at Cascade Energy, LLC in Des Plaines, Illinois, United States Job Description About This Opportunity We are seeking a Sales Operations (Proposal) Manager to lead and elevate Cascade's Sales Operations team. This is a high-impact leadership role at the center of our revenue engine — responsible for driving the performance, quality, and strategic direction of a function that spans proposal development, CRM management, customer data, and the systems that power Cascade's business development efforts. The Sales Operations Manager leads a team of seven, owns the end-to-end proposal process, and partners closely with the Sr. VP of Sales and VP of Business Development to align team output with company growth objectives. This leader brings stability and a forward-leaning orientation — championing technology adoption, AI-assisted tools, and process innovation to keep Cascade ahead of the curve. Future-Focused AI-Ready Culture At Cascade Energy, we're actively shaping how AI gets deployed in the real world, in our tools, our client engagements, and our daily work. Our approach has always been relationship-driven and expertise-led, and AI is how we multiply the impact of both. Successful Cascadians are curious and resilient. They embrace change, seek smarter ways to create impact, and take ownership of their own growth. We embed AI into our work in ways that are responsible and human-centered, and we actively develop our people to deploy it creatively and confidently. We believe the future belongs to organizations that pair emerging technology with genuine human expertise. That future is being built here. . . .come be a part of it! What You Will Be Doing

• Lead the Sales Operations team — setting performance expectations, managing proposal workload and capacity, and developing direct reports through regular coaching, feedback, and annual Development Plans.
• Serve as the primary conduit between Sales Operations and Marketing, Product, Finance, Legal, and Operations — ensuring alignment and channeling customer insights back to internal teams.
• Own the end-to-end proposal process: design, documentation, quality standards, stakeholder coordination, and continuous improvement — making it a measurable competitive advantage for Cascade.
• Drive CRM strategy and adoption (Pipedrive), ensuring sales tools are well-utilized, reliable, and actively evolving to support the team.
• Contribute to improving proposal win rates, pipeline velocity, and conversion efficiency through process, tools, and team capability.
• Champion technology adoption, including AI-assisted tools — identifying opportunities to integrate emerging technology into workflows and build team capability in new systems.
• Manage team workload, prioritization, and capacity planning to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery of proposals and internal projects. This is a full-ime, exempt position preferably located in Portland, Oregon. We will consider qualified candidates in Mountain and Central time zones. Minimal travel is anticipated for this role. Qualifications Applicants for this role are required to have:
• Bachelor's degree or higher
• 7+ years of experience in Sales Operations, Revenue Operations, or a closely related field
• 5+ years of people management experience, including direct supervision of a team of three or more
• Demonstrated experience with CRM strategy and technology adoption in a sales or business development environment
• Strong people leadership skills — proven ability to develop direct reports, retain talent, and hold a team accountable to quality and deadline standards.
• Forward-leaning, technology-fluent orientation with genuine enthusiasm for AI and emerging tools; experience evaluating and embedding new technology into team workflows.
• Expertise in proposal and sales operations process design, documentation, and continuous improvement — with the ability to identify inefficiencies and build scalable systems.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills; able to represent Sales Operations credibly across all levels of the organization. A successful candidate should also demonstrate these preferred characteristics and/or skills:
• Experience in energy, environmental, or professional services industries preferred but not required.

For candidates whose experience may not align perfectly with all these preferred skills but can see themselves adding value in this role, we encourage you to still apply. Cascade is dedicated to building an inclusive and authentic workplace and places strong importance on learning and development. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. Compensation & Benefits The full salary range for this full-time, exempt/non-exempt position in Portland, OR is $92,400 (min) - $115,500 (mid) - $138,600 (max). At Cascade, transparency and fairness are core to how we work. We post the full salary range for every role because we value clarity and equity. Our offers are thoughtfully determined based on factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and internal equity, to ensure fairness. We aim to ensure consistency and integrity in every decision. Our total rewards include competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and financial security. We provide health, dental, and vision coverage, along with flexible spending and health savings account options that include employer contributions. Additional benefits include life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, paid parental leave, and a 401(k)-retirement plan with a guaranteed 3% employer contribution. Cascade is proud to offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), annual cash performance bonuses, paid vacation and sick time, and an inclusive, flexible holiday policy. To further support wellbeing, we provide a $500 contribution that can be applied to an HSA, FSA, or Lifestyle Spending Account. Application Process We would appreciate a current resume with your application. We would also appreciate a letter of interest describing why our team or the position resonates with you, and how your experience makes you a great choice for the role.

• Please, no phone calls.
• Please, no outside recruiters or agencies.
• Cascade Energy is not able to provide sponsorship for work authorization in the U.

S., which includes OPT. Click here to join our Talent Community -- it's the best way to keep up with and learn more about Cascade Energy! In occasional mailings, we'll brief you on our industrial decarbonization efforts and share more about our company culture and what makes Cascade a great place to join and to grow. About Us Cascade Energy is a leading provider of energy efficiency, energy management, decarbonization, and sustainability solutions for the industrial, commercial, and public sectors across North America. We have a 30-year history of delivering high-value services through electric and gas utility-offered programs and directly to industrial and commercial enterprises. Our reputation for stellar, high-quality work has expanded our reach throughout North America to serve clients ranging in size from small to Fortune 500 companies in their pursuit of wide-ranging decarbonization and energy savings objectives. Cascade Energy has 14 offices throughout the US and employees in 30 states. Why Work at Cascade? As a 100% Employee-Owned Company (ESOP), Cascadians foster and value a culture of equals, initiative, and ownership. Our teams reflect our core company values: Do the Right Thing; Put Others First; Seek Shared Success; Learn Constantly; and Be Industrious. Our customers are vitally important to us, and we pride ourselves on stellar customer service. Our team members are a dedicated and diverse group of ambassadors, representing Cascade Energy, striving to embody our values, ensure we are responsive, and consistently delighting our customers. In alignment with our values and doing better, Cascade Energy celebrates and values diversity as vital for increased creativity and innovation and faster problem solving, and we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination and harassment. Learn more about what we do to create a welcoming environment at Cascade by visiting Culture and Belonging | Cascade Energy. Cascade promotes a healthy work-life balance and appreciates employee contribution in all areas. We walk the talk about our commitment to learning constantly, with a focus on the ongoing development of every team member. Cascade is a strong supporter of flexible working arrangements, and offers role-dependent options for remote, hybrid, and in-office work. AI Usage During our Recruitment Process We value doing the right thing and authenticity in our hiring process. All application materials, including resumes, cover letters, and assessments, must reflect your own original work. The use of AI tools including Gemini, Claude, Copilot, ChatGPT, other large language models or generative AI, Grammarly, and resume builders to assist is acceptable only when your personal experiences, voice, and descriptions of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications are accurately and meaningfully represented. Submission of work that is not your own or the use of AI impersonation or deepfake simulators during screening calls and videos will disqualify you from consideration. AAP/EEO Statement Cascade is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion and religious practices, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or family, marital, or veteran status. To request a reasonable accommodation during the application and interviewing process, please contact the Cascade recruiter. Cascade Energy uses the federal E-Verify system to determine eligibility for work in the United States and conducts post-job offer, pre-employment drug screening. To view full details and how to apply, please login or create a Job Seeker account