Public Sector Proposal Manager

Palo Alto Networks Public Sector•Reston, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Our Mission At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place. Who We Are In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us! We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes. Job Summary Your Career As our Public Sector Proposal Manager you will lead the development and delivery of high-quality, compliant, and winning proposals for the US Public Sector. In this role, highly leveraging AI, you will be responsible for managing the end-to-end proposal process including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), White Papers, and Unsolicited Proposals. The ideal candidate will combine a deep understanding of US government procurement with mastery of modern AI-powered proposal tools and established industry methodologies (Shipley) to drive efficiency and capture new business. This position will ensure that proposals are compliant with customer and partner requirements. This role will work closely with Sales, Engineering, GTM, Product, Legal, and Compliance teams and other cross functional teams to ensure that the solution is technically compliant. Additionally, this role will ensure that PAN differentiators and discriminators are captured in response. This role must be familiar with federal as well as state and local procurement guidelines. The proposal manager will be responsible for developing timelines and managing deliverables.

Requirements

5+ years experience managing proposals in the U.S. Public Sector within a SaaS, cloud computing, or enterprise software or hardware company.
Expertise with Generative AI tools (e.g. Google, Gemini: OpenAI, ChatGpt, Anthropic (Claude) and modern Proposal Management Software (e.g., Loopio, Responsive)
Advanced proficiency in the Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe Acrobat.
Bachelor's degree
In-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local government procurement guidelines and processes.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, develop timelines, and manage deliverables in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in the cybersecurity industry.
APMP certification or similar proposal management credentials.
Strong working knowledge of the Shipley method or a similar formal proposal process.
AI-related certifications or a PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
Familiarity with GTM / Sales enablement processes, campaign cadences.
Experience using AI-powered opportunity tracking or market intelligence tools (e.g. GovWin, SAM.gov ) to identify and qualify public sector pursuits

Responsibilities

Leverage modern AI and dedicated proposal management tools to streamline content discovery, automate draft generation, and maintain a high-velocity proposal engine.
Lead the lifecycle of US Public Sector responses (RFPs, RFIs, sources sought, and white papers) from initial kickoff through final production and submission.
Write, edit, and orchestrate compelling, customer-centric technical and commercial content.
Translate complex technical solutions into clear, persuasive value propositions.
Implement and enforce a structured proposal methodology to ensure all milestones, color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold), and compliance matrices are rigorously maintained.
Partner closely with Sales, Engineering, Product, Legal, and Compliance teams, as well as external partners, to gather inputs and build cohesive narrative strategies.
Ensure 100% compliance with all federal, state, and local government procurement regulations and solicitation requirements.
Support GTM-led pursuits in earlier stages of the pipeline (sources sought, RFIs, market research responses, sales campaigns, sales plays) to help shape requirements and position differentiators ahead of formal RFP release.
Continuously evaluate and adopt new AI capabilities to improve proposal velocity, content reuse, compress cycle times, and cross-team collaboration with GTM and Sales.
Share proposal insights and procurement intelligence to GTM and Sales at the rhythm of the business activities.