Proposal Manager in Hollywood, Maryland at Castellum Inc

Position Summary

The Proposal Manager leads and supports the development of compliant, competitive proposals for Federal Government opportunities. This role manages proposal efforts from pre-RFP planning through final submission and supports strategically significant pursuits as part of a broader proposal and capture team.

The Proposal Manager works closely with Business Development, Capture, Operations, Contracts, Pricing, technical subject matter experts, and company leadership. The role also provides limited business development support through industry events, market research, opportunity identification, and customer or partner follow-up.

Responsibilities

• Manage Federal Government proposal efforts, including RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Sources Sought notices, task orders, white papers, and capability statements.
• Support complex or strategically significant pursuits as part of a broader proposal and capture team.
• Review solicitation requirements and develop proposal schedules, compliance matrices, outlines, writing assignments, and submission plans.
• Lead proposal kickoff meetings, coordinate contributors, track deadlines, and ensure proposal inputs are completed on schedule.
• Write, review, and edit proposal content for compliance, clarity, consistency, customer focus, and alignment with evaluation criteria.
• Identify proposal gaps, weaknesses, and areas where the response does not clearly explain how the company will meet Government requirements.
• Coordinate with key stakeholders and various proposal resources throughout the proposal process.
• Work with Capture and senior proposal leadership to incorporate win themes, discriminators, strengths, and customer-focused messaging into proposal responses.
• Facilitate color reviews, as appropriate, and coordinate final proposal production.
• Maintain proposal resources, including templates, resumes, past performance information, graphics, and reusable content.
• Support capture activities through opportunity research, competitor research, bid/no-bid discussions, pipeline updates, and identification of potential teaming partners.
• Attend Government industry days, conferences, networking events, and customer or partner meetings to gather market and acquisition intelligence.
• Document key event takeaways, customer needs, partner information, and follow-up actions for Business Development and Capture teams.
• Support proposal lessons learned, debrief reviews, and continuous improvement of proposal processes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing and coordinating DoD or FedCiv proposal efforts.
• Working knowledge of the Federal acquisition and proposal process.
• Ability to interpret solicitation instructions, evaluation criteria, and PWS/SOW requirements.
• Experience developing compliance matrices, proposal schedules, outlines, and review plans.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid environment and collaborate with both remote and in-office teams.
• Willingness to travel approximately 10% for industry days, conferences, customer meetings, and company events.
• Must possess and maintain an active Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Department of Defense or other Federal Government customers.
• Experience with IDIQ, MAC, GWAC, BPA, or task order competitions.
• Familiarity with Shipley, APMP, or similar proposal-development methodologies.
• Experience with SAM.gov, GovWin, HigherGov, GovTribe, or similar market-intelligence tools.
• Experience supporting capture, teaming, or business development activities.
• Experience participating in Government industry days, conferences, or customers