Director of Capture and Proposal Operations

About the Job

As the Director of Capture & Proposal Operations , you will own the end‑to‑end lifecycle of Lodestar’s federal acquisition pipeline. Moving beyond traditional business development, you will lead the strategic shaping, competitive positioning, and rigorous execution of high‑value proposals for the U.S. Space Force, SpaceWERX, Air Force Research Lab, Defense Innovation Unit, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Space Development Agency and other Department of War and Intelligence Community entities. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and tactical execution, translating technical capabilities into compliant, high‑scoring, and winning programmatic bids, including formal RFIs, RFPs, OTAs, CSOs, and BAAs. You will have autonomy to manage, grow and shape your future team, directly contributing to Lodestar’s strategic vision for federal business.

Organizational Structure

Report directly to the VP of Commercial and Federal and/or Chief Business/Revenue Officer. Work closely with the other Commercial Leads (Business Development, Mission Operations, Government Relations, Growth and Marketing) to develop a strategic vision and execution plan to grow Lodestar’s federal business and operations.

What You’ll Do

• Capture Strategy & Pipeline Shaping
• Identify, qualify, and lead high‑priority federal procurement opportunities from initial identification through contract award. Work closely with Lodestar’s technical team to craft and write winning proposals.
• Develop comprehensive capture plans, including Black Hat competitive assessments, Price‑to‑Win strategies, cost‑vs‑price modeling and customer value proposition mapping.
• Engage directly with Space Force Program Managers, Contracting Officers, and technical stakeholders to shape upcoming requirements and mission profiles prior to solicitation release and through the selection process.
• Ensure absolute compliance with government regulations (FAR/DFARS), TINA and Cost Accounting Standards when applicable, while maintaining startup‑level margins, pace and agility.
• In the case of an unsuccessful bid, conduct rigorous after‑action reports, feedback sessions and de‑briefings with the internal team and external stakeholders. In certain unique situations and in conjunction with the legal team, advise if a formal protest is warranted.
• Formulate strategic teaming agreements, identifying and onboarding subcontractors or prime partners to maximize win probability.
• Proposal Operations & Management
• Own the entire proposal development process, establishing a rigorous, repeatable framework for volume management, compliance tracking, and quality control.
• Act as the Proposal Manager on major bids, generating compliance matrices, work breakdown structures, and detailed proposal schedules.
• Lead formal milestone reviews to critically evaluate technical, management, and cost volumes.
• Coordinate cross‑functional inputs from Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, Mission Operations, Finance, and Legal to synthesize complex technical data into compelling, compliant narratives.
• Content Creation & Knowledge Management
• Write, edit, and polish executive summaries, technical descriptions, cost volumes, slide decks and past performance history.
• Establish and maintain an institutional “proposal library” containing boilerplate content, past performance sheets, security capability write‑ups, and verified technical architectures to accelerate submission cycles. Use this library to scale and improve efficiencies across your team and the organization.

Qualifications

• Experience: 6–10+ years of proven experience in federal capture management and proposal operations, specifically within the defense aerospace, defense software, space systems, or national security technology sectors.
• Track Record: Demonstrated success winning prime contracts with the Department of War, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, DIU, MDA, NRO, etc. Strong familiarity with FAR/DFARS regulations, contracting structures and non‑traditional pathways such as OTAs, Consortiums, IDIQ’s, Multiple Authority Announcements and Middle Tier of Acquisitions (Section 804).
• Skills: Mastery of formal capture and proposal methodologies. Exceptional technical writing skills with the ability to convey technical jargon, complex orbital mechanics, space domain awareness and hardware architecture concepts clearly to non‑technical evaluators. Previous experience using capture and proposal writing software.
• Security Clearance: Active Secret clearance required; TS/SCI preferred or must be eligible to obtain.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Political Science, Business, or a related field required. Master’s degree in a related field preferred.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience operating within a fast‑paced, venture‑backed, defense tech startup environment, where challenging the status‑quo is the norm.
• Ability to read a system architecture diagram or orbital mechanics profile and immediately write the first‑draft compliance text without needing an engineer to hold your hand.
• Thrives in ambiguity and self‑reliance; capable of working independently, managing your own tasks, critically thinking through challenging problems, maximizing limited resources and maximizing returns from your highly valuable time.
• Willingness to cultivate a culture of winning and moving fast, despising bureaucratic red‑tape.
• Existing, strong professional relationships within the defense space ecosystem (e.g., USSF, OSD, SSC, DIU, DoW, SpaceWerx, Space RCO, SDA, AFRL‑RV, etc.).

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary Pay Range: $175,000.00 to $250,000.00
• Meaningful equity incentives as part of our employee option pool
• Unlimited PTO with generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave
• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match

Additional Information

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay are determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on job‑related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full‑time hires, you may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision and dental coverage, as well as a 401(k) retirement plan.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lodestar is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Lodestar is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.