Deal Manager - Assistant Director

The Opportunity

As a Deal Manager, you will support the firm's most high-value, strategic pursuits (Tier 1 and Tier 2 deals), serving as the driving force that keeps complex pursuits on track and moving toward a winning outcome. You will bring pursuit excellence — knowledge, tools and resources from across the firm — to shape differentiated win strategies, craft compelling client-facing proposals and guide extended pursuit teams through a structured sales approach. This is a highly visible role with significant exposure to firm leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Deal strategy

• Assess the competitive situation and help develop a differentiated win strategy focused on client priorities while protecting EY's interests
• Develop the power map and tactics to navigate the client's buying process
• Collaborate with the pursuit team to define, package and articulate a compelling client offer across scope, solution, price and terms
• Plan the storyline and key messages and prepare the extended team for orals
• Contribute to critical deal meetings (kick-off, win strategy, orals prep and coaching) and support the Deal Leader in constant qualification and navigation of firm governance and approval processes
• Suggest creative ideas that strengthen our win strategy and ability to differentiate

Pursuit project management

• Execute the firm's Gold Standard Pursuit Process (GSPP) from qualification through close, using gold standard tools and enablers
• Establish and maintain deal infrastructure, pursuit plan, action tracker, and calendar, ensuring all activities are assigned, tracked, and delivered on schedule
• Ensure all pursuit deliverables are developed and submitted on time and at the highest quality
• Orchestrate pursuit-related client sessions by coordinating cross-functional teams, developing tailored materials, and managing session execution
• Run a regular cadence of deal status calls with the Deal Leader; support internal status updates for leadership
• Engage and oversee support resources, including Proofers, EY Knowledge, Pursuit Resource Center and Creative Services
• Act as the centralized knowledge steward for the pursuit
• Leverage AI to improve the efficiency and quality of pursuit management, artifacts, and client-facing materials

Written communications

• Own the development of all client-facing written deliverables — meeting documents, proposals, and presentations — in line with the firm style guide and in collaboration with Creative Design
• Develop client-centric win themes that underpin the deal strategy and ensure they carry consistently across all client communications
• Author original content where it matters most (cover letter, executive summary) and source boilerplate content from firm resources where appropriate
• Ensure the final proposal tells a consistent, client-focused, winning story that reads as if written in one voice

Collaboration and knowledge sharing

• Build collaborative relationships with pursuit teams, including Service Line, Account Teams, and Business Development leaders, as well as Senior Managers, Managers, and Staff
• Share lessons learned, best practices, and innovation from pursuits with teammates, the broader BD community, and the global firm
• Support team strategic and operational initiatives to develop new or enhance existing best practices, tools, and enablers

To qualify for the role, you must have

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent, preferably in 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 professional services
• Communications and proposal writing experience, with the ability to provide relevant writing samples
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with high attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Strong ability to influence and direct others, including in settings with significant firm leadership exposure
• Self-motivated and resourceful, able to work with limited supervision in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Flexibility to work outside regular working hours and across time zones; moderate travel may be required

Ideally, you may also have

• APMP or PMP certification
• Strong understanding of the business development and/or pursuit environment
• Experience managing the work of others (e.g., Deal Support Specialist, Proofer, Creative Designer)
• Demonstrated versatility and poise across a wide variety of social styles in a constantly evolving environment
• A track record of championing best-practice tools and processes while staying open to better ways of working