Manager, Business Development Capture, Quality, and Analytics - Hybrid Chicago Loop office

JOB SUMMARY:  

Join the Office of Business Development at NORC to help grow the impact of one of the nation’s most respected research institutions. The Manager, Business Development Capture, Quality, and Analytics will work directly with NORC’s client-facing research departments on large opportunities across the federal, state, non-profit, and commercial sectors.

The successful candidate will have two core responsibilities—1) strengthening NORC’s internal business development capacity by improving institutional systems, practices, and analytics, and 2) providing hands‑on capture and proposal support for priority opportunities that align with our mission. This is a highly collaborative position that requires the ability to build rapport and relationships across every NORC department.            

Preferably applicants will be based in either our Chicago, IL or Washington, DC offices with a hybrid office/work from home schedule. We are also open to applicants working remotely.

DEPARTMENT:  Office of Business Development (OBD)

The Office of Business Development (OBD) leads NORC’s business development strategy by identifying and disseminating market and client intelligence, shaping capture and proposal strategy, and building organizational capacity through best practices, training, and tools. OBD staff support proposal preparation, maintains and analyzes CRM and financial data, and applies analytics to improve proposal quality, inform BD strategy, and produce insights that support decision‑making and process improvement.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Institutional Business Development Strengthening & Capacity Building

 

• Develop, share, and implement best practices in business development, pulling from personal experience and what has been successful within NORC.
• Support development of AI tools to improve efficiency and quality.
• Statistically analyze business development data from CRM and financial systems to identify performance trends, opportunity pipelines, and strategic gaps that inform enterprise BD strategy.
• Develop and deliver executive‑ready reports, dashboards, and presentations that translate complex data into clear insights to support leadership decision‑making and strategic prioritization.
• Build NORC’s business development capacity by designing and delivering BD workshops, trainings, and practical guidance that strengthen capture and proposal practices.
• Lead or contribute to other company initiatives that relate to business development and related innovation.
• Represent NORC at industry events and translating marketplace signals into actionable capture moves and relationship strategies.

Opportunity‑Specific Capture & Proposal Support

 

• Collaborate with research departments across the organization to surface and bid on large cross-cutting opportunities that significantly expand NORC’s mission and portfolio.
• Provide guidance and support to proposal teams on pre-proposal activities, including competitor analysis, partnership strategies, pricing strategy, and storyboarding.
• Work with business units to develop every aspect of proposals, including technical components and pricing.
• Serve as a trusted problem‑solving partner to proposal teams operating under tight deadlines, guiding teams through BD processes, addressing challenges in real time, and helping remove barriers to timely, high‑quality submissions.
• Provide expert review of capture plans, proposals, and grant applications.
• Maintain an up-to-date record of our capture and proposal activities in our enterprise CRM tool.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required, Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 8 years of directly applicable work experience, both in managing projects and procuring work.
• Quantifiable, proven business development acumen and a record of procuring work from federal agencies; work with state/local agencies, foundations, and commercial entities.
• Expertise and experience with federal contract management and procurement processes (e.g., GovWin, RFPs, BPAs, IDIQs, GSA Schedules) that are used by federal agencies in awarding contracts and grants.
• Hands‑on experience reviewing and improving capture and proposal materials; able to spot gaps quickly and drive corrective action.
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, etc) - ability to create, analyze, and communicate analytical data. 
• Practical fluency applying AI tools using sound judgment for validation and quality control.
• Ability to lead with or without authority
• Ability to apply advanced problem-solving techniques to complex and unique situations that require strategic and tactical thinking
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