Senior Bids & Proposal Manager

John Crane • Edgewood, MD

8d

About The Position

The Proposal Manager will act as the central point of control for major proposal submissions, ensuring that deliverables are compliant, compelling, and submitted on time. This position is highly collaborative, interfacing with Key Account Capture Managers, Sales, Technology, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and external teaming partners. This role requires deep understanding of government acquisition lifecycles, IDIQ contracts, task orders, and large detection and identification technology programs.  Proposal Planning & StrategyAnalyze RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, BAFOs, and amendments to identify requirements, compliance issues, and risks.Develop proposal management plans, including schedules, compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and responsibility assignments.Work with Capture Managers to translate win strategies into discriminators, themes, and messaging frameworks, including the development of appropriate Basis of Estimate (BOE).Work with Sales Operations Manager and Finance department to develop and implement financial models to prepare the fundamentals of each proposal.Establish and enforce color review schedules to maximize quality and alignment with customer evaluation criteria.Execution & CoordinationLead daily proposal stand-up meetings during live bids, ensuring team accountability and progress tracking.Coordinate inputs from SMEs, Technology, Contracts, Finance, Product Management, and Subcontractors.Act as the liaison to teaming partners: distribute sections, collect input, and integrate partner materials into final proposal volumes.Manage proposal version control, ensuring traceability and auditability across drafts.Establish coordination and accounting with government solicitation and proposal submission tools & systemsContent Development & EditingDraft and edit critical proposal sections, including:Executive Summaries (tailored for government evaluators).Management Plans (program execution, logistics, subcontracting, risk).Past Performance/Experience narratives.Staffing/Key Personnel qualifications.Compliance Narratives addressing FAR/DFARS and DHS regulations.Support Finance and Pricing teams in developing clear cost/price narratives, ensuring alignment between technical and commercial volumes.Incorporate compelling visuals, graphics, and data to emphasize discriminators and value propositions in corporation with the Sales Operations ManagerCompliance & GovernanceEnsure strict compliance with FAR, DFARS, DHS procurement rules, TSA technical directives, SSI requirements, and CBP acquisition policies.Conduct compliance reviews at each milestone to guarantee all mandatory sections, certifications, and forms are addressed.Partner with Contracts and Legal to review terms & conditions, address exceptions, and minimize contractual risk.Process Improvement & Knowledge ManagementMaintain a centralized content library of reusable proposal material, graphics, and templates.Implement best practices in proposal automation, editing, and desktop publishing.Conduct after-action reviews (lessons learned) following each submission and track win/loss analysis for continuous improvement.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)On-Time Submissions: 100% compliance with submission deadlines.Proposal Compliance Score: ≥95% compliance across mandatory requirements in Pink/Red reviews.Win Rate Contribution: Direct impact on achieving target win rates for federal pursuits (e.g., ≥30% for competitive RFPs).Other duties as assigned.Must travel as needed 5-10% of time 

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, Science/Engineering, Communications, or related field
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in federal proposal management for DHS and/or DOD
• Demonstrated experience managing proposals exceeding $50M contract value, preferably with IDIQ/IDIQ Task Orders.
• Expert knowledge of federal acquisition lifecycles, FAR/DFARS, and DHS procurement regulations.
• Strong technical writing, editing, and storytelling skills with ability to “translate engineer to evaluator.”
• Advanced project management skills (scheduling, resource allocation, risk management).
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, SharePoint, and proposal tools (e.g., Privia, Shipley methods).
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in CRM software and MS Office Suite.

Nice To Haves

• APMP Certification (Foundation or Practitioner) strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Analyze RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, BAFOs, and amendments to identify requirements, compliance issues, and risks.
• Develop proposal management plans, including schedules, compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and responsibility assignments.
• Work with Capture Managers to translate win strategies into discriminators, themes, and messaging frameworks, including the development of appropriate Basis of Estimate (BOE).
• Work with Sales Operations Manager and Finance department to develop and implement financial models to prepare the fundamentals of each proposal.
• Establish and enforce color review schedules to maximize quality and alignment with customer evaluation criteria.
• Lead daily proposal stand-up meetings during live bids, ensuring team accountability and progress tracking.
• Coordinate inputs from SMEs, Technology, Contracts, Finance, Product Management, and Subcontractors.
• Act as the liaison to teaming partners: distribute sections, collect input, and integrate partner materials into final proposal volumes.
• Manage proposal version control, ensuring traceability and auditability across drafts.
• Establish coordination and accounting with government solicitation and proposal submission tools & systems
• Draft and edit critical proposal sections, including:Executive Summaries (tailored for government evaluators).
• Management Plans (program execution, logistics, subcontracting, risk).
• Past Performance/Experience narratives.
• Staffing/Key Personnel qualifications.
• Compliance Narratives addressing FAR/DFARS and DHS regulations.
• Support Finance and Pricing teams in developing clear cost/price narratives, ensuring alignment between technical and commercial volumes.
• Incorporate compelling visuals, graphics, and data to emphasize discriminators and value propositions in corporation with the Sales Operations Manager
• Ensure strict compliance with FAR, DFARS, DHS procurement rules, TSA technical directives, SSI requirements, and CBP acquisition policies.
• Conduct compliance reviews at each milestone to guarantee all mandatory sections, certifications, and forms are addressed.
• Partner with Contracts and Legal to review terms & conditions, address exceptions, and minimize contractual risk.
• Maintain a centralized content library of reusable proposal material, graphics, and templates.
• Implement best practices in proposal automation, editing, and desktop publishing.
• Conduct after-action reviews (lessons learned) following each submission and track win/loss analysis for continuous improvement.
• On-Time Submissions: 100% compliance with submission deadlines.
• Proposal Compliance Score: ≥95% compliance across mandatory requirements in Pink/Red reviews.
• Win Rate Contribution: Direct impact on achieving target win rates for federal pursuits (e.g., ≥30% for competitive RFPs).
• Other duties as assigned.
• Must travel as needed 5-10% of time

Benefits

• excellent training and opportunities for career growth across the business, both locally and globally
• inclusive environment, with strong leadership and a focus on safety and wellbeing
• flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level