SK

Open to opportunities

Shawn Kilbourn

@shawnkilbourn

Proposal writer and proposal manager with 10+ years leading compliant RFPs for public-sector and infrastructure clients.

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead end-to-end RFP/RFI responses with strong compliance, evaluator-focused narratives, and win-theme research—turning SME inputs into organized, on-time submissions that improve pursuit outcomes.

I’m a proposal writer and proposal manager with 10+ years leading RFP, RFI, RFQ, grant, and competitive responses across transportation, transit, mobility, government contracting, engineering, infrastructure, consulting, and nonprofit/public/private sectors. I’m known for compliant, deadline-driven work that improves messaging, reuse, team efficiency, and pursuit decisions.

I lead the full proposal lifecycle—from fit and bid/no-bid support through final submission—using compliance matrices, requirement mapping, and proposal calendars to protect milestones. I translate complex procurement, business, and technical requirements into evaluator-focused narratives by coordinating SMEs, delivery stakeholders, and reviewers, and by strengthening win themes with client, market, and competitive research.

My background also includes purchasing leadership, where I directed centralized purchasing, RFPs, sealed bids, vendor negotiations, and procurement documentation for a major nonprofit. That experience sharpened my compliance scoring, risk framing, audit readiness, and executive-level reporting—skills I apply to keep proposals organized, accurate, and submission-ready.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

IC

Current

Proposal Writer / Proposal Manager

Current

Independent Contractor

Lead RFP, RFI, RFQ, grant, and competitive proposal responses for public-sector, transportation/transit, infrastructure, consulting, and service-industry clients, including large-scale 100+ page procurements. Manage end-to-end proposal lifecycles, compliance matrices, evaluator-focused narratives, and on-time submissions.

RFP RFI RFQ Grants Proposal Management SME Coordination Evaluator Focused Narratives Public Sector Compliance Q&A and Amendment Tracking Proposal Calendars Structured Assumptions and Dependencies Client Opportunity Competitive Research Boilerplate Shipley Based Reviews Quality Control

GA

Purchasing Specialist

Gateway-Longview

May 2007 - Feb 2018 (10 years 9 months)

Directed centralized purchasing, including RFPs, sealed bids, vendor negotiations, and procurement documentation for a major nonprofit organization. Evaluated supplier proposals and bids and developed procurement policies, documentation standards, and risk frameworks to improve compliance, transparency, and audit readiness.

Centralized Purchasing RFP Procurement Documentation Bid Calendars Evaluation Revision Tracking Deadline Management Risk Frameworks Documentation Standards

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

NU

Niagara University

Master of Business Administration, Strategic Management

Earned an MBA in Strategic Management from Niagara University.

SF

SUNY Fredonia

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration / Marketing

Earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing from SUNY Fredonia.

JC

Jamestown Community College

Associate of Arts, Humanities

Earned an A.A. in Humanities from Jamestown Community College.

IM

Institute for Supply Management

Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Purchasing Management

Earned the Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) credential through the Institute for Supply Management.

Tech stack

Software and tools used professionally

Windows

Writer

Matrix

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