Senior Proposal Manager

Aretum • Vienna, VA

1d • $90,000 - $140,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Aretum is hiring a Senior Proposal Manager to lead the proposal process for priority federal pursuits, from draft RFP through final submission. The role manages writers, subject matter experts, pricing teams, and teaming partners to deliver compliant, clear proposals grounded in a winning strategy. It is a hybrid position based in Aretum’s Vienna, Virginia office and reports to the Director of Proposals. The employee may handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and must follow applicable safeguarding requirements.

Requirements

• 10+ years of federal proposal management experience, including at least 5 years leading complex proposals as the proposal manager.
• Track record managing proposals for DoD, DHS, or civilian agencies, including multi-volume responses and teaming arrangements.
• Working knowledge of the FAR, contract types, and federal acquisition processes, including IDIQs, GWACs, and task order competitions.
• Strong writing and editing skills, including the ability to turn technical SME input into clear, persuasive content.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams under tight deadlines, often across several pursuits at once.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent proposal experience.
• Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Shipley or a similar capture and proposal methodology.
• APMP Foundation or Practitioner certification.
• Experience with tools such as GovWin, SAM.gov, or proposal automation platforms.
• Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Manage federal proposals from kickoff through submission, including RFIs, sources sought, task orders, and full-and-open competitions.
• Analyze RFPs and create compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and response templates mapped to Sections L and M or equivalent.
• Set and enforce schedules, assign volume and section owners, and keep writers, SMEs, and partners on track.
• Coordinate with pricing and contracts teams to ensure technical, management, past performance, and price volumes tell a consistent story.
• Partner with capture managers to turn win themes, discriminators, and customer insight into proposal strategy.
• Lead Blue, Pink, Red, and Gold color team reviews, ensure feedback is resolved, and own final compliance and quality checks.
• Support oral presentations and responses to evaluation notices, discussions, and final proposal revisions.
• Maintain and grow a library of reusable content, past performance write-ups, résumés, and templates.
• Run lessons-learned sessions after submissions and improve proposal processes over time.
• Mentor proposal coordinators and writers, and stay current on FAR/DFARS changes and evaluation trends.

Benefits

• Health care plan (medical, dental, and vision).
• Retirement plan (401k).
• Life insurance (basic, voluntary, and AD&D).
• Paid time off.
• Family leave (maternity and paternity).
• Short-term and long-term disability.
• Training and development.

What This Job Offers

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