Proposal Manager

Role Description: 

As a Proposal Manager, you will be a critical driver of Defense Unicorns’ growth. Collaborating closely with business development, account executives, and technical stakeholders, you will help expand Defense Unicorns’ support of the US Department of Defense (DOD)leading the development and submission of competitive, high-quality, and compliant proposals for federal contracts. By deeply understanding Mission Hero goals, you will effectively deliver content that aligns with their needs. You will drive the proposal lifecycle from opportunity shaping through post-submission activities. As a key driver of growth, this position offers outcome based variable compensation to recognize and reward your contributions to a fast paced defense tech startup.

Responsibilities: 

• Own and manage the end-to-end proposal process for RFPs, RFIs, BAAs, OTAs, and IDIQ task orders.
• Coordinate capture, technical, pricing, and executive inputs to develop compelling, compliant responses.
• Write, edit, and review technical and management sections with a focus on clarity, compliance, and persuasion/win themes.
• Collaborate with internal teams to craft content that aligns with customer requirements and priorities.
• Develop and maintain proposal templates, checklists, calendars, compliance matrices, and style guides.
• Conduct opportunity assessments, competitive analyses, and market research.
• Manage proposal timelines, compliance, and resources while coordinating with partners and stakeholders.
• Support continuous improvement in proposal tools, processes, and strategies.
• Collaborate with marketing, finance, and customer success teams to ensure alignment and integration of revenue operations.
• Implement and manage CRM and other sales/marketing tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to provide visibility into key performance metrics and support data-driven decision-making.
• Implement proposal best practices (e.g., Shipley) and lessons learned to improve proposal quality and win rate.

Travel Expectations/Requirements: 25%

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

• 5+ years experience writing, drafting and editing proposals for US Government contracts, ideally in support of DoD. 
• Active security clearance highly preferred (i.e., Secret or Top Secret).
• Proven experience in Proposal management, revenue operations, sales operations, or a related role.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Monday.com, HubSpot) and other sales/marketing tools.
• Strong experience in proposal writing, business development, preferably at the intersection of federal government and technology. 
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Expert knowledge of government contracting processes, acquisition strategies and regulations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.