Senior Director of Proposal Management

Requisition #:

1581

Job Title:

Senior Director of Proposal Management

Location:

McLean, VA

Clearance Level:

Secret - Must Have Ability to Obtain a Clearance

Job Description
Agile Defense is seeking a Senior Director of Proposal Management to serve as a key leader within our Growth organization, reporting directly to the VP of Proposals and Pricing . This role is responsible for providing strategic leadership, process rigor, and pipeline hygiene across the entire Proposal Team—including Proposal Managers, Technical Writers, Proposal Leads, and Graphic Designers—embedded within our pod-based structure supporting six divisions: Air Force, Army, Navy, CCMD/4th Estate, Federal Civilian, and DHS.

The Senior Director will drive proposal excellence by establishing and enforcing standardized processes, governance frameworks, and quality standards across all pods. This leader will ensure seamless coordination between Proposal Managers and their respective BD, Capture, Solution Architect, and Pricing counterparts within each pod, while maintaining enterprise-wide consistency in proposal development methodologies. The ideal candidate will champion continuous improvement, mentor proposal professionals at all levels, and ensure Agile Defense’s proposals are compliant, compelling, and competitively positioned to achieve superior win rates.

Key responsibilities

Providing day-to-day leadership and mentorship to the Proposal Management team across all six divisional pods

Establishing, maintaining, and enforcing proposal management processes, templates, standards, and best practices aligned with Shipley or equivalent methodologies

Driving pipeline hygiene by ensuring accurate tracking of proposal status, milestones, resources, and deliverables across the enterprise

Collaborating with Capture Managers, Solution Architects, and Pricing within each pod to ensure integrated, win-themed proposal responses

Managing proposal surge capacity, resource allocation, and workload balancing across pods

Conducting color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold) and ensuring quality gates are met throughout the proposal lifecycle

Developing and tracking proposal metrics, win/loss analytics, and lessons learned to drive continuous improvement

Supporting the VP of Proposals and Pricing in strategic planning, budgeting, and organizational development for the Proposal function

Ensuring compliance with FAR/DFARS, solicitation requirements, and customer‑specific submission guidelines
Building and maintaining a proposal content library, reuse repository, and knowledge management system

Education and Background

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, English, Communications, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field (required)

Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Strategic Management, or related discipline (preferred)

APMP Certification at the Practitioner or Professional level (required); APMP Executive‑level certification (preferred)

Shipley‑trained or equivalent proposal methodology certification strongly desired

Demonstrated background in Defense/Intelligence Community (IC) government contracting with a strong understanding of DoD and Federal Civilian acquisition environments

Experience supporting proposals across multiple contract vehicles and acquisition types (IDIQ, GWAC, BPA, FFP, T&M, Cost‑Plus)

Active Secret clearance (minimum); Top Secret/SCI eligibility preferred

Proven track record of leading proposal efforts on pursuits valued at $100M+ in Total Contract Value (TCV)

Years of Experience
15+ years of progressive experience in proposal management within the Government Contracting (GovCon) industry, with a minimum of 7 years in a leadership/management role overseeing proposal teams and/or proposal operations.

Required Skills

Expert-level knowledge of AI and AI related tools in the Proposal and Capture lifecycle and Process

Expert-level knowledge of the end-to-end proposal lifecycle from RFI/Sources Sought through final submission and post‑submission activities

Proven ability to lead and manage large, distributed proposal teams (10+ professionals) across multiple simultaneous pursuits

Deep expertise in Shipley methodology or equivalent proposal development frameworks, including color team review processes

Strong understanding of FAR/DFARS, government solicitation structures (Sections L&M), and compliance matrix development

Demonstrated experience driving pipeline hygiene and proposal governance using CRM/pipeline tools (e.g., Salesforce, GovWin, Pipedrive, or similar)
Ability to manage 20+ concurrent proposals at various stages of development across multiple divisions

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical solutions into compelling, evaluator‑friendly narratives

Strong organizational and project management skills with rigorousattention to detail and deadline management

Proficiency in proposal development tools including Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Adobe Creative Suite, and collaborative platforms

Experience developing and tracking proposal metrics and KPIs (win rate, on‑time submission rate, resource utilization, etc.)

Ability to build and maintain content libraries and reuse repositories to improve efficiency and consistency

Proven leadership in mentoring, coaching, and developing proposal professionals at all career levels

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with BD, Capture, Solution Architects, Pricers, and SMEs across a matrixed organization

Preferred Skills

Experience working within an integrated growth team structure in a GovCon environment

Expert Familiarity with AI‑enabled proposal tools and automation technologies to drive efficiency in proposal development

Experience supporting proposals across all six target markets: Air Force, Army, Navy, CCMD/4th Estate, Federal Civilian, and DHS

Knowledge of FEDSIM, GSA OASIS, CIO‑SP3/4, ITES, SEWP, and other major government contract vehicles
Experience with Proposal Pricing integration—collaborating with pricing teams on BOEs, basis of estimates, and cost volume development

Background in IT services, cybersecurity, digital transformation, cloud, or mission‑support solution areas common to Agile Defense’s portfolio

Experience conducting win/loss debriefs and translating findings into actionable process improvements

Familiarity with graphic design direction and the ability to guide visual storytelling in proposals

Experience managing Independent Review Teams (IRTs) and external proposal consultants/surge support

PMP certification or equivalent project management credential

Six Sigma or Lean process improvement experience applied to proposal operations

Working Conditions

Primary Location: Remote/Hybrid with the ability to work from Agile Defense’s headquarters or regional offices as needed

Travel: Approximately 5-10% travel required to support proposal kick‑offs, color team reviews, leadership meetings, and customer‑facing events

Work Hours: Standard business hours with the expectation of extended hours during proposal surges, including evenings and weekends as dictated by submission deadlines

Environment: Fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment requiring the ability to manage multiple high‑priority efforts simultaneously under pressure

Security: Must be able to obtain and maintain required security clearance; some work may require access to classified environments

Physical Requirements: Primarily sedentary office work; prolonged periods of sitting, computer use, and screen time; occasional lifting of proposal materials (up to 20 lbs)

Tools & Technology: Must be comfortable operating in a digitally‑enabled work environment using collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint, Confluence), AI tools, proposal management platforms, and virtual communication technologies

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

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