Senior Proposal Manager

Location: Hybrid- Onsite once (1) per week is the anticipated requirement.

Travel: This position requires the ability to report to the Alexandria VA office up to once per week and travel throughout the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area for capture planning sessions, customer meetings, and industry events as business needs require.

Years’ Experience: 6+

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in related field.

Clearance: Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. United States Citizenship is required as part of the eligibility criteria to be able to obtain this type of security clearance.

Key Skills:

• Minimum of 6 years of experience managing proposals for Federal government contracts.
• Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and government procurement processes.
• Develop proposal outlines, compliance matrices, and annotated outlines based on detailed analysis of solicitation requirements.
• Must have experience managing the development of complex proposals in response to government solicitations, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs) and other competitive opportunities.
• Must be highly proficient in desktop publishing activities using the Microsoft (MS) Office Suite including MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint in other tools with a high attention to detail and a track record of delivering work products with minimal defects

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and direct all aspects of the proposal development lifecycle from opportunity assessment through final submission.
• Lead proposal kickoff meetings, establish proposal schedules and milestones, and ensure all deliverables meet quality standards and submission deadlines.
• Develop proposal outlines, compliance matrices, and annotated outlines based on detailed analysis of solicitation requirements including Sections L (Proposal Instructions), M (Evaluation Criteria), and C (Statement of Work/Performance Work Statement).
• Interpret complex solicitation requirements and translate them into actionable proposal strategies.
• Coordinate and direct proposal teams including technical writers, subject matter experts, capture managers, pricing analysts, and graphic designers to ensure seamless collaboration and timely completion of all proposal volumes.
• Conduct compliance reviews throughout the proposal development process to verify that all solicitation requirements are addressed and properly cited.
• Lead color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold) and implement quality control processes to ensure proposal responsiveness, technical accuracy, and persuasive messaging. Support color reviews as needed.
• Perform formatting/spelling/grammar reviews as the last line of defense to ensure the materials are the highest quality possible.
• Provide strategic input during capture planning to shape proposal win strategies, discriminators, and competitive positioning.
• Develop and maintain proposal templates, style guides, and best practices to ensure consistency across all proposal efforts.
• Manage proposal content libraries and knowledge management systems to facilitate reuse of winning proposal content.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams toward common objectives.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive business information with discretion.
• Mentor and develop junior proposal staff, providing guidance on proposal best practices, government contracting requirements, and professional development.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience managing proposals for Federal government contracts.
• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Experience must include managing all phases of the proposal lifecycle from opportunity assessment through final submission.
• Demonstrated experience developing proposals for civilian and/or defense agencies.
• Thorough knowledge of government solicitation requirements including evaluation criteria, past performance requirements, and technical approach expectations.
• Experience must include leading the development of complex, multi-volume proposals exceeding $10 million in contract value.
• Knowledge of FAR and government procurement processes.
• Comprehensive understanding of proposal development methodologies including compliance matrix development, outline creation, color team reviews, and quality assurance processes.
•  Advanced skills in developing compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and proposal management plans.
• Knowledge of proposal writing best practices including active voice, customer-focused language, and persuasive writing techniques.
• Knowledge of compliance requirements, quality assurance methodologies, corporate capabilities, past performance, and competitive positioning strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals under tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts.
• Superior writing, editing, and proofreading skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficient desktop publishing and formatting skills to produce professional, polished proposal documents.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage stakeholder expectations.