About the role
Associate, Proposals & Practice Development
SECTION A: OVERVIEW
HumanBranding uses Applied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™ to go deeper beneath the surface to better understand human behavior, enabling our clients to drive business decisions with unique humanistic insights. As a full-service research consultancy, HumanBranding is a globally recognized leader in humanistic insights. The Practice Development function leads the proposal and credentials development process, supports broader business development activities and is responsible for the continued evolution of HumanBranding’s methods, tools, and business development practices.
JOB SUMMARY
Provide support across proposal writing, capabilities presentations, cultural/background research, and strategic communications. Support the business development and corporate profile functions at HumanBranding, helping maintain the company’s leadership position as an innovative and progressive market research consultancy. Work effectively in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment; verbalize a clear point of view; and contribute positively as part of a highly collaborative team. Comfortable with using (approved) AI tools to direct output to support proposals; able to leverage AI to support innovation in proposal process.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Accountability Takes personal ownership and responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work commitments. Follows organizational guidelines and strives to meet HumanBranding’s standard of best work. Demonstrates reliability and integrity on a daily basis.
Strategic Thinking Prioritizes appropriately, manages timelines and project deadlines, and handles multiple projects and changing priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.
Leadership Maintains strong attention to detail and accuracy with the ability to see projects through to completion. Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions.
Organizational Awareness Shows commitment to the company vision and strategic goals by acting in accordance with organizational expectations and by understanding the internal environment and culture.
Teamwork: Can-Do Attitude Works positively and effectively with others to reach a common goal. Participates actively in group activities and collaboration, fostering a strong team environment. Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED
Communication & Presentation Skills Expresses and transmits information with consistency, clarity, and confidence. Communicates with ease in both written and verbal form. Demonstrates active listening to understand, interpret outcomes, and formulate plans or next steps. Reads a room or meeting and understands implications. Presents ideas in a compelling way
Project Management Helps ensure proposals, project details, and background materials are organized and ready for the team moving into active work. Supports cross-functional alignment and follow-through on deliverables
Proposal Development Takes detailed notes and absorbs information from client briefs, meetings, and Requests for Proposal. Sources background information needed to write informed proposals, including therapeutic area or category research, relevant prior HumanBranding work, and recent proposal examples. Supports development of clear, compelling proposals within deadlines, with strong visualization of ideas, HumanBranding approaches, and outputs. Supports costing by staying current on client rate cards, discounts, financial terms, and relevant Master Services Agreements (MSA) requirements. Understands client portals for Request For Proposals / Request for Information (RFP or RFI) submissions and required supporting documents. Tracks proposal activity and follow-up in appropriate internal systems such as Monday.com.
Project Initiation Prepares supporting documentation required to launch new work. Supports handover to active project teams and internal project kick-off.
Business Development Develops (with assistance and existing company reference materials) professional and customized credentials/capabilities decks for clients as needed. Supports business development activity through strong slide ideation, visual storytelling, and presentation deck development. Helps communicate HumanBranding’s Applied Anthropology Thinking™ approach and differentiated offerings in a clear and compelling way. Tracks and supports business development activity and CRM use to support business growth and expansion of project offerings to existing clients.
Innovation & Knowledge Development Supports academic, cultural, and background research for HumanBranding projects, media requests, and client-facing materials. Keeps HumanBranding staff informed of relevant cultural trends and societal shifts in healthcare and priority consumer categories. Supports the upkeep and organization of internal knowledge, frameworks, and reference materials. Demonstrates comfort with, and interest in, science and healthcare topics.
Best Practice Development Helps ensure external-facing materials are polished, accurate, and aligned with HumanBranding’s positioning. Supports development and refinement of templates, proposal examples, guidance documents, and presentation materials that improve consistency and quality.
External Profile Building Supports development and writing of strategic communications copy for HumanBranding, including website content, LinkedIn copy, and other corporate profile materials. Provides background research and content support for articles, thought leadership, speaking opportunities, and conferences as required.
SPECIFIC ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Education Post-secondary or graduate degree in social sciences, particularly Anthropology, business, or marketing.
Experience 1–5 years of work experience. Analyst/Associate-level candidates may be considered based on experience and demonstrated writing capability. Pharmaceutical knowledge or health-care adjacent experience is an asset.
Technical Skills Proficiency in MS365 standard suite, including Word, Outlook, Excel/spreadsheet budgeting. templates, and PowerPoint or equivalent presentation software. WordPress and LinkedIn experience are assets. Experience with CRM programs (ie Monday.com) is an asset.
Travel Requirements Occasional travel may be required for this role; candidates must hold valid passport and be able to travel without restriction in Canada and the US.
Languages Excellent written and spoken English. French skills are an asset; proficiency in other languages is also an asset.
Logistical Requirements Hybrid office/work-from-home schedule, with in-office work from HumanBranding headquarters in downtown Toronto.
Compensation $55,000.00 - $70,000.00 CAD annual salary, commensurate with experience
About HumanBranding
HumanBranding is an award-winning, full-service qualitative research consultancy pioneering the application of Anthropology in marketing and business for over two decades. As a globally recognized leader in humanistic insights, we leverage our Applied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™ approach to create game-changing business results for our clients around the world.
Central to our approach is the Anthropological principle that 80% of what drives human behavior lives at a subconscious and “hidden” level, we go deeper beneath the surface to better understand human behavior, enabling our clients to drive business decisions with unique humanistic insights.
HumanBranding is a WOSB (woman-owned small business) operating in the USA and around the world.
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About the role
Associate, Proposals & Practice Development
SECTION A: OVERVIEW
HumanBranding uses Applied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™ to go deeper beneath the surface to better understand human behavior, enabling our clients to drive business decisions with unique humanistic insights. As a full-service research consultancy, HumanBranding is a globally recognized leader in humanistic insights. The Practice Development function leads the proposal and credentials development process, supports broader business development activities and is responsible for the continued evolution of HumanBranding’s methods, tools, and business development practices.
JOB SUMMARY
Provide support across proposal writing, capabilities presentations, cultural/background research, and strategic communications. Support the business development and corporate profile functions at HumanBranding, helping maintain the company’s leadership position as an innovative and progressive market research consultancy. Work effectively in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment; verbalize a clear point of view; and contribute positively as part of a highly collaborative team. Comfortable with using (approved) AI tools to direct output to support proposals; able to leverage AI to support innovation in proposal process.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Accountability Takes personal ownership and responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work commitments. Follows organizational guidelines and strives to meet HumanBranding’s standard of best work. Demonstrates reliability and integrity on a daily basis.
Strategic Thinking Prioritizes appropriately, manages timelines and project deadlines, and handles multiple projects and changing priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.
Leadership Maintains strong attention to detail and accuracy with the ability to see projects through to completion. Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions.
Organizational Awareness Shows commitment to the company vision and strategic goals by acting in accordance with organizational expectations and by understanding the internal environment and culture.
Teamwork: Can-Do Attitude Works positively and effectively with others to reach a common goal. Participates actively in group activities and collaboration, fostering a strong team environment. Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS REQUIRED
Communication & Presentation Skills Expresses and transmits information with consistency, clarity, and confidence. Communicates with ease in both written and verbal form. Demonstrates active listening to understand, interpret outcomes, and formulate plans or next steps. Reads a room or meeting and understands implications. Presents ideas in a compelling way
Project Management Helps ensure proposals, project details, and background materials are organized and ready for the team moving into active work. Supports cross-functional alignment and follow-through on deliverables
Proposal Development Takes detailed notes and absorbs information from client briefs, meetings, and Requests for Proposal. Sources background information needed to write informed proposals, including therapeutic area or category research, relevant prior HumanBranding work, and recent proposal examples. Supports development of clear, compelling proposals within deadlines, with strong visualization of ideas, HumanBranding approaches, and outputs. Supports costing by staying current on client rate cards, discounts, financial terms, and relevant Master Services Agreements (MSA) requirements. Understands client portals for Request For Proposals / Request for Information (RFP or RFI) submissions and required supporting documents. Tracks proposal activity and follow-up in appropriate internal systems such as Monday.com.
Project Initiation Prepares supporting documentation required to launch new work. Supports handover to active project teams and internal project kick-off.
Business Development Develops (with assistance and existing company reference materials) professional and customized credentials/capabilities decks for clients as needed. Supports business development activity through strong slide ideation, visual storytelling, and presentation deck development. Helps communicate HumanBranding’s Applied Anthropology Thinking™ approach and differentiated offerings in a clear and compelling way. Tracks and supports business development activity and CRM use to support business growth and expansion of project offerings to existing clients.
Innovation & Knowledge Development Supports academic, cultural, and background research for HumanBranding projects, media requests, and client-facing materials. Keeps HumanBranding staff informed of relevant cultural trends and societal shifts in healthcare and priority consumer categories. Supports the upkeep and organization of internal knowledge, frameworks, and reference materials. Demonstrates comfort with, and interest in, science and healthcare topics.
Best Practice Development Helps ensure external-facing materials are polished, accurate, and aligned with HumanBranding’s positioning. Supports development and refinement of templates, proposal examples, guidance documents, and presentation materials that improve consistency and quality.
External Profile Building Supports development and writing of strategic communications copy for HumanBranding, including website content, LinkedIn copy, and other corporate profile materials. Provides background research and content support for articles, thought leadership, speaking opportunities, and conferences as required.
SPECIFIC ROLE REQUIREMENTS
Education Post-secondary or graduate degree in social sciences, particularly Anthropology, business, or marketing.
Experience 1–5 years of work experience. Analyst/Associate-level candidates may be considered based on experience and demonstrated writing capability. Pharmaceutical knowledge or health-care adjacent experience is an asset.
Technical Skills Proficiency in MS365 standard suite, including Word, Outlook, Excel/spreadsheet budgeting. templates, and PowerPoint or equivalent presentation software. WordPress and LinkedIn experience are assets. Experience with CRM programs (ie Monday.com) is an asset.
Travel Requirements Occasional travel may be required for this role; candidates must hold valid passport and be able to travel without restriction in Canada and the US.
Languages Excellent written and spoken English. French skills are an asset; proficiency in other languages is also an asset.
Logistical Requirements Hybrid office/work-from-home schedule, with in-office work from HumanBranding headquarters in downtown Toronto.
Compensation $55,000.00 - $70,000.00 CAD annual salary, commensurate with experience
About HumanBranding
HumanBranding is an award-winning, full-service qualitative research consultancy pioneering the application of Anthropology in marketing and business for over two decades. As a globally recognized leader in humanistic insights, we leverage our Applied Anthropology Thinking (AAT)™ approach to create game-changing business results for our clients around the world.
Central to our approach is the Anthropological principle that 80% of what drives human behavior lives at a subconscious and “hidden” level, we go deeper beneath the surface to better understand human behavior, enabling our clients to drive business decisions with unique humanistic insights.
HumanBranding is a WOSB (woman-owned small business) operating in the USA and around the world.