Deal Manager

Location: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Washington

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. Join EY and help to build a better working world.

The opportunity

The Deal Manager is responsible for supporting the firm’s most high-value, strategic deals (those designated Alpha+ and/or Alpha) across the following scope of responsibilities:

• Manage execution of pursuit process, including critical path, timeline, and interdependencies

• Assess competitive situation and help develop differentiated win strategy focused on client priorities while protecting EY’s interests

• Develop power map and tactics to navigate client buying process

• Provide ‘glue’ to focus and guide extended pursuit team through structured sales approach and proposal development

• Collaborate with extended pursuit team define, package and articulate compelling client offer across scope, solution, price, and terms

• Plan storyline/key messages and prepare extended team for orals.

The Deal Manager is expected to be a beacon of pursuit excellence, bringing vast knowledge, tools, and resources from across the firm and their own professional experience to proactively keep the pursuit on track and moving towards a winning outcome.

Assistant Deal Managers will develop foundational deal acumen, leadership, and insight by supporting Deal Leads and/or Associate Deal Managers on Alpha+ and/or Alpha deals, respectively.

Your key responsibilities

• Project Management – Organizes, documents, and drives all pursuit workstreams and activities throughout the pursuit lifecycle.

• Executes the firm’s Gold Standard Pursuit Process (GSPP) using gold standard tools and enablers to manage the pursuit from qualification through close.
• Establishes deal infrastructure, including TEAMS site, calendar, action tracker, team roster, notebook, etc. with support from the Deal Coordinator as needed.
• Develops and maintains the pursuit plan/action tracker and calendar, making certain that all pursuit activities are assigned ownership, tracked and executed according to schedule.
• Ensures all pursuit deliverables (e.g., meeting documents, proposals, presentations) are developed on schedule submitted on time and with the highest quality.
• In coordination with the Deal Leader, sets up and runs a regular cadence of deal status calls with support from Deal Coordinator, as needed. Supports the Deal Leader in developing status call agendas and debriefs.
• Supports Deal Leader in developing and distributing internal status updates for leadership and others as necessary.
• Engages and oversees support resources as necessary/appropriate, including Proofers, EY Knowledge, Pursuit Resource Center, additional Creative Services, etc.
• Act as the centralized knowledge steward for the pursuit.

• Written communications - Crafts articulate and client-centric content across all pursuit deliverables, most notably the win themes and proposal document.

• Responsible for the development of all client-facing, written deliverables (e.g., meeting documents, proposals, presentations) that adhere to the firm style guide in collaboration with the Creative Designer for design and formatting.
• In collaboration with other pursuit team members (e.g., Deal Leader, Engagement Partner, Client Partner), develops client-centric win themes that underpin the entire deal strategy. Ensures the win themes are reflected consistently throughout all client communications and deliverables.
• Authors original content when critical and/or necessary (e.g., cover letter, executive summary) and leverages relevant firm resources to source non-critical, boilerplate content when appropriate.
• Responsible for making sure the final proposal document tells a consistent, winning story and flows as if written in one voice.

• Deal strategy – Leverages gold standard process/tools, innovation, insight, and resourcefulness to help create a differentiated and winning deal strategy.

• Supports discussions/meetings around deal strategy, actively contributing to critical deal meetings such as kick-off, win strategy, orals prep, etc.
• Supports the Deal Leader in the constant qualification of the deal and navigating the deal through firm governance, quality, and approval processes (e.g., Approval to Pursue, Approval to Contract)
• Suggests creative ideas that enhance our win strategy or ability to differentiate.

• Other

• Builds collaborative relationships with pursuit teams, including Service Line, Account and Business Development leaders as well as Senior Managers, Managers and Staff.
• Shares lessons learned, best practices and innovation from pursuits and other experiences with teammates, the broader BD community, and the global firm as appropriate.
• Supports team strategic and/or operational initiatives to develop new or enhance existing best practices, tools, or enablers.
• Flexibility to work outside regular working hours and across time zones
• Moderate travel may be required

Skills and attributes for success

• Must be able to operate in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

• Influences/challenges the pursuit team to optimize the chances of winning

• Demonstrates versatility and poise in a constantly evolving environment with a wide variety of social styles and interests

• Solution-oriented and makes sound recommendations and decisions

• Champions best-practice pursuit tools and processes, while remaining open to new and better ways of doing things when appropriate

• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)

• Excellent project management and organizational skills with high attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously

• Has a strong ability to influence and direct others

• Self-motivated, resourceful, and able to work from own initiative with limited supervision

• Has a strong understanding of the business development and/or pursuit environment

• The Deal Manager supports opportunities with a great deal of firm leadership exposure/involvement thus the Deal Manager must exhibit strong interpersonal skills.

• Embrace shared philosophy that “great teams” execute a consistent set of behaviors aligned with being a:

• Trusted Strategic Advisor – Build Trust and credibility by proactively providing forward-thinking insights and guidance to help pursuit teams develop and execute a winning pursuit strategy

• Gold Standard Champion – Execute EY’s “gold standard” pursuit process with discipline and expertise to improve consistency and use of leading practices in EY’s approach to winning

• Win-Win Advocate – Drive internal and external clients towards outcomes that deliver compelling and sustainable results for both the client and EY.

• Creativity and innovation Driver – Inspire and challenge teams to differentiate EY through innovative strategies, experiences, and deliverables that compel our clients to choose EY

• Inspirational Change Agent – Invest in developing world-class talent, methods, tools, and capabilities to deliver better results, create exceptional experiences, and develop transformative leaders and teams.

To qualify, you must have

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required, preferably in a related field such as Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, English, Public Relations, or Journalism.

• Approximately 5+ years of relevant experience in pursuits, business development, marketing or project management, preferably in a professional services environment.

• Must have communications and proposal writing experience, including the ability to provide relevant writing samples.

Ideally, you’ll also have

• APMP, PMP certification is considered advantageous

What we offer you
At EY, we’ll develop you with future-focused skills and equip you with world-class experiences. We’ll empower you in a flexible environment, and fuel you and your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams. Learn more.

• We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to the business. The base salary range for this job in all geographic locations in the US is $100,000 to $187,000. The base salary range for New York City Metro Area, Washington State and California (excluding Sacramento) is $120,000 to $212,500. Individual salaries within those ranges are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills and geography. In addition, our Total Rewards package includes medical and dental coverage, pension and 401(k) plans, and a wide range of paid time off options.
• Join us in our team-led and leader-enabled hybrid model. Our expectation is for most people in external, client serving roles to work together in person 40-60% of the time over the course of an engagement, project or year.
• Under our flexible vacation policy, you’ll decide how much vacation time you need based on your own personal circumstances. You’ll also be granted time off for designated EY Paid Holidays, Winter/Summer breaks, Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence when needed to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.

Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today.
EY accepts applications for this position on an on-going basis.

For those living in California, please click here for additional information.

EY focuses on high-ethical standards and integrity among its employees and expects all candidates to demonstrate these qualities.

EY | Building a better working world

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

EY provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected basis, including arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable law.

EY is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities including veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and either need assistance applying online or need to request an accommodation during any part of the application process, please call 1-800-EY-HELP3, select Option 2 for candidate related inquiries, then select Option 1 for candidate queries and finally select Option 2 for candidates with an inquiry which will route you to EY’s Talent Shared Services Team (TSS) or email the TSS at ssc.customersupport@ey.com.