate a masterful ability to navigate all elements of complex government, nonprofit, and corporate RFPs within the communications space. You will serve as our lead strategist and writer for proposals, bringing deep agency communications knowledge and absolute confidence in shaping winning narratives. You will develop original content and articulate our agency’s strengths and equity lens in every submission.

This role requires a rare combination of tactical project management mastery and high-level editorial execution. You will independently identify high-potential opportunities and lead cross-functional teams with confidence, clarity, and outcome-based accountability to drive meaningful business growth.

You’ll develop strategic pitches and proposals that promote equity and social impact—spanning transportation access, environmental resilience, government reform, health access, housing, and community engagement. Many will focus on equity-centered communications and public awareness strategies that help public and private agencies better serve historically excluded communities.

Who You Are

You are an agency native, a strategic thinker, and an exceptional writer with deep public sector communications experience and a commitment to social impact. You lead with confidence, manage processes meticulously, and take fierce initiative.

You are…

• An Agency-Minded Proactive Thinker: You understand the fast-paced nature of agency business development, billable models, and pipeline velocity.
• A Masterful Writer & Editor: You are a wordsmith skilled at producing articulate, engaging, and error-free copy. You can spot a narrative gap in a pitch deck from a mile away and tighten prose so it connects with clients.
• A Tactical Project Manager: You live for a clean workflow and an updated project board. You thrive in deadline-driven environments, managing multiple pursuits simultaneously while maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy.
• An Accountable Leader: You are a proactive manager, able to direct, delegate, and hold cross-functional pursuit teams accountable to strict deadlines.
• Equity-Minded: You ensure all proposals reflect inclusivity and deeply align with the needs of diverse stakeholders and community engagement principles.

You have…

• 5–7+ years directly managing, writing, and winning complex proposals—including full oversight from strategy through submission—specifically for communications, public relations, public affairs, community engagement, and/or branding scopes.
• Mandatory Agency Experience: Direct experience working within a fast-paced communications, PR, or marketing agency environment. (Note: Experience limited to IT, SaaS, corporate procurement, or technical/telecom infrastructure contracting will not be considered).
• Extensive Public Sector Writing Expertise: Proven success managing and writing local, state, or federal government RFPs from development to submission.
• Deep Understanding of Compliance: A sharp eye for both big-picture strategy and hyper-detailed compliance requirements, ensuring formatting, staffing grids, and submission guidelines are flawless.

You can…

• Own the Narrative: Lead the development of compelling pitch decks and written proposals, ensuring alignment with public sector priorities through an equity lens.
• Build Airtight Scopes: Translate complex proposal requirements into realistic narratives.
• Drive the Process: Proactively manage all internal contributors to the proposal process, keeping all those participating on track and maintaining absolute momentum.
• Manage the Growth Pipeline: Actively track and maintain our public sector pipeline in our agency project management tools ([Asana/Monday.com]), discerning which opportunities align with agency capacities and making definitive go/no-go recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Writing and Strategic Development

• Lead the creation, writing, and editorial refining of high-quality public and private sector proposals and pitch decks.
• Strategize and execute submissions that effectively communicate our agency’s unique values, equity lens, and competitive edge.
• Ensure our agency’s unique voice and tactical mastery are clearly articulated in every response.

Growth Pipeline & Opportunity Management

• Identify, monitor, and evaluate new public sector RFPs, leveraging insights to shape competitive, proactive bids.
• Conduct thorough research on potential clients, government initiatives, and regional trends to inform win themes.
• Manage the qualification process, evaluating alignment with agency resource capacity and revenue targets.

Cross-Functional Team Leadership

• Direct and manage cross-functional pursuit teams (including Creative and Subject Matter Experts) to gather inputs and create cohesive, winning submissions.
• Collaborate with creative teams to ensure the seamless integration of compelling visuals, layouts, and data presentation.
• Establish clear responsibilities and delegate effectively throughout the proposal lifecycle, maintaining team clarity and accountability.

Knowledge Management & Process Optimization

• Collect and analyze feedback from proposal outcomes, incorporating lessons learned to continuously enhance win rates.
• Organize and maintain our boilerplate repository, ensuring past performance case studies, resume bios, and equity frameworks are curated for maximum efficiency.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5–7 years’ experience managing the new business lifecycle and developing public sector communications proposals (RFPs, RFIs, RFQs), with proven expertise in managing complex submissions end-to-end.
• Demonstrated success in developing and executing agency growth and proposal strategies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and modern agency collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Miro, Monday.com).
• A plus: Deep knowledge of San Francisco Bay Area public sector organizations, municipal agencies, transit boards, and local community initiatives.