Proposal Manager
C5MI is seeking an experienced Proposal Manager to lead the company's federal proposal function from solicitation release through submission. This fully remote position reports to the VP of Business Development and serves as C5MI's senior proposal professional. The Proposal Manager works closely with business development, capture, contracts, pricing, and technical subject matter experts (SMEs) to produce compliant, competitive proposals for defense and civilian federal customers.
The Proposal Manager owns proposal execution and the processes behind it. On each pursuit, you will analyze the solicitation, build the schedule and compliance matrix, run the kickoff and color reviews, and write and edit much of the content yourself. Across the portfolio, you will maintain C5MI's proposal standards, templates, and content library, and you will engage consultants or contract writers when workload exceeds capacity. Our work centers on ERP, supply chains, logistics, and data analytics for Department of Defense and civilian agencies, so the Proposal Manager must interpret FAR and DFARS requirements with confidence and translate complex technical solutions into clear narrative for government evaluation and scoring. This role fits a self-directed proposal professional who can manage full pursuits independently, write at a senior level, and serve as the company's authority on proposal compliance.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities:
Serve as C5MI's lead proposal manager and manage RFIs, sources sought responses, RFPs, RFQs, task orders, IDIQs, and contract vehicle on-ramps through the full lifecycle, often with multiple pursuits running concurrently
Analyze solicitations (e.g., Sections B through M, SOW/PWS, CDRLs, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions, etc.) and translate requirements into annotated outlines, compliance matrices, and clear writing assignments
Apply strong working knowledge of the FAR and DFARS to identify compliance risks, key clauses, and flowdown requirements, such as limitations on subcontracting, organizational conflicts of interest, cybersecurity and CMMC requirements, and data rights, and escalate issues to contracts and leadership early
Apply a strong understanding of evaluation factors, subfactors, and source selection methods, e.g., under FAR Subpart 15.3, including best-value tradeoff and lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA), in order to ensure C5MI submissions are compelling, clearly differentiated, and written to earn strengths, not just comply
Draft clarification questions for the government and assess amendments and Q&A responses for their impact on proposal content, schedule, and compliance
Build and maintain proposal schedules, lead kickoff meetings and status calls, and hold contributors accountable to milestone deadlines
Partner with capture and business development leads on bid/no-bid decisions, win themes, discriminators, and customer insight, and carry that strategy into proposal content
Serve as the primary writer and/or editor for technical, management, staffing, transition, and past performance volumes, and develop first-pass drafts from the content library and prior responses to reduce SME workload
Interview SMEs and other pursuit stakeholder and turn their input into polished, compliant, evaluator-friendly narrative, and develop or direct supporting proposal graphics
Plan and facilitate color team reviews, select reviewers, adjudicate comments, and track recovery actions to closure
Work with pricing and contracts to align technical and cost volumes on labor categories, staffing assumptions, basis of estimate narratives, and required representations and certifications
Coordinate with teaming partners and subcontractors on workshare content, data calls, past performance, and document exchange under executed nondisclosure and teaming agreements
Perform final compliance, quality, and formatting checks, and manage electronic submission through government portals such as SAM.gov, PIEE, and GSA eBuy
Own C5MI's proposal process, standards, and templates, and keep them aligned with Shipley or APMP best practices and current acquisition regulations
Own the proposal content library and SharePoint proposal workspaces, including past performance write-ups, resumes, corporate boilerplate, and reusable solution content, and audit content regularly for accuracy and currency
Track proposal metrics such as submission volume, win rate, and debrief findings, and report status, risks, and resource needs to the VP of Business Development and senior leadership
Identify surge needs and engage, scope, and direct proposal consultants, contract writers, and desktop publishers when workload exceeds internal capacity
Conduct lessons learned and debrief reviews, and implement improvements to templates, tools, and processes
Train and coach business development staff and SMEs on proposal processes, compliance requirements, and writing standards
Use approved AI tools to accelerate drafting, solicitation analysis, and content reuse, applying human review and C5MI data handling policy to all AI-assisted work
Adhere to all certified processes as part of our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and information security, which includes actively participating in quality assurance activities and protecting Federal Contract Information, proprietary data, and other sensitive information in accordance with our security policies
Perform other related tasks as assigned by direct supervisor
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Business, Marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
5-10 years of experience in federal proposal development, proposal management, or proposal writing
At least 3 years serving as the lead proposal manager on federal government proposals from release through submission, including competitive DoD pursuits
Demonstrated working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and other FAR Supplements including the ability to interpret solicitation clauses, provisions, and representations and certifications and assess their impact on proposal compliance
Working knowledge of FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services), Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation), FAR Part 16 (Types of Contracts, including task order competitions under FAR 16.505), FAR Subpart 8.4 (Federal Supply Schedules), and FAR Part 19 (Small Business Programs), and common contract types such as FFP, T&M, cost-reimbursement, IDIQs, GWACs, and BPAs
Familiarity with DFARS requirements common to DoD IT and services solicitations, including DFARS 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information) and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements under DFARS 252.204-7021
Working knowledge of Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and other nontraditional acquisition approaches, including white paper, solution brief, and pitch-based submissions, and familiarity with the DoD Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathways, such as Software Acquisition, Defense Business Systems, and Acquisition of Services, and how each shapes solicitation structure, submission format, and evaluation
Hands-on experience establishing and running color team reviews within a structured methodology such as Shipley or APMP best practices
Senior-level writing and editing skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts in plain, persuasive language for government evaluators; writing samples available on request
Demonstrated ability to manage several concurrent proposals independently, with minimal supervision and without dedicated proposal support staff
Proven ability to direct SMEs, teaming partners, and consultants without formal authority
Strong document production skills and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint
Ability to work effectively in a fully remote environment and collaborate with distributed teams across time zones
Nice to Have:
APMP Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional certification
Formal Shipley training
Contracts or acquisition experience on the government or industry side, such as contract specialist, contracting officer, or contracts manager
Proposal experience with DoD customers, particularly defense logistics and sustainment programs
Familiarity with SAP, ERP modernization, supply chain, or data analytics, enough to engage technical SMEs in productive conversation
Experience supporting contract vehicle on-ramps, GSA Multiple Award Schedule offers, or agency multiple-award IDIQs
Awareness of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul and agency class deviations, and their effect on solicitation structure and clause requirements
Exposure to cost volumes, basis of estimate (BOE) development, pricing narratives, or FAR Part 31 cost principles
Experience building or standardizing proposal processes, templates, or content libraries at a small or mid-size government contractor where proposal staff wear multiple hats
Proposal graphics and desktop publishing skills, or experience with proposal automation and content management tools
Experience with market research and pipeline tools such as GovWin IQ, HigherGov, or SAM.gov
Support for oral presentations and technical demonstrations
Active security clearance or the ability to obtain one
Practical experience using AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT in proposal development
Compensation: In accordance with pay transparency law, the expected salary range for this position is $109,000 – $140,000 annually. The actual compensation offered will be determined based on factors such as the candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location. We are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. This posted range reflects our good faith estimate of the compensation we reasonably expect to offer for this role at the time of posting.