Matthew Cates

I am a proposal manager with over six years of direct experience managing and writing proposals, leading process improvements, designing content libraries, and working with executive leaders to explain complex topics—such as health care, engineering, and government programs—in plain language. Other qualifications include:

Proposal Manager at Indra USA (2026-06 – Present)

• Primary individual responsible for half-a-dozen tolling proposals from large authorities, such as the Harris County Toll Road Authority, North Carolina Turnpike Authority, Transportation Corridor Agencies, and Washington Department of Transportation. Responsible for compliance, completeness, and timeliness of proposals.
• Organized collaboration among subject matter experts and subcontractors, spanning ten different domains and two continents. Led kickoff calls, solution reviews, writers’ kickoffs, and status meetings for teams in Spain and the United States.
• Oversaw proposal writers’ work—including templates and content—and had final authority over proposal plans and timelines.
• Liaised with Spanish corporate departments and global executive leadership for risk assessment and bid approval.
• Instituted process improvements including new review processes with operational and technical leads, procedure creation, and win theme incorporation into the bid process.

Proposal Specialist at TransCore (2022-09 – 2026-06)

• Managed complex, government tolling and transportation proposals, leading groups of more than 15 subject matter experts. Responsibilities included analyzing and cataloguing requirements, completing forms, sourcing content, proofreading, coordinating reviews, enforcing deadlines, and ensuring complete and compliant responses to requests for proposals, information, and qualifications.
• Standardized operations: Wrote the proposal team’s first procedures. Suggested a standardized document control process and resolved intra-team disagreements about sub-processes and best practices through procedure review and drafting meetings. Suggested the procedure initiative, drafted the procedures, and sought approval.
• Built Responsive content library: Built TransCore’s first ever content library. Devised organizational scheme by business segment, followed by technology types. Selected baseline content. Created multiple training materials, videos, and instructional documents. Advocated for broader adoption with leadership and led its inclusion into the proposal process.
• Led market research: As the proposal team’s expert on our technological offering, I supported the marketing department by researching and reporting on international projects, including the London, Geneva, and Auckland congestion pricing initiatives, toll road concessions in Europe, and emerging GNSS refinement (such as RTK, low earth orbit satellites, and connected vehicle technologies).
• Drafted press releases for multiple project go-lives by synthesizing proposal content, statements from tolling authorities, and the C-suite’s desired themes.

Proposal Writer at Sound Physicians (2020-07 – 2022-09)

• Implemented RFP360/RFPIO systems, creating our first-ever standardized content for emergency medicine, hospital medicine, and anesthesia service lines.
• Coordinated C-suite stakeholders, including CEOs and CMOs to align proposals with corporate strategy.
• Populated each proposal’s content, writing new copy based on meetings with leadership, selecting applicable previous content, and incorporating subject matter expert feedback. As the sole proposal writer, owned decisions about language, grammar, and proofreading.

Senior Specialist—Technical Writing at MAXIMUS, Ascend Division (2017-08 – 2020-07)

• Led documentation team, training and mentoring the associate technical writer while managing 200+ procedures, posting revisions, and coordinating annual reviews.
• Managed PowerDMS platform for 500+ users, achieving 100% acknowledgement of controlled documents.
• Supported implementations for nearly ten PASRR and Medicaid eligibility assessment contracts, defining process workflows and ensuring regulatory compliance by researching state Medicaid requirements, RFP requirements, and the state’s previous process. Procedure drafting formed the basis of many operational and clinical decisions for the programs.

Acting Technical Writer at Asurion TLC Facility (2017-03 – 2017-08)

• Managed SharePoint document portal, access database, and revision notes
• Supported successful ISO 9001:2015 transition
• Performed internal audits as part of the quality management system team

Master of Arts in English Literature – East Tennessee State University (2013)

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature – East Tennessee State University (2011)