Sarah Sullivan

I am a versatile, seasoned senior proposal writer and content strategist with 15 years of experience working with experts to help them tell their company story! As a Shipley-trained proposal and grant writer, I won my clients- such as ICF, Barbaricum, and U.S. Pharmacopeia- over $130 million worth of government contracts.

I wrote and managed social media efforts for CACI, Mayvin, and eDoctor, Inc. I’ve penned everything from hydrogeology case studies to medical IT website content to indie film reviews. In my spare time, I write a music blog on Medium with over 45,000 views; five of my articles are on college Blackboards and another one was recently highlighted by NPR.

I’m proficient in MS Office, SharePoint, Visio, Qvidian, GovWin IQ, SalesForce, and all social media platforms. I hold an Honors degree cum laude in English from Hollins University with additional study at Johns Hopkins and the University of Virginia.

Freelance Senior Proposal Writer, Manager, and Specialist

Multiple Clients, Manassas, VA 2019-2024

• Wrote and managed proposals for Power3, ICF, CACI, U.S. Pharmacopeia, Object3 LLC, D.B. Latimore, NVS Solutions, NextStep Technology, Conduent, CRG Inc., and Immersive Strategies
• Conducted business strategy tasks such as crafting win themes, evaluating teaming partners, and entering different Government markets
• Ensured consistency of branding across different platforms

Proposal and Outreach Manager

Mayvin, Annandale, VA 2018-2019

• Led federal proposals in the $5-$15 million range
• Strategized, planned, and executed all client-facing written content for the company website, social media platforms, and print marketing materials
• Led meetings with C-suite executives regarding content creation and direction
• Penned compelling and interactive LinkedIn posts that boosted page views 200% in a month

Technical Content Developer

Wetland Studies and Solutions, Gainesville, VA 2018

• Streamlined the proposal response process by creating detailed content for over 50 separate projects and company capabilities, many of which involved online and library data gathering
• Interviewed Subject Matter Experts to distill complex science and engineering information into proposal text
• Conducted daily opportunity checks across 30 different county websites
• Researched emerging local and state markets for business intelligence purposes
• Supervised freelancers for an internal communications project

Senior Proposal Writer

AOC Key/BlueWater Federal Solutions, Chantilly, VA 2016-2018

• Served as the lead technical writer for several large federal proposals and smaller RFI responses in the fields of Information Technology and Cybersecurity, including one that won $100m of work
• Instructed and supervised a team of three junior writers
• Organized and assembled a SharePoint content library

Proposal Writer

Envolve PeopleCare, Bethesda, MD 2015-2016

• Managed multimillion-dollar proposal efforts across four merging companies with teams of over 20 stakeholders on a tight two-week deadline
• Coordinated with Product, Sales, and Marketing divisions to ensure that everyone stayed well-informed on each opportunity

Proposal Writer

Barbaricum, Washington, D.C. 2012-2013

• Wrote and edited over ten major federal proposals with a 70% win rate, doubling the size of the company and earning it an Inc. magazine “Fastest Growing Small Business” award
• Collaborated with SMEs and upper management to create win themes and narratives
• Managed the proposal schedule through SalesForce and briefed C-suite executives on the pipeline
• Represented the company when meeting with government employees on Industry Days

Proposal and Marketing Writer eDoctor, Inc., Rockville, MD 2010-2012

• Wrote and edited technically detailed Healthcare Information Technology proposals for Government clients
• Created all communications materials including press releases, blog posts, website content, brochures, and newsletters
• Managed social media campaigns using Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, and Google AdWords to generate leads and measure site traffic

Shipley Proposal Training, 2013

Honors B.A. in English cum laude, Hollins University, 2004-2008

English/Creative Writing, Johns Hopkins CTY, 1998-2001