Defense Business Development & Proposal Pinnacle Capture Leader

Guidehouse•McLean, VA

35d

About The Position

The Federal Defense Business Development & Proposal Capture Leader is responsible for shaping, winning, and executing large-scale, mission-critical defense opportunities across the Department of War (DoW) and national security community. This leader owns the end-to-end capture lifecycle for highly Defense complex pursuits—often very large $100M+ to multi-billion-dollar, multi-award, multi-domain programs—by integrating customer intimacy, competitive strategy, technical solutioning, and disciplined proposal execution. This role serves as the single accountable owner for capture strategy and proposal outcomes, aligning executives, technical leaders, partners, and proposal teams to deliver compelling, compliant, and differentiated solutions that directly support warfighter and national security missions.

Requirements

Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD "TOP SECRET" security clearance; candidates must obtain approved adjudication of clearance prior to onboarding with Guidehouse. Candidates with an ACTIVE "TOP SECRET" or higher-level clearance are preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, national security studies, or a related discipline.
(FIFTEEN) 15 or more years of progressively senior experience in federal defense business development, capture management, and proposal leadership.

Nice To Haves

Prior senior military, SES, and/or government acquisition leadership experience.
Experience leading captures in Defense and/or classified environments and sensitive programs.
Background in scaling or transforming enterprise capture organizations.
Masters or Advanced Degree.
Federal Defense & National Security Experience Demonstrated success leading and winning very large, complex DoD and national security captures (typically $100M+ TCV, including multi-award IDIQs, MACs, and single-award programs).
Deep familiarity with DoD acquisition frameworks, including FAR/DFARS, OTAs, IDIQs, task orders, and source selection processes.
Experience and a proven track record understanding Defense information technology and systems, which are driving Defense growth (e.g., IT Acquisition programs and requirements definition, preferably both at the Program Office and higher headquarters levels).
Capture & Proposal Leadership Proven track record serving as Capture Lead / Capture Executive for high-stakes pursuits from early shaping through award.
Extensive experience leading full-lifecycle capture activities, including customer shaping, competitive positioning, solution development, pricing strategy, and proposal execution.
Expertise in leading large, cross-functional proposal teams (technical, management, pricing, legal, contracts, security) under aggressive schedules.
Strategic & Competitive Acumen Demonstrated ability to develop and execute differentiated win strategies against top-tier industry competitors and incumbents.
Advanced experience conducting competitive intelligence, Black Hat analysis, and Pink/Red/Gold Team reviews.
Strong understanding of customer mission priorities, modernization roadmaps, and budget dynamics across defense and national security agencies.
Technical & Solutioning Capability Ability to engage credibly with senior technical leaders and architects on complex, multi-domain solutions (C4ISR, cyber, space, cloud, data, AI/ML, logistics, or weapons systems, as applicable).
Experience integrating prime and subcontractor teams, including large OEMs and small business partners, into cohesive, executable solutions.
Strong understanding of security, operational, and sustainment considerations for mission-critical defense programs.
Financial, Risk, & Governance Expertise Demonstrated experience owning bid decisions, capture budgets, and investment strategies for large pursuits.
Strong financial acumen in pricing strategy, cost realism, and risk trade-off analysis.
Proven ability to identify, manage, and mitigate technical, programmatic, and business risks during capture and proposal phases.
Senior Presence & Leadership Executive-level communication skills with experience briefing C-suite executives, boards, and senior government leaders.
Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop senior capture managers, proposal leaders, and business development professionals.
Strong decision-making capability in ambiguous, high-pressure, time-critical environments.

Responsibilities

Strategic Capture Leadership Own and lead end-to-end capture strategy for large, complex federal defense pursuits from early shaping through contract award.
Develop and maintain long-range pipeline strategies aligned to DoD modernization priorities, customer mission needs, and corporate growth objectives.
Serve as Capture Lead / Capture Executive for designated flagship “pinnacle” $100M+ opportunities, providing decisive sales and growth leadership and accountability.
Customer & Mission Engagement Build and sustain trusted relationships with senior DoD, IC, and federal civilian defense stakeholders.
Translate customer mission challenges into actionable solution strategies and win themes.
Lead capture teams in gathering and synthesizing customer intelligence, requirements evolution, and acquisition strategies.
Competitive & Win Strategy Development Conduct deep competitive analysis, including incumbent assessments, teaming dynamics, pricing strategies, and discriminator development.
Define and drive win themes, value propositions, and solution differentiation across technical, management, and cost dimensions.
Lead Black Hat, Red Team, and Blue Team strategy sessions for high-stakes large flagship pinnacle Defense pursuits.
Technical Solution & Partner Integration Collaborate with technology, global managed services, engineering, operations, and solution architects to shape integrated, mission-aligned technical solutions.
Lead teaming and partner strategies, including primes, subs, OEMs, and small business participation.
Ensure solution feasibility, scalability, and compliance with security, acquisition, and operational constraints.
Proposal & Execution Governance Provide senior-level leadership over proposal development for large, complex RFPs, including IDIQs, MACs, OTA-based acquisitions, and single-award programs.
Establish and enforce proposal governance, milestone reviews, and quality standards.
Ensure proposals are fully compliant, compelling, and defensible across technical, management, and pricing volumes.
Financial & Risk Management Own bid decisions, capture budgets, and investment trade-offs for major pursuits.
Identify, assess, and mitigate programmatic, technical, schedule, and financial risks throughout the capture lifecycle.
Partner with pricing and finance teams to ensure competitive, executable cost strategies.
Senior Sales Capture & Organizational Leadership Brief and advise C-suite and executive leadership on capture strategy, risks, and probability of win.
Mentor and develop capture managers, proposal managers, and business development staff.
Institutionalize best practices, lessons learned, and continuous improvement across the capture organization.
Scope & Impact Leads captures ranging from hundreds of millions to multiple billions of dollars.
Operates across classified and unclassified environments.
Directly influences corporate growth, market positioning, and long-term customer and teaming partner trust.

Benefits

Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Basic Life & Supplemental Life
Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Student Loan PayDown
Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
Skills Development & Certifications
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
Mobility Stipend