Founding Proposal Manager

About the company

Our client is a venture-backed defense tech startup (about 15 people) building photorealistic 3D training simulators with an AI instructor. Its platform combines 3D computer vision, neural rendering and multimodal AI for highly regulated industries, and is used by the U.S. military and commercial heavy-industry customers. The company name is shared with candidates later in the process.

About the role

The company submits a lot of federal proposals for its size: SBIR and STTR topics, CSO and sBAA white papers, OTA prototype proposals, consortium submissions and RFI responses. Today that work is carried by senior leadership and outside consultants. You'll be the first dedicated proposal hire, turning win strategy into compliant, persuasive, on-time submissions and making each one faster and better than the last.

This is an individual contributor role. "Manager" means managing the proposal, not managing people.

What you'll own

Proposal writing and management (about 70%)

• Be the primary author of technical and management volumes, executive summaries, white papers, solution briefs and quad charts
• Turn engineering input into prose a technical evaluator can score
• Run every proposal from kickoff to submission: shred the solicitation, build the compliance matrix and outline, set the schedule, name section owners and hold everyone (including leadership) to their dates
• Manage reviews and submissions through portals such as DSIP and SAM.gov
• Build a reusable content library: past performance, resumes, boilerplate, graphics and approved capability language

Capture support (about 30%)

• Screen opportunities from SAM.gov, DSIP topic releases, CSOs and BAAs, OTA consortia and partner referrals
• Prepare bid/no-bid packets: fit, competition, past awards, customer intent and effort required
• Draft early shaping documents: RFI responses, capability statements and white papers
• Research the competitive field and past awards (SBIR.gov, USAspending, FPDS)
• Keep the pursuit tracker current and run debriefs on every loss

What we're looking for

Required

• 4–7 years in federal proposal writing or proposal management, including at least 2 years as lead writer or responsible owner on DoD proposals
• Direct experience with DoD solicitation types: SBIR/STTR, OTAs, CSOs and BAAs, RFPs and RFIs
• Excellent writing and editing. You can take a subject matter expert's notes and produce something clear, specific and scoreable (writing samples will be requested)
• Command of compliance: you've built compliance matrices and caught the requirement everyone else missed
• Comfortable owning a schedule and holding senior people to deadlines
• Working fluency with modern writing tools, including AI drafting tools
• U.S. person, able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

Preferred

• Capture experience: shaping an opportunity before the solicitation dropped
• SBIR/STTR Phase II, TACFI/STRATFI or Phase III transition experience
• Familiarity with training, readiness, sustainment or maintenance programs in the Air Force, Army, Navy or Marine Corps
• APMP certification, Shipley training or equivalent; working knowledge of FAR and DFARS
• Experience at a company under 50 people

Compensation and benefits

• $125,000–$145,000 base plus meaningful equity
• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• 401(k) and paid parental leave
• Remote, Washington, DC area preferred; full-time

This role is recruited by Your IT Recruiter on behalf of a confidential client. Equal opportunity employer.