Senior Manager, Proposals

Viasat, Inc.•Duluth, GA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Leads and matures the pre-award proposal management function for Viasat Government through functional leadership, people management, and operational excellence. This role leads a group of proposal professionals while serving as a senior, hands-on leader for the most critical pursuits. Accountable for developing talent, establishing execution standards, and driving a scalable pre-award operating model, this role ensures consistent delivery of high-quality, compliant, and competitive proposals. The role partners across Business Development, Technical, Financial, Operational, and Supply Chain functions to align resources, priorities, and strategies, while strengthening continuity from opportunity shaping through proposal submission and program transition. This position operates with autonomy, influencing senior leadership, crafting organizational capability, and encouraging ongoing improvement throughout the pre-award lifecycle.

Requirements

8+ years of proposal management, capture, or related experience
Demonstrated experience in people leadership and team development
Proven ability to lead functions or teams with increasing scope and complexity
Strong understanding of the full pre-award lifecycle in a government/defense environment
Experience establishing processes, governance, and scalable operating models
Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across senior and cross-functional stakeholders
Strong communication, leadership presence, and decision-making capability
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
U.S. Citizenship required
Ability to travel up to 25%

Nice To Haves

Experience leading proposals and capture processes in the aerospace and defense industry
Knowledge of industry tools and information systems such as Salesforce, SAM.gov, etc.
Working knowledge of AI tools such as Claude and Copilot
Experience with US government capture processes such as the Federal Acquisitions Regulations

Responsibilities

Lead, manage, and develop a team of proposal managers and support personnel, with accountability for performance, engagement, and career development
Establish team structure, role clarity, and operating rhythms aligned to business needs
Provide regular coaching, feedback, and performance management, ensuring high standards and continuous growth
Drive hiring, onboarding, and succession planning to build a scalable and resilient organization
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and ongoing improvement
Serve as lead proposal manager on the highest-priority and most complex opportunities
Oversee and guide team execution across the full proposal portfolio
Ensure adherence to established processes, compliance requirements, and quality standards
Lead executive reviews and ensure effective incorporation of feedback
Promote disciplined, repeatable execution practices across all proposals
Act as a key integrator across pre-award collaborators, including Business Development, Sales, Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Contracts
Drive alignment between customer requirements, technical solutions, and cost/schedule assumptions
Enable effective collaboration and resolve cross-functional challenges through leadership and influence
Improve handoff quality from proposal through program execution
Oversee coordination and integration of cost and risk inputs across functions
Own resource planning and workload prioritization across the proposal team
Align staffing with pipeline demand, strategic priorities, and business goals
Identify and mitigate resource constraints, capability gaps, and execution risks
Ensure effective utilization and development of team members
Lead initiatives to improve proposal processes, tools, and systems
Establish and track performance metrics (e.g., cycle time, quality, win rate, rework)
Partner with system owners (Salesforce, Agile tools, costing systems) to optimize workflows
Drive adoption of best practices and continuous improvement across the team