Manager, Proposal Development

Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc.•Simsbury, CT

About The Position

This opportunity is located within our Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company business, a global leader of mission-critical hardware and systems solutions including precision energetics systems and innovative explosive solutions. Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD) is a leader in energetic and precision systems for the aerospace and defense industries. Our heritage of innovation and reliability has supported critical missions in space exploration, defense, and national security. At EBAD, we are driven by our core values – our people matter, win & grow with customers, kaizen mindset, and long-term approach. The Bids and Proposals Manager leads a team responsible for the preparation, coordination, and submission of complex, high-value proposals to government and commercial customers within the aerospace and defense sector. This individual will serve as the central point of contact for proposal efforts, ensuring that all bids are compliant, compelling, and aligned with EBAD’s strategic objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, IT, Engineering, or a related field.
10+ years of experience showing increased levels of responsibility including 2+ years of supervisory experience.
3+ years of experience with proposal management or program management within the aerospace, defense, or government contracting environment.
Demonstrated ability to lead a highly-skilled team, identify & solve problems, and ensure employee engagement.
Demonstrated ability to lead continuous improvement efforts with impactful results.
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to oversee multiple concurrent proposal efforts across the team and interface with leaders at all levels of the business.
Demonstrated ability to review, analyze, and interpret complex RFPs / RFQs and coordinate with Proposal Managers on alignment, scope, and strategy.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong understanding of the proposal development process and government acquisition regulations (FAR/DFARS).
Familiarity with government portals (e.g., SAM.gov, DLA – DIBBS, etc).

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business administration or related field.
APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) certification.

Responsibilities

Lead a team of Proposal Development Engineers in the development and delivery of compliant, high-quality proposals in response to RFPs/RFQs and other customer solicitations.
Responsible for driving our culture across the Bids and Proposal team from our people leader talent expectations to driving continuous improvement through problem solving and kaizen.
Build a high performing team to accelerate business performance and growth by hiring, engaging and retaining talent.
Engage in high-quality talent & performance management activities, including goal setting, tag-ups, performance reviews, career conversations, and development planning.
Ensure the Bids and Proposals team remains on-track through a disciplined operating cadence.
Apply and coach daily visual management to empower the team to solve problems anchored in Gemba-based evidence, prioritized with 80/20 principles, and to act with urgency.
Identify opportunities to leverage Kaizen to achieve breakthrough results.
Manage all phases of the proposal value stream, from opportunity assessment through cost estimation / basis of estimate development, volumes / writeup generation, management approvals, final submission and post-submission clarifications.
Coordinate with leadership across the organization to align on internal processes, reviews, and escalations (Business Development, Engineering, Program Management, Contracts, Finance, and Operations).
Oversee proposal teams’ schedules, outlines, cost/pricing data, compliance matrices, and content plans to ensure timely and accurate submissions.
Support training, process development, and tools for the Bids & Proposals team.