Lead Proposal Manager

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The primary function of this Proposal Specialist role is supporting US federal and international government and commercial Proposals and other related BD Ops deliverables (e.g., ROM pricing estimates, RFI responses, and white papers) for Shield AI’s Asia/Middel East (ASME) Go To Market (GTM) team. The Business Development Operations (BD Ops) team is looking for a candidate who thrives in a dynamic environment and is eager to join a rapidly scaling, nontraditional defense contractor. This ideal candidate will have strong oral and written communication skills (technical writing experience preferred), attention to detail, curiosity, and a proven ability to coordinate and work as a member of cross-functional teams.  

What we are looking for:  

• Leadership skills: Lead ASME proposal efforts, align stakeholders, and communicate key customer, market, and BD strategy insights. 

• Strong communicator: Strong oral and written communication skills. (Technical writing experience preferred.) Strong presentation skills. Ability to communicate seamlessly at all levels of Shield AI and customer organizations  

• Attention to detail in a fast-paced environment: Be rigorous and go fast is one of Shield AI’s leadership traits and, possibly, the most relevant one for BD Ops. Our ideal candidate must always work with efficiency and a keen attention to detail. Both are critical to supporting on time, compliant Bids/Proposals and related deliverables.  

• Organization and time management: Strong organizational and time management skills enabling the tracking and execution of multiple workstreams with stakeholders across Shield AI. 

• Extreme ownership: BD Ops serves as the primary cross-functional lead for Bids/Proposals across product lines and geographic regions. We manage the proposal lifecycle from start to finish including kickoff, collaboration with stakeholders, color reviews, and management reviews with senior leaders/executives. We are ultimately responsible for everything that does or does not happen in the Bid/Proposal process. 

• Team-first mentality: The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to be flexible, work hard, hold themself and others to high standards, embrace teammates, and act with kindness.   

What You'll Do:

• Manage competing priorities across proposal and other deliverable (WPs, RFIs, ROMs, etc.) development in the fast-paced environment of the Int’l BD Ops team.  

• Lead end-to-end proposal execution from pre-RFP planning through submission and closeout.  

• Drive cross-functional proposal teams to deliver compliant, high-quality submissions on schedule. 

• Continuously improve proposal processes, tools, templates, and best practices. 

• Mentor proposal contributors and foster high-performing, collaborative teams. 

• Support ASME GTM team with briefing and presentation development for customer engagements.  

• Support customer meetings, demonstrations, and GTM events as required.  

• Provide additional support to BD Ops and GTM team leadership as needed.  

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of U.S. Federal or international government proposal development or BD operations experience.  

• In lieu of direct government proposal experience, have 3+ years of experience working with U.S. Federal or International government requirements.  

• Bachelor's degree in business, communication, marketing, engineering, or equivalent industry experience.  

• Strong record of academic achievement. 

• Experience with proposal methodologies (e.g. Shipley), compliance matrices, and implementing project management tools and processes. 

• Proven record of leadership in a professional setting.  

• Ability to communicate complex, technical ideas effectively – both orally and in writing. 

• Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a team, embrace the startup environment. 

• Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of an organization. 

• Demonstrated record of hard work, trustworthiness, holding oneself and others to high standards, and being kind to others. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing Foreign Military Sale and Direct Commercial Sale bids/proposals. 

• Strong technical background especially with unmanned/uncrewed systems and/or autonomy software.  

• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of military operations and Asia/Middle East defense acquisition processes. 

• Understanding of international markets/geopolitical trends in aerospace / defense industry.  

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.