Proposal Manager (Mid level)

Mid-Level Proposal Manager
Sterling, VA 
Hybrid work

Position Overview
Dfuse Technologies, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Proposal Manager to join our growing Corporate Growth and Strategy team. Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President of Corporate Growth and Strategy, the Proposal Manager will play a critical role in leading and managing the full government proposal lifecycle, from opportunity assessment through final submission.

The ideal candidate is a confident, self-directed professional who thrives in a fast-paced government contracting environment. This individual will possess strong leadership skills, exceptional organizational abilities, and a proven track record of managing compliant, compelling, and winning proposals. We are looking for a proactive go-getter who can independently drive proposal activities, hold teams accountable, and consistently deliver high-quality results under demanding deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

·        Lead and manage the complete proposal lifecycle for federal, state, and local government opportunities, including RFIs, Sources Sought, RFPs, Task Orders, and IDIQ responses.

·        Serve as the central point of contact for all assigned proposal efforts, coordinating activities across internal stakeholders, executive leadership, subject matter experts, teaming partners, consultants, and subcontractors.

·        Establish proposal schedules, milestones, and action plans while ensuring adherence to all submission deadlines and compliance requirements.

·        Drive proposal execution with accountability and ownership, ensuring all contributors remain engaged and on schedule.

·        Analyze solicitation documents and develop proposal management plans, compliance matrices, outlines, schedules, templates, and kickoff materials.

·        Lead proposal kickoff meetings, solutioning sessions, strategy discussions, Black Hat reviews, color team reviews, and status meetings.

·        Manage content development, writing assignments, editing, reviews, and version control.

·        Ensure proposal responses clearly communicate win themes, discriminators, value propositions, and customer-focused solutions.

·        Conduct ongoing compliance, quality, and consistency reviews throughout proposal development.

·        Oversee final proposal production, packaging, and submission activities.

·        Support opportunity assessments, bid/no-bid decisions, and proposal readiness efforts.

·        Contribute to continuous improvement of proposal management processes and best practices.

Qualifications

·        Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; equivalent experience may be substituted.

·        Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting and managing government proposal efforts.

·        Minimum of 3 years of experience serving in a lead Proposal Manager role within the federal government contracting industry.

·        Demonstrated success managing multiple concurrent proposal efforts.

·        Experience supporting responses for federal agencies, GWACs, IDIQs, BPAs, and Task Orders.

·        Experience utilizing Shipley, APMP, or similar proposal management methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications

·        APMP Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional Certification.

·        Experience working in a small business government contracting environment.

·        Familiarity with FAR-based procurements.

Required Skills & Competencies

·        Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence teams and drive results.

·        Exceptional project management, prioritization, and multitasking capabilities.

·        Self-starter who requires minimal supervision.

·        Ability to work independently and collaboratively with distributed teams.

·        Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

·        Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality and compliance.

·        Ability to perform effectively under pressure and manage competing priorities.

·        Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and proposal collaboration tools.

·        Willingness to work extended hours during critical proposal periods.

·        Professionalism, accountability, responsiveness, and commitment to excellence.

What Success Looks Like

·        Consistently leads proposal efforts from inception to submission with minimal oversight.

·        Maintains schedule discipline, compliance, and proposal quality.

·        Effectively coordinates diverse teams and stakeholders.

·        Contributes to increased proposal efficiency, quality, and win probability.

·        Serves as a trusted leader within the Growth organization.