KANDRA LIGHTNER
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Results-driven Proposal Manager with over 10 years of progressive experience spanning proposal management, competitive bidding, national accounts, customer account management, contract administration, and business operations. Proven success leading local, regional, and national proposal initiatives across public sector, healthcare, education, commercial, and cooperative purchasing markets. Expertise in proposal strategy, compliance management, cross-functional leadership, procurement processes, contract negotiations, and operational execution. Skilled at managing complex opportunities ranging from local procurements to multi-million-dollar national contracts while driving organizational growth, process improvement, and customer-focused solutions.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
PROPOSAL MANAGER
BradyPLUS
01.2026 - Current
- Lead enterprise-wide proposal operations supporting local, regional, and national contract opportunities across public sector, education, healthcare, commercial, and cooperative purchasing markets.
- Direct the full proposal lifecycle from opportunity evaluation through submission, including proposal strategy, governance, compliance oversight, executive reviews, and stakeholder engagement.
- Establish proposal standards, processes, timelines, and quality controls to ensure compliant, competitive, and customer-focused responses.
- Provide leadership and strategic direction to cross-functional teams including Sales, Operations, Finance, Legal, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Executive Leadership.
- Oversee proposal portfolio prioritization, resource planning, workload management, pursuit strategy, and risk assessment activities.
- Ensure compliance with solicitation requirements, procurement regulations, contractual obligations, certifications, licensing requirements, and corporate policies.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on proposal quality, operational efficiency, process standardization, content management, and organizational best practices.
- Analyze proposal performance metrics, market trends, competitive intelligence, and customer requirements to support business development and revenue growth initiatives.
- Support opportunities ranging from local municipal procurements to complex multi-million-dollar regional and national contracts.
- Key Achievements
- Directed proposal operations supporting opportunities valued from under $100,000 to more than $10 million in annual contract value.
- Led proposal strategies supporting healthcare systems, K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, municipalities, counties, state agencies, airports, hospitality organizations, commercial customers, and cooperative purchasing entities nationwide.
- Established proposal governance processes ensuring consistent, compliant, and competitive submissions across multiple BradyPLUS operating companies.
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS BID SPECIALIST II
BradyPLUS
02.2025 - 01.2026
- Managed competitive bidding opportunities throughout the proposal lifecycle, supporting local, regional, and national contract pursuits.
- Coordinated proposal schedules, compliance reviews, submission requirements, stakeholder communications, and bid response activities.
- Monitored procurement portals and solicitation platforms to identify strategic business opportunities.
- Collaborated with sales leadership, operations teams, and executive stakeholders to support competitive proposal development.
- Maintained proposal tracking systems, response libraries, documentation repositories, and bid performance reporting.
- Conducted post-award reviews and analysis to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and increased competitiveness.
- Ensured proposal submissions met solicitation requirements, organizational standards, and established deadlines.
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST
BradyPLUS
04.2022 - 02.2025
- Supported national account operations for large multi-location customers throughout the United States.
- Coordinated customer initiatives, reporting requirements, pricing validation, operational issue resolution, and account performance activities.
- Served as liaison between customers, sales teams, distribution centers, transportation providers, and internal support departments.
- Managed escalated account concerns and collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver effective resolutions.
- Analyzed operational data and customer requirements to improve service performance, customer satisfaction, and account retention.
- Supported contract execution, reporting initiatives, inventory management, fulfillment coordination, and operational compliance requirements.
- Partnered with warehouse, transportation, customer service, and sales teams to ensure successful execution of customer programs.
- Assisted in minimizing operational risks and chargeback exposure through proactive issue identification and resolution.
CUSTOMER ACCOUNT SPECIALIST
MacLean Power Systems
02.2019 - 04.2022
- Managed customer accounts, contracts, purchase orders, pricing agreements, and order fulfillment activities.
- Coordinated with production, supply chain, forecasting, engineering, and distribution teams to ensure customer requirements were achieved.
- Served as the primary point of contact for customer inquiries, issue resolution, order management, and account support.
- Supported forecasting activities, demand planning initiatives, and continuous improvement programs.
- Managed contract documentation, quote administration, order discrepancies, returns, and customer communication efforts.
- Developed strong customer relationships while ensuring high levels of service, responsiveness, and operational accuracy.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Resolute Forest Products
11.2015 - 12.2017
- Managed customer accounts and supported order-to-cash activities for assigned territories.
- Maintained customer pricing, forecasts, inventory records, and account documentation.
- Coordinated with customers, sales teams, transportation providers, and internal departments to ensure timely order fulfillment.
- Resolved billing discrepancies, shipment issues, customer concerns, and account-related inquiries.
- Supported account growth initiatives while maintaining exceptional customer service and relationship management.
Education
Master of Science - Accounting
Strayer University
Bachelor of Science - Accounting
Strayer University
05-2025
Skills
- Proposal Management
- RFP/RFQ/RFI Management
- Competitive Bidding
- Public Procurement
- Proposal Strategy
- Contract Compliance
- Proposal Governance
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Business Development Support
- Opportunity Management
- Executive Stakeholder Engagement
- Risk Assessment
- Process Improvement
- Customer Relationship Management
- Contract Administration
- Account Management
- Project Management
- Operational Excellence
- Strategic Planning
- Cooperative Purchasing
Timeline
PROPOSAL MANAGER
BradyPLUS
01.2026 - Current
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS BID SPECIALIST II
BradyPLUS
02.2025 - 01.2026
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST
BradyPLUS
04.2022 - 02.2025
CUSTOMER ACCOUNT SPECIALIST
MacLean Power Systems
02.2019 - 04.2022
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Resolute Forest Products
11.2015 - 12.2017
Bachelor of Science - Accounting
Strayer University
Master of Science - Accounting
Strayer University