Proposal Manager

Proposal ManagerLead end-to-end federal proposal efforts in a fully remote environment supporting complex defense and civilian government opportunities. In this role, you will manage multiple pursuits simultaneously, from early-stage RFIs and sources sought responses through RFPs, task orders, and contract vehicle on-ramps. You will translate detailed solicitation requirements into clear strategies, schedules, compliance frameworks, and compelling proposal narratives. Working closely with business development, capture, contracts, pricing, and technical experts, you will keep diverse contributors aligned toward successful submissions. Your ability to turn complex technical solutions into persuasive, evaluator-friendly content will directly influence competitive outcomes. This is an opportunity for an experienced proposal professional to take ownership of high-impact pursuits while helping strengthen proposal processes, tools, and best practices.Accountabilities:Manage assigned federal proposals throughout the full lifecycle, including RFIs, sources sought notices, RFPs, RFQs, task orders, and contract vehicle on-ramps, often across multiple concurrent pursuits.Analyze solicitations, including Sections L and M, SOWs/PWSs, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions, and translate requirements into annotated outlines, compliance matrices, and writing assignments.Build and maintain proposal schedules, lead kickoff meetings, establish milestones, and hold contributors accountable for timely deliverables.Partner with capture and business development teams to incorporate win themes, discriminators, customer insights, and competitive positioning into proposal content.Write, edit, and refine technical, management, and past performance sections, transforming subject matter expert input into polished and persuasive narratives.Lead color team reviews, coordinate feedback, adjudicate reviewer comments, and track recovery actions through completion.Coordinate with pricing and contracts teams to ensure technical and cost volumes remain aligned on staffing assumptions, labor categories, representations, certifications, and other requirements.Manage collaboration with teaming partners and subcontractors, including content requests, data calls, and document exchanges.Conduct final compliance, quality, and formatting reviews and manage electronic submissions through government portals such as SAM.gov, PIEE, and GSA eBuy.Maintain and expand the proposal content library, including past performance materials, corporate content, and reusable proposal assets.Use approved AI tools to accelerate solicitation analysis, drafting, and content reuse while applying appropriate human review and data-handling requirements.Capture lessons learned and customer debrief feedback and recommend improvements to proposal templates, tools, workflows, and processes.Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, and writing feedback to proposal coordinators, writers, and subject matter experts.Support quality assurance and information security processes while protecting sensitive information and maintaining established standards.Perform other related responsibilities as assigned.Requirements:Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Business, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.5–7 years of experience in proposal development, proposal management, or technical writing; candidates without a degree should have 7–10 years of relevant experience.At least 2 years of hands-on experience managing federal government proposals from solicitation release through submission.Working knowledge of the federal acquisition process, including FAR-based procurements, Sections L and M, and common contract vehicles such as IDIQs, GWACs, BPAs, and task orders.Hands-on experience conducting color team reviews using a structured methodology such as Shipley or APMP best practices.Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, persuasive language for government evaluators.Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals under demanding deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality.Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.Strong organizational, communication, prioritization, and collaboration skills.Ability to work effectively in a fully remote environment with distributed teams across multiple time zones.APMP Foundation or Practitioner certification is a plus.Formal Shipley training is a plus.Experience supporting Department of Defense customers, particularly defense logistics and sustainment programs, is a plus.Familiarity with SAP, ERP modernization, supply chain, or data analytics is beneficial.Experience with contract vehicle on-ramps or agency multiple-award IDIQs is beneficial.Exposure to cost volumes, basis of estimate development, or pricing narratives is a plus.Basic graphics and desktop publishing skills using PowerPoint, Word, or similar tools are beneficial.Experience with government market research and pipeline platforms such as GovWin IQ, HigherGov, or SAM.gov is a plus.Experience supporting oral presentations and technical demonstrations is beneficial.An active security clearance or the ability to obtain one is a plus; eligibility to obtain a U.S. security clearance requires U.S. citizenship.Practical experience using AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT in proposal development is beneficial.Experience working for a small or mid-sized government contractor where proposal professionals manage multiple responsibilities is a plus.Benefits:Annual salary range of $100,000–$130,000, with actual compensation based on experience, qualifications, skills, and location.Fully remote position within the United States.Medical, dental, and vision insurance.Life insurance and long-term disability coverage.401(k) retirement plan.Bonus opportunities.Paid holidays.Paid time off.Opportunity to work on complex, mission-critical federal government proposals across defense and civilian markets.Collaborative environment emphasizing ownership, continuous learning, professional growth, and high-quality execution.Opportunity to contribute to proposal process improvements and use modern AI tools to enhance proposal development.