Director, Proposal Management - Defense and Space

Honeywell Aerospace•Tempe, AZ

4d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Proposal Management to lead Defense and Space proposal operations supporting U.S. Government, OEM Defense, International Defense, and Space customers. This senior leadership role is responsible for driving winning proposal strategies, leading high-performing teams, improving proposal processes, and ensuring successful execution of complex RFQ, RFI, and RFP opportunities. The ideal candidate is a transformational leader with deep expertise in proposal management, government contracting, cross-functional collaboration, and process improvement. This individual will work closely with executive leadership, sales, engineering, finance, and operations teams to secure new business and retain existing customers.

Requirements

10+ years of proposal management experience in Aerospace, Defense, Government Contracting, or related industries.
5+ years of people leadership experience managing professional teams.
Strong understanding of RFQ, RFI, and RFP processes.
Knowledge of FAR and government proposal compliance requirements.
Experience leading cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams.
Proven success managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency.
Strong presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Due to compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidate must be a U.S. person, which is defined as, a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident, or have protected status in the U.S. under asylum or refugee status.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree, Management, Operations, or related field
APMP membership or certification.
Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Experience with Salesforce.com and data analytics tools.
Experience implementing process automation and AI-enabled business solutions.
Background supporting Defense, Aerospace, Aviation, or Space customers.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of proposal management professionals.
Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and career development planning.
Establish performance metrics and productivity goals.
Develop succession plans and build organizational capability for future growth.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Identify and implement process improvement initiatives to increase proposal quality, efficiency, and responsiveness.
Leverage automation and emerging technologies, including generative AI, to improve proposal operations.
Monitor key operational metrics and present results to executive leadership.
Improve proposal turnaround times and on-time delivery performance.
Lead continuous improvement efforts using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
Partner with Sales, Engineering, Finance, Contracts, and Program Management teams to develop compelling solutions.
Facilitate executive reviews, proposal kickoffs, and compliance reviews.
Analyze risks, opportunities, and business impacts to support strategic decision-making.
Present proposal performance, business insights, and organizational recommendations to senior executives.