Proposal Manager

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.