Associate Proposal Manager

Aery Aviation•Newport News, VA

About The Position

The Associate Proposal Manager is an entry-level, developmental role supporting Aery Aviation’s business development and capture activities throughout the full business development lifecycle. Under the guidance of the Proposal Manager, the role researches and qualifies opportunities, helps prepare responses to RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, coordinates proposal development and submission, updates business development systems, and maintains reusable proposal materials. The position collaborates with executive leadership, sales professionals, solution architects, project managers, and subject-matter experts to gather information and produce compliant, compelling, on-brand proposal content. It offers exposure to the business development lifecycle and a path for potential advancement into a Senior Proposal Manager role as organizational needs grow. The role includes researching aviation services, flight operations, ISR/EW platforms and training, aircraft engineering and modification, maintenance and sustainment, and air medical services opportunities. It also involves documenting opportunity characteristics and acquisition information, supporting bid/no-bid decisions, analyzing solicitation requirements and risks, preparing compliance matrices and proposal plans, coordinating proposal inputs and reviews, and maintaining proposal templates, boilerplate, resumes, and past performance materials. New-hire training may cover Aery systems, software, policies and procedures; proposal writing and management; program management processes, techniques, and tools; GovWin; and Wolverine and Badger systems. Employment is contingent on successfully completing a pre-employment background check. Some positions may require drug testing.

Requirements

1–4 years of experience supporting business development, capture management, proposal development, marketing, or related functions within government contracting, aerospace, defense, aviation, or professional services organizations.
Strong written communication skills and the ability to turn technical concepts into clear, concise proposal language.
Detail-oriented approach to tracking requirements and maintaining compliance.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work in a fast-paced environment.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Ability to collaborate across departments and work effectively with subject-matter experts and executive management.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and collaboration tools such as Teams and SharePoint.
Must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and hold a Secret clearance.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, marketing, English, or a related discipline.
Prior experience supporting proposal writing, proposal coordination, or business development.
Demonstrated ability to write and edit professional business documents, proposals, white papers, or customer-facing communications.
Familiarity with government contracting, procurement processes, or commercial proposal development.
Familiarity with aviation services.
Basic understanding of proposal processes, such as Shipley or similar methodologies.
Experience with proposal management software and AI tools.
Some knowledge of the federal acquisition lifecycle, including FAR/DFARS.
Prior military service or civilian government experience.
Experience in small-to-mid-size aerospace companies.

Responsibilities

Research new business opportunities aligned with Aery Aviation’s offerings using online tools and databases, including SAM.gov, GovWin, agency forecasts, and industry sources.
Track recompete opportunities and incumbent contractor information for key opportunities and competitors.
Record and retain opportunity research in Aery’s Wolverine business development system, Teams, and GovWin portals.
Collect key opportunity information and prepare synopses of salient characteristics.
Research customers, competitors, contract vehicles, acquisition strategies, and competing companies to support opportunity assessment.
Support bid/no-bid decision packages, opportunity reviews, and maintenance of an internal opportunity-data repository.
Develop draft RFI response templates and work with business development team members to gather required information.
Edit and format RFI responses for clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to requirements.
Analyze RFP, RFI, and RFQ solicitation documents to identify requirements, deadlines, evaluation criteria, and risks.
Help develop proposal outlines, writing assignments, schedules, production plans, compliance matrices, and requirement traceability.
Assist with maintaining opportunity pipelines and customer relationship management databases.
Coordinate proposal kickoffs, communications, and collection of technical, financial, and operational information from internal subject-matter experts and teams.
Draft, edit, and format proposal sections, ensuring clarity, accuracy, responsiveness, and alignment with company voice and standards.
Coordinate collection of subcontractor and teaming partner inputs.
Maintain version control and ensure documents follow internal quality and brand guidelines.
Support proposal schedules, meetings, review cycles, and production activities, including color-team reviews and kickoff meetings.
Assist in developing graphics, tables, and supporting materials for proposals.
Manage and track tasks using collaboration tools such as SharePoint, Teams, or proposal management software.
Maintain proposal templates, boilerplate libraries, resumes, past performance summaries, and other reusable content.
Support post-submission activities, including file archiving, pipeline updates, and participation in debriefs.