Strategic Capture Manager

GFT is seeking a Strategic Capture Manager to join our Strategic Growth Office team. This role follows a hybrid work model, requiring collaboration across regional offices and periodic travel to client and internal meetings.

At GFT, we’re not just pursuing projects—we’re strategically capturing opportunities that shape our communities. The Strategic Growth Office is the engine behind GFT’s enterprise-wide growth. It fuels our most significant pursuits by aligning talent, insights, and strategy to win complex, high-impact projects. From vision through delivery, we partner across all Business Groups to develop compelling, competitive proposals that reflect our core values and technical excellence.

What you’ll be challenged to do:

This is a high-visibility opportunity for an experienced Strategic Capture Manager who thrives on leading complex pursuits, forging internal collaboration, and developing winning strategies that translate to major project wins.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

Leading Strategic Pursuits

• Spearhead the planning and execution of our Top Corporate Pursuits (TCPs), high-value opportunities that are critical to GFT’s growth strategy. Drive the overall pursuit process—from early-stage positioning to proposal development and interview prep—with excellence and consistency.

Establishing and Driving Pursuit Strategy

• Define a consistent and comprehensive sales process for major pursuits, working closely with Business Group Leaders and the Vice President, Strategic Capture to ensure alignment and commitment.

Building and Leading High-Performance Teams

• Assemble and guide cross-functional "Tiger Teams"—specialized groups of subject matter experts, technical staff, and marketers—for each pursuit. Ensure teams have the right resources and leadership to be successful.

Providing Strategic Direction and Insight

Offer expert guidance on key elements of each pursuit including:

• Team structure and Project Manager selection
• Client engagement strategies
• Competitive intelligence and positioning
• Value propositions and win themes tailored to client needs

Overseeing Proposal Development

• Oversee collaboration between Business Development and Operations teams to produce compelling, compliant, and technically strong proposals. Support technical writing teams and ensure consistent messaging aligned with client “hot buttons.”

Facilitating Proposal Readiness

• Identify any pursuit gaps or risks and bring in the right support to address them.

Leading Interview Preparation

• Lead or coordinate mock interviews and presentation coaching to prepare pursuit teams for shortlist interviews.

Tracking Pursuit Progress and Outcomes

• Deliver monthly reporting to senior leadership, flagging progress, resource needs, and adherence to the strategic pursuit process.

What you will bring to our firm:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 20+ years of progressive experience in business development, strategic pursuit leadership, or capture management—preferably within the AEC industry
• Proven success leading mega project pursuits ($25M+ in gross sales)
• Strong understanding of GFT’s multidisciplinary service offerings
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Deep business and marketing acumen, with demonstrated leadership in pursuit strategy and competitive analysis
• Ability to engage and influence senior internal stakeholders, teaming partners, and clients
• High level of professionalism, ethics, and personal integrity
• Willingness to travel and attend meetings or conferences, including evenings and weekends as needed

What success looks like in this role:

• Achieving a Capture Rate of >60% on GFT’s Top Corporate Pursuits (TCPs) through strategic planning, team leadership, and disciplined execution.

Compensation:The salary range for this role is $180,000 - $250,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.  Featured Benefits: • Hybrid (in-person and remote) work environment.• Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.• Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.• Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual.• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.• Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations• Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives™ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law.

Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property GFT.

GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions. 

Location: Hybrid ; RemoteCore Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMEmployment Status: Full-Time

Applicants in the County of Los Angeles- Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Applicants in the City of San Francisco- Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Applicants in the State of California-Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.