Senior Proposal Manager

Sentar•Huntsville, AL

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

Sentar is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager to lead and support high-priority proposal efforts across its cybersecurity-focused portfolio. As a member of the Growth Team, this role leads full-lifecycle federal proposal efforts while coordinating with a small proposal team and maintaining hands-on responsibility for proposal execution. The position requires sound judgment, strong communication with executive leadership, and the ability to manage multiple proposals under aggressive deadlines. The Senior Proposal Manager leads proposal development for federal cybersecurity contracts, including RFIs, RFPs, task orders, IDIQs, GWACs, and agency-specific contracts. The role coordinates proposal activities and collaborates with business development, capture, technical subject matter experts, pricing, and contracts teams to deliver compelling, compliant submissions. It may also involve supervising and mentoring a team of three to four proposal professionals. The position follows a hybrid work schedule, with at least two days per week onsite in the Huntsville, Alabama office. The work environment is fast-paced and collaborative, with aggressive growth targets and occasional evening or weekend support required for deadlines.

Requirements

Secret clearance or ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
Bachelor’s degree.
At least 7 years of progressive experience in federal proposal management, including lead roles on complex, multi-volume bids.
Strong understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and proposal compliance standards.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple simultaneous proposals with aggressive deadlines.
Experience in cybersecurity or other technical domains supporting the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, or civilian agencies.
Strong critical-thinking and analytical skills, including the ability to quickly understand technical solutions and articulate customer benefits.
Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and proposal collaboration tools.
Extensive Microsoft Word experience with style sheets, templates, outlines, placing graphics, and embedding Adobe Acrobat material.
Ability to work a hybrid schedule with a minimum of two days per week onsite in Huntsville, Alabama.
Flexibility to provide occasional evening or weekend support for deadline-driven work.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Familiarity with secure proposal environments and CUI handling.
Experience supervising or mentoring a small team of proposal professionals.
Experience with Meridian RFP Analysis software.
Shipley and/or APMP training.
APMP certification.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage full-lifecycle proposal efforts, including RFIs, RFPs, and task orders, supporting federal cybersecurity contracts.
Review Preliminary, Draft, and Final RFP documents and create compliant proposal-development artifacts, including capabilities matrices, compliance checklists, storyboards, and volume templates.
Serve as Proposal Lead on complex bids, including IDIQs, GWACs, and agency-specific contracts.
Step into a supervisory role for the Proposal Team as needed, coordinating assignments and reporting to upper leadership.
Facilitate proposal activities, including kick-off meetings, compliance matrix development, storyboarding, writing assignments, color team reviews, and final production.
Prepare documents for proposal reviews and final production.
Coordinate with the Contracts Manager and Pricing Manager on contract and pricing narrative documents, including baseline content for forms and supporting documentation.
Collaborate with business development, capture, technical subject matter experts, pricing, and contracts teams to produce compelling, compliant proposals.
Develop and refine proposal schedules and management tools to improve efficiency and quality.
Monitor industry trends, evaluate competitor strategies, and provide competitive intelligence to inform win themes and value propositions.
Mentor junior proposal staff and foster a high-performance team culture.
Advance proposal processes, technology, and collaboration tools, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Benefits

Voluntary medical, dental, and vision insurance, with Health Savings or Flexible Spending Plan options.
Voluntary life, critical illness, accident, and long-term care insurance options.
Group term life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage for qualifying employees.
Generous 401(k) match.
Competitive PTO plan that increases quickly with years of service.
Other leave programs, including holidays, bereavement, maternity, jury duty, and military duty leave.
Mental health awareness programs.
Tuition reimbursement.
Professional development reimbursement.
Recognition and awards programs.
Employee ownership.