Senior Proposal Manager

Position Overview The Proposal Manager is responsible for managing the development, production, and timely delivery of compliant, high-quality proposals for Quiet Professionals/Spathe Systems’ assigned opportunities, ensuring alignment with solicitation requirements, win strategy, and corporate standards to support successful contract awards in defense, intelligence, and national security markets.

As a core member of the proposal operations team, the Proposal Manager coordinates cross-functional contributors (capture, technical SMEs, pricing, graphics), enforces schedules, maintains compliance, and drives content development for technical, management, and past performance volumes. This role focuses on SOF/SOCOM, DoD, and IC pursuits, working closely with capture managers, solutions engineers, and senior leadership to produce polished, persuasive submissions in a deadline-driven environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Proposal Planning & Kickoff
  
  
  
  • Develop detailed proposal schedules, outlines, compliance matrices, and annotated mock-ups based on solicitation instructions and win themes.
  
  
  • Lead proposal kickoff meetings, section planning sessions, and daily status updates to align contributors and maintain momentum.
  
  
  • Assign writing responsibilities, track progress, and manage version control using proposal collaboration tools.
  
  
• Content Development & Coordination
  
  
  
  • Facilitate development of compelling, customer-focused narratives in technical, management, and past performance sections.
  
  
  • Work directly with SMEs, capture managers, and solutions teams to gather input, resolve gaps, and ensure content reflects discriminators and strengths.
  
  
  • Conduct iterative reviews and incorporate feedback to strengthen messaging and eliminate weaknesses.
  
  
• Compliance Management
  
  
  
  • Create and maintain compliance matrices to ensure 100% adherence to page limits, formatting, section requirements, and evaluation criteria.
  
  
  • Perform compliance checks throughout development and lead final quality assurance reviews before submission.
  
  
  • Manage production processes (editing, proofreading, graphics integration, desktop publishing) to deliver error-free documents.
  
  
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  
  
  
  • Coordinate input from capture, pricing, subcontracting, technical, and executive teams to integrate consistent themes, pricing strategy, and risk mitigation.
  
  
  • Facilitate color team reviews (pink, red, gold) and resolve conflicts to drive timely decisions.
  
  
  • Support orals preparation and BAFO responses as required.
  
  
• Proposal Tools & Asset Management
  
  
  
  • Utilize proposal management platforms (SharePoint, proposal automation software, Adobe Acrobat) for document control, collaboration, and version tracking.
  
  
  • Leverage and update reusable proposal assets (boilerplate, resumes, past performance summaries, graphics library) to improve efficiency.
  
  
  • Contribute to process improvements, lessons learned, and template enhancements for future bids.
  
  
• Submission & Post-Submission Support
  
  
  
  • Oversee final assembly, electronic formatting, and submission via government portals (SAM.gov, DoD systems).
  
  
  • Assist with post-submission activities, including clarification responses, debrief preparation, and win/loss documentation.
  
  
  • Track proposal metrics (cycle time, compliance issues, production challenges) to inform continuous improvement.
  
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-time, fully compliant proposal submissions with zero major compliance deficiencies.
• Successful execution of proposal schedules and color team deliverables.
• Reduction in content rework and production issues through effective coordination.
• Contribution to high-quality, persuasive submissions that support win outcomes.
• Effective management of proposal resources and contributor accountability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of proposal management experience in defense, intelligence, or government contracting, including responsibility for full proposal lifecycles.
• Demonstrated success managing proposals for DoD/SOCOM/IC opportunities with strong compliance and quality outcomes.
• Solid knowledge of federal proposal processes (FAR/DFARS, solicitation compliance, color team reviews, APMP fundamentals).
• Familiarity with SOF/SOCOM mission areas, technical solution writing, and pricing integration.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or professional certifications preferred.
• Active DoD Secret clearance required; TS/SCI strongly preferred.
• APMP Foundation certification (or equivalent) preferred; APMP Practitioner or PMP a plus.
• Proposal Execution: Manages complex proposals with precision and under tight deadlines.
• Compliance Discipline: Ensures unwavering adherence to solicitation requirements and quality standards.
• Coordination Skills: Aligns diverse contributors to produce cohesive, winning documents.
• Detail Orientation: Maintains accuracy and polish in high-stakes submissions.
• Mission Commitment: Embodies Quiet Professionals/Spathe Systems’ ethos of service, integrity, and excellence in support of SOF and national security.