Senior Proposal Manager

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Proposal Manager to lead the development and execution of competitive proposals supporting aerospace and defense programs. Reporting to the Director of Proposal Operations, this role is responsible for translating capture strategies into effective proposal plans and delivering high-quality, compliant, and competitive submissions.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience managing complex proposals, leading cross-functional teams, and partnering with Capture Management, Business Development, Engineering, Program Management, and executive leadership. Experience supporting DoD or federal government proposals, competitive new product development, and defense acquisition processes is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the full proposal lifecycle, from capture strategy and proposal planning through final submission and post-submittal activities.
• Develop and execute proposal plans, schedules, strategies, budgets, and resource requirements.
• Translate Capture Plans into actionable proposal strategies that align with customer requirements and competitive positioning.
• Build, organize, and lead cross-functional proposal teams, including engineering, finance, pricing, program management, and technical subject matter experts.
• Conduct proposal kickoff meetings, establish team responsibilities, and manage deliverables and deadlines.
• Lead proposal status meetings, track progress, resolve issues, and escalate risks or resource constraints as needed.
• Tailor standardized proposal processes to meet program requirements while maintaining efficiency, quality, and compliance.
• Apply proposal development best practices, including annotated outlines, storyboarding, mockups, and structured color team reviews.
• Partner with Capture Managers to coordinate Pink, Red, and Gold Team reviews, ensuring proposal readiness and alignment with win strategies.
• Review proposal content for compliance with solicitation requirements, technical accuracy, responsiveness, and evaluation criteria.
• Collaborate with technical and program leadership to understand proposed solutions and communicate their value effectively.
• Support cost and pricing development, including alignment with Price-to-Win strategies.
• Prepare and present proposal status updates, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead or participate in functional and executive proposal reviews to secure necessary approvals.
• Ensure timely submission of accurate, compliant, and professionally prepared proposals.
• Lead Best and Final Offer (BAFO) and Final Proposal Revision/Response (FPR) activities as required.
• Conduct post-submission lessons-learned reviews to improve future proposal performance.
• Ensure proper handling of proprietary, classified, ITAR/EAR-controlled, and other sensitive information.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 6+ years of relevant experience , or a graduate degree with 4+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, 10+ years of related experience.
• Secret clearance eligibility required; previously cleared candidates preferred U.S. citizens only; no dual citizenship
• Demonstrated experience managing complex proposals and leading cross-functional proposal teams.
• Strong understanding of proposal planning, development, compliance, and submission processes.
• Proven ability to collaborate with Business Development, Capture Management, technical teams, and executive leadership.
• Experience managing multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and time-sensitive deliverables.
• Strong organizational, leadership, problem-solving, and team management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed and virtual teams.
• U.S. citizenship (no dual citizenship) and eligibility to obtain a Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing proposals within the Department of Defense (DoD) or federal government contracting environment .
• Background leading competitive proposals for new product development, particularly for defense prime contractors or government customers.
• Knowledge of federal acquisition processes and government solicitation requirements.
• Experience with proposal development methodologies such as Shipley, SM&A, or Lohfeld .
• Proposal management certification, such as APMP, Shipley, or equivalent internal certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or similar credential.
• Defense Acquisition University (DAU) training or certification.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Previous DoD Secret security clearance.

50.00 - 53.85 per hour (DOE)