Proposal Manager

Responsibilities

• Serve as the overall manager for assigned proposals, accountable for the development and submission of high-quality, compliant, and persuasive responses.
• Lead and facilitate proposal kickoff meetings, daily standups, and milestone reviews.
• Translate capture strategy, win themes, and discriminators into proposal content and visuals.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive Proposal Management Plan aligned to Astrion’s standard process (IAW Shipley/industry best practices).
• Build and maintain the proposal schedule, compliance matrix, data calls, and responsibility assignments (RACI).
• Collaborate with Capture Managers to ensure alignment of solution, pricing, and technical volumes.
• Collaborate with writers, graphic artists, coordinators, and subject matter experts (SMEs) to deliver complete and responsive content.
• Interface with Contracts, Pricing, Security, HR, and Recruiting teams to gather supporting information.
• Ensure adherence to Astrion’s proposal development processes, compliance standards, and corporate quality benchmarks.
• Document lessons learned and support continuous improvement of Astrion’s Proposal Center of Excellence (PCOE).
• Drive efficient proposal execution under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintain a bias for action, proactively addressing risks, removing blockers, and driving the team toward milestones with urgency.
• Ensure secure handling of proposal materials, version control, and compliance with ITAR/DFARS/contract requirements.
• Deliver final proposals (electronic and/or hardcopy) on time, with zero compliance deficiencies.

Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, English, Political Science, or related field; Master’s degree preferred. 5+ years of experience managing U.S. Federal Government proposals; at least 2+ in DoD/Defense sector preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of leading large, complex proposals (> $100M) across multiple volumes.
• In-depth knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS), and DoD procurement processes.
• Proficiency with proposal development tools (SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office Suite, scheduling tools).
• Familiarity with Shipley methodologies and APMP best practices; APMP certification (Foundation/Practitioner/Professional) preferred.
• Fluency in leveraging technology and collaboration platforms — including emerging AI-enabled tools for proposal development — is strongly preferred.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Exceptional leadership, facilitation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to lead diverse, cross-functional teams. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple, concurrent deadlines. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; adept at influencing senior stakeholders.