Capture & Proposal Manager

Job Details:
Role:
Capture & Proposal Manager – Federal Contracting

Location:

Sterling, VA (On-site) Duration: 12 Months Contract

Position Summary:

The Capture & Proposal Manager is responsible for leading and managing the full lifecycle of federal business development opportunities, from opportunity identification and capture planning through proposal development and submission. This role drives strategic growth by coordinating capture activities, managing proposal efforts, and ensuring high-quality, compliant, and competitive submissions for U.S. Government contracts. The ideal candidate has experience in federal contracting, proposal management, capture strategy, and cross-functional leadership within a fast-paced government services or defense contracting environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Capture Management Identify, qualify, and prioritize federal contracting opportunities aligned with company strategic objectives. Lead capture planning activities for assigned opportunities, including win strategy development, customer engagement planning, competitor analysis, and teaming strategies. Manage opportunity pipelines and maintain capture status within CRM systems. Coordinate with business development, operations, contracts, pricing, and technical teams to position the company for successful contract awards.

Develop and execute capture plans, gate reviews, and bid/no-bid recommendations. Build relationships with government customers, teaming partners, subcontractors, and industry stakeholders. Support market intelligence gathering, procurement forecasting, and opportunity shaping activities. Proposal Management Lead proposal development efforts from pre-RFP through final submission. Develop proposal schedules, compliance matrices, outlines, and proposal management plans. Coordinate technical, management, pricing, contracts, and past performance inputs to ensure compliant and compelling proposals.

Facilitate proposal kickoff meetings, color team reviews, and recovery sessions. Ensure all proposal deliverables are completed on time and meet solicitation requirements. Manage proposal writers, contributors, graphic designers, consultants, and subcontractor inputs as required. Oversee document version control, proposal formatting, editing, and final production activities. Ensure adherence to FAR/DFARS requirements and agency-specific procurement guidelines. Strategic & Operational Support Collaborate with executive leadership on growth strategy and pipeline development.

Support development of capture budgets, proposal budgets, and resource planning. Analyze proposal outcomes, lessons learned, and win/loss data to improve future competitiveness. Maintain proposal repositories, past performance databases, resumes, and reusable content libraries. Assist with oral presentations, demonstrations, and customer engagement activities.

Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Marketing, Engineering, or related field. 5–10+ years of experience in federal capture management, proposal management, or business development. Proven success managing complex federal proposals and capture efforts. Strong understanding of U.S. Government procurement processes and contract types.

Experience with FAR, DFARS, and federal solicitation requirements. Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills. Ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals and deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Strong leadership and cross-functional coordination skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and proposal management tools.

Preferred Qualifications APMP certification (Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional). Experience supporting DoD, DHS, DOE, NASA, or civilian agency procurements. Familiarity with Shipley capture and proposal methodologies.

Experience with GWACs, IDIQs, OTA opportunities, and task order competitions. Knowledge of pricing strategy and cost volume development. Active security clearance preferred. Key Competencies Capture Strategy Development Proposal Leadership Federal Procurement Knowledge Competitive Analysis Team Leadership Strategic Communication Schedule & Deadline Management Customer Relationship Management Analytical Thinking Compliance Management Work Environment Primarily office or remote office environment with occasional travel for customer meetings, industry events, and proposal activities.

Extended work hours may be required during active proposal submission periods. Reporting Structure

Reports to:

Director of Business Development / Growth Direct Reports:
Proposal Coordinators, Proposal Writers, or Capture Analysts (as assigned)