Dean Smith
PMP
Golden Valley,Minnesota
Summary
PMP-certified program management professional with over 25 years of extensive end-to-end project management experience, adept at leading multiple, large complex projects and transformational work streams. Proven expertise in project initiation, approval, scope, schedule, cost, resource planning, and risk management, consistently driving performance improvement and delivering value-driven solutions. Skilled in translating complex challenges into actionable strategies to ensure alignment of financial, compliance, operational, and customer goals. Adept at facilitating cross-functional collaboration, managing change, optimizing project processes, and leading diverse project teams to achieve critical metrics. Committed to fostering stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement in dynamic environments."
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
New Business Development Consultant, Various Clients
Independent Contractor
Minneapolis, MN
02.2021 - 05.2025
- Delivered expert bid support and managed comprehensive proposal development lifecycle, ensuring stakeholder coordination and adherence to project timelines and budgets.
- Engaged with subject matter experts to effectively convert complex technical data into clear and compliant project outputs.
Director, Strategic Growth and Partnerships
Land O'Lakes Venture37
Arden Hills, MN
04.2024 - 04.2025
- Managed competitive bidding processes and project planning for federal projects ranging from $10 million to $75 million, directing all phases of the project lifecycle from qualification to submission. Clients included USDA and USAID.
- Coordinated and supported cross-functional teams worldwide, fostering collaboration and optimizing project outcomes.
- Spearheaded process improvements to enhance project efficiency and competitiveness, actively participating on a task force to develop and pilot generative AI-powered project development tools.
- Position concluded due to a federal policy shift impacting international development funding.
Capture and Proposal Manager, Federal Business
Black & Veatch
Minneapolis, MN
04.2022 - 04.2024
- Assisted in managing federal bids and budgeting processes for engineering energy and infrastructure projects valued between $10m and $200m. Clients included DOD, DTRA, USACE, NAVFAC, USAID, and MCC.
- Managed RFX response processes, coordinating efforts of diverse project teams to achieve adherence to federal bid requirements.
- Directed cross-functional teams of 5-10 members in developing compliant and competitive proposals and SF-330 submissions.
- Conducted and participated in color team reviews of technical and cost volumes to enhance project quality and effectiveness.
Senior Practice Specialist, Economic Growth
DAI Global
Minneapolis, MN
06.2019 - 02.2021
- Served as project manager and lead writer for complex high-priority federal bids from USAID ($100M+), managing project scope, timelines, and deliverables for successful bid submissions.
- Provided strategic project management support and technical expertise for federally-funded projects, enhancing program implementation and optimizing resource allocation for sustainable development initiatives.
- Spearheaded federal proposal process improvement initiatives to optimize resource allocation and enhance proposal quality.
Senior Project Manager
DAI Global
Bethesda, MD
06.2016 - 06.2019
- Managed two complex, federally-funded agricultural and food technology development programs in Afghanistan ($101M), overseeing end-to-end project delivery within defined timeframes, budgets, and quality standards.
- Managed project risks and provided expert guidance to field and home-office project teams on mitigation strategies for budget, grants, HR, procurement, and contractual issues.
- Designed and implemented project monitoring and control mechanisms, leveraging data-driven performance tracking and reporting to demonstrate quantifiable project impact ($1M in additional fee capture).
- Contributed to project process improvement initiatives, including integrating Agile practices, to optimize resource allocation and enhance overall project quality and efficiency.
Program Director, USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Land O'Lakes Venture37
Arden Hills, MN
09.2013 - 02.2016
- Directed $8M USAID-funded program providing U.S. volunteer technical advisory services to agribusinesses and food technology companies in Egypt and Lebanon, leading to successful project outcomes.
- Led negotiation of prime and subcontract agreements; directed cross-functional teams in two countries to field and manage volunteers, exceeding volunteer mobilization targets.
Business Development Manager
Land O'Lakes Venture37
Arden Hills, MN
10.2007 - 09.2013
- Led project initiatives to design complex resilient food security, nutrition, and agribusiness development projects, consistently surpassing targets and tripling business unit size (from $25M to $75M in new business) over a five year period.
Education
M.A. - International Relations
Yale University
New Haven, CTB.A. - German Studies, minor in Mathematics
Duke University
Durham, NCSkills
- Project management
- Project planning and development
- PMI-PMP Certification
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Contract negotiation and procurement
- Government contracting (FAR/DFARs)
- Team leadership
- Cross-functional team collaboration
- Global operations
- Strategic communications
- New business capture management
- Proposal management
Certification
- PMP - Project Management Professional
Languages
German
Full Professional
Spanish
Limited Working
Bulgarian
Professional Working
Timeline
Director, Strategic Growth and Partnerships
Land O'Lakes Venture37
04.2024 - 04.2025
Capture and Proposal Manager, Federal Business
Black & Veatch
04.2022 - 04.2024
New Business Development Consultant, Various Clients
Independent Contractor
02.2021 - 05.2025
Senior Practice Specialist, Economic Growth
DAI Global
06.2019 - 02.2021
Senior Project Manager
DAI Global
06.2016 - 06.2019
Program Director, USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Land O'Lakes Venture37
09.2013 - 02.2016
Business Development Manager
Land O'Lakes Venture37
10.2007 - 09.2013
B.A. - German Studies, minor in Mathematics
Duke University
M.A. - International Relations
Yale University