Senior Director of Proposal Management

Agile Defense • McLean, VA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

Agile Defense is seeking a Senior Director of Proposal Management to serve as a key leader within our Growth organization, reporting directly to the VP of Proposals and Pricing. This role is responsible for providing strategic leadership, process rigor, and pipeline hygiene across the entire Proposal Team—including Proposal Managers, Technical Writers, Proposal Leads, and Graphic Designers—embedded within our pod-based structure supporting six divisions: Air Force, Army, Navy, CCMD/4th Estate, Federal Civilian, and DHS.
The Senior Director will drive proposal excellence by establishing and enforcing standardized processes, governance frameworks, and quality standards across all pods. This leader will ensure seamless coordination between Proposal Managers and their respective BD, Capture, Solution Architect, and Pricing counterparts within each pod, while maintaining enterprise-wide consistency in proposal development methodologies. The ideal candidate will champion continuous improvement, mentor proposal professionals at all levels, and ensure Agile Defense's proposals are compliant, compelling, and competitively positioned to achieve superior win rates.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, English, Communications, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field (required)
• APMP Certification at the Practitioner or Professional level (required)
• Shipley-trained or equivalent proposal methodology certification strongly desired
• Demonstrated background in Defense/Intelligence Community (IC) government contracting with a strong understanding of DoD and Federal Civilian acquisition environments
• Experience supporting proposals across multiple contract vehicles and acquisition types (IDIQ, GWAC, BPA, FFP, T&M, Cost-Plus)
• Active Secret clearance (minimum)
• 15+ years of progressive experience in proposal management within the Government Contracting (GovCon) industry, with a minimum of 7 years in a leadership/management role overseeing proposal teams and/or proposal operations.
• Expert-level knowledge of AI and AI related tools in the Proposal and Capture lifecycle and Process
• Expert-level knowledge of the end-to-end proposal lifecycle from RFI/Sources Sought through final submission and post-submission activities
• Proven ability to lead and manage large, distributed proposal teams (10+ professionals) across multiple simultaneous pursuits
• Deep expertise in Shipley methodology or equivalent proposal development frameworks, including color team review processes
• Strong understanding of FAR/DFARS, government solicitation structures (Sections L&M), and compliance matrix development
• Demonstrated experience driving pipeline hygiene and proposal governance using CRM/pipeline tools (e.g., Salesforce, GovWin, Pipedrive, or similar)
• Ability to manage 20+ concurrent proposals at various stages of development across multiple divisions
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical solutions into compelling, evaluator-friendly narratives
• Strong organizational and project management skills with rigorous attention to detail and deadline management
• Proficiency in proposal development tools including Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Adobe Creative Suite, and collaborative platforms
• Experience developing and tracking proposal metrics and KPIs (win rate, on-time submission rate, resource utilization, etc.)
• Ability to build and maintain content libraries and reuse repositories to improve efficiency and consistency
• Proven leadership in mentoring, coaching, and developing proposal professionals at all career levels
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with BD, Capture, Solution Architects, Pricers, and SMEs across a matrixed organization

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Strategic Management, or related discipline (preferred)
• APMP Executive-level certification (preferred)
• Top Secret/SCI eligibility preferred
• Proven track record of leading proposal efforts on pursuits valued at $100M+ in Total Contract Value (TCV)
• Experience working within an integrated growth team structure in a GovCon environment
• Expert Familiarity with AI-enabled proposal tools and automation technologies to drive efficiency in proposal development
• Experience supporting proposals across all six target markets: Air Force, Army, Navy, CCMD/4th Estate, Federal Civilian, and DHS
• Knowledge of FEDSIM, GSA OASIS, CIO-SP3/4, ITES, SEWP, and other major government contract vehicles
• Experience with Proposal Pricing integration—collaborating with pricing teams on BOEs, basis of estimates, and cost volume development
• Background in IT services, cybersecurity, digital transformation, cloud, or mission-support solution areas common to Agile Defense's portfolio
• Experience conducting win/loss debriefs and translating findings into actionable process improvements
• Familiarity with graphic design direction and the ability to guide visual storytelling in proposals
• Experience managing Independent Review Teams (IRTs) and external proposal consultants/surge support
• PMP certification or equivalent project management credential
• Six Sigma or Lean process improvement experience applied to proposal operations

Responsibilities

• Providing day-to-day leadership and mentorship to the Proposal Management team across all six divisional pods
• Establishing, maintaining, and enforcing proposal management processes, templates, standards, and best practices aligned with Shipley or equivalent methodologies
• Driving pipeline hygiene by ensuring accurate tracking of proposal status, milestones, resources, and deliverables across the enterprise
• Collaborating with Capture Managers, Solution Architects, and Pricing within each pod to ensure integrated, win-themed proposal responses
• Managing proposal surge capacity, resource allocation, and workload balancing across pods
• Conducting color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold) and ensuring quality gates are met throughout the proposal lifecycle
• Developing and tracking proposal metrics, win/loss analytics, and lessons learned to drive continuous improvement
• Supporting the VP of Proposals and Pricing in strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational development for the Proposal function
• Ensuring compliance with FAR/DFARS, solicitation requirements, and customer-specific submission guidelines
• Building and maintaining a proposal content library, reuse repository, and knowledge management system

Benefits

• Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental.
• Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together.
• Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What This Job Offers

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