Federal Capture Director (Contract) - Arlington, VA

About the role

Independent consultant (1099) engaged hourly to build the federal capture function for The Wilkinson Firm. Remote work with quarterly travel to Washington, DC preferred. Reports to the GovCon Division Lead.

Responsibilities

• Identify and qualify federal opportunities via SAM.gov, GSA Schedules, agency forecasts, and prime/sub channels.
• Manage the capture-to-proposal lifecycle: opportunity assessment, teaming strategy, technical and price strategy, color-team reviews, submission readiness.
• Develop and maintain capture playbook documentation (pursuit criteria, gate reviews, win themes, ghosting strategy, competitive analysis).
• Manage prime and subcontractor relationships and government points of contact.
• Drive set-aside strategy and certification work (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) in coordination with the GovCon Division Lead.
• Provide pipeline visibility and reporting to firm leadership.
• Coach emerging Proposal Manager and Federal Account Executive roles as they come online.

Requirements

• 7‑15 years of experience in federal capture, proposal management, or business development for small‑to‑mid‑size GovCon firms.
• Documented track record of capturing $1M+ federal contracts.
• Shipley‑trained or equivalent methodology.
• Fluent with SAM.gov.
• Comfortable with FAR/DFARS terminology.
• Familiar with small‑business set‑asides and the certification lifecycle.
• Located in DC, NC, or GA, or willing to travel to DC quarterly.

Qualifications

• Past performance citations in workforce, HHS‑adjacent, hospitality, or staffing services (preferred).
• Experience building a function from scratch inside a founder‑led firm.
• Prior role at a Tier 1 GovCon prime or boutique capture firm (bonus).
• Existing relationships at DoD, VA, HHS, GSA, or DHS (bonus).
• APMP credential (bonus).