Proposal Manager (Federal and Defense Business Development & Contracting )

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled and results-driven Proposal Manager to lead the development of winning proposals in response to U.S. federal government and defense solicitations. This role is critical to our growth strategy, focusing on complex, competitive bids where structured processes, compliance excellence, and customer-focused storytelling differentiate us from the competition.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in the federal acquisition lifecycle, a passion for disciplined proposal management, and preferably credentials aligned with industry-leading methodologies such as those from Shipley Associates. You will orchestrate cross-functional teams through every stage of the formal bid cycle-from RFP analysis and kickoff through color-team reviews, production, submission, and post-award debriefs-ensuring every proposal is compliant, compelling, and strategically aligned with customer needs and evaluation criteria.

This position offers the opportunity to directly impact win rates on high-value federal and defense opportunities while advancing your career in a collaborative, high-performing business development environment.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Leadership & Process Management

• Lead end-to-end proposal development, management, and writing of federal RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and other solicitation responses, following structured, repeatable processes that emphasize compliance, responsiveness, and win strategy.

• Develop and maintain proposal schedules, compliance matrices (mapping requirements to proposal sections), outlines, storyboards, and production plans aligned with government instructions (Section L) and evaluation criteria (Section M).

• Plan, facilitate, and document disciplined color-team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold, and others as appropriate) to validate strategy, compliance, customer focus, and competitiveness-incorporating feedback to drive iterative improvements.

• Coordinate with C-Suite, Business Development, technical subject matter experts (SMEs), pricing analysts, contracts specialists, and graphics teams to translate capture strategies and win themes into persuasive, customer-centric proposal content.

• Manage proposal production, including editing, formatting, graphics integration, version control, and final assembly for timely electronic or hard-copy submission via government portals (e.g., SAM.gov, PIEE, eBUY, agency-specific systems).

Strategic & Compliance Focus

• Ensure full compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS where applicable), and agency-specific requirements throughout the proposal lifecycle.

• Incorporate and reinforce win themes, discriminators, past performance evidence, and value propositions that directly address customer hot buttons and evaluation factors.

• Support pricing-to-win strategies, cost volume development.

• Lead or support past performance volume assembly in collaboration with relevant functional leads.

• Prepare for and support oral presentations, discussions, or communications as required by the solicitation; assist with post-submittal activities including EN responses and debrief analysis.

Process Improvement & Knowledge Management

• Maintain and improve proposal templates, style guides, reusable content libraries, and lessons-learned repositories to increase efficiency and quality on future pursuits.

• Contribute to capture planning and pre-RFP positioning activities when assigned, helping shape opportunities and gather intelligence that feeds successful proposals.

• Promote adoption of best practices in proposal management across the organization.

• Track proposal metrics (win rates, compliance scores, cycle times) and recommend process enhancements to continuously improve competitive positioning.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, English, Engineering, Public Administration, or a related field. Advanced degree or relevant certifications a plus.

• Experience: 3–5 years of direct experience managing proposals in response to U.S. federal government solicitations, with a strong track record in defense, aerospace, intelligence, or related mission-critical sectors.

• Regulatory & Process Knowledge: Demonstrated formal knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), federal source selection processes, solicitation structures (Sections B–M), compliance requirements, and the complete formal bid/proposal cycle from RFP release through award.

• Leadership & Skills: Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams (internal and external partners) of 5–20+ members in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments. Exceptional project management, written/verbal communication, editing, and interpersonal skills.

• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint), Adobe Acrobat Pro, and familiarity with proposal collaboration, content management, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) tools.

• Other: U.S. citizenship required; ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance (Secret or higher) is highly desirable for defense-related work.

Preferred Qualifications & Certifications

The following credentials and experiences significantly strengthen a candidate's fit and are strongly preferred:

• Shipley Certification: Shipley Business Winning Certification (One Star or higher) or successful completion of core Shipley courses such as Managing Federal Proposals, Writing Federal Proposals, and/or Business Development Boot Camp. Familiarity with Shipley's 7-phase, 96-activity business-winning lifecycle is a major advantage.

• APMP Certification: Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional certification (or active pursuit). Shipley is an APMP Approved Training Organization (ATO).

• Defense & Specialized Knowledge: Hands-on experience with DFARS, agency-specific FAR supplements (e.g., NASA, DHS), Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), or classified proposal handling.

• Additional Experience: Direct involvement in capture planning/pre-RFP positioning, pricing-to-win strategies, past performance volume development, orals preparation, or post-award debrief analysis.

• Tools & Methods: Experience with AI-assisted proposal tools, advanced graphics/storyboarding techniques, or enterprise proposal automation platforms.

What Success Looks Like

The successful Proposal Manager embodies disciplined, customer-centric proposal leadership:

• Fluency in the full business development lifecycle - from opportunity assessment and capture shaping through proposal execution and post-submittal activities.

• A process-driven mindset that treats every pursuit as an opportunity to apply repeatable best practices while tailoring to the unique customer and competitive environment.

• Ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure, balancing strategic storytelling with rigorous compliance and schedule adherence.

• Strong coaching and facilitation skills to elevate the entire team's output during reviews and iterations.

• A growth orientation - continuously learning, mentoring others, and contributing to organizational proposal maturity.

Why Join Our Team

You will play a pivotal role in shaping our competitive posture on mission-critical federal and defense opportunities. We invest in professional development, including support for Shipley, APMP, and other relevant certifications. Our culture values collaboration, continuous improvement, and winning with integrity.

We offer a remote-friendly, mission-focused environment where proposal professionals can build deep federal and defense expertise while contributing directly to company growth. Team members benefit from professional development support, mentorship from experienced business development leaders, and opportunities to expand their skills through Shipley, APMP, and related training. In addition to our standard benefits package, eligible employees may participate in a performance-based bonus structure tied to successful proposal outcomes, recognizing the team effort required to convert disciplined pursuit execution into contract wins.

The culture you will join at Heartland Consulting is entrepreneurial, mission-driven, and grounded in the belief that people are the product. Heartland's story reflects grassroots origins, a respect for Native American and tribal heritage, and a legacy shaped by military valor, service, and commitment to mission. Candidates should expect a collaborative environment where integrity, accountability, customer mission focus, and measurable outcomes guide daily work. Heartland's broader ecosystem-including affiliated venture and joint-venture entities-extends that culture across a wide range of professional and technology-related capabilities, including management consulting, financial management, information technology, data management, security and resiliency, organizational development, facilities and energy support, health consulting, automation, AI/ML, cloud operations, and geospatial solutions. This creates a dynamic environment where proposal professionals gain exposure to diverse federal missions and help connect integrated capabilities into compelling, compliant, and differentiated solutions for customers.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume, a cover letter highlighting your federal proposal management experience and any relevant certifications (Shipley, APMP, etc.), and a writing sample (redacted proposal excerpt or similar) to HR@heartlandconsulting.com.

References to specific Shipley training, color-team experience, or examples of compliant federal proposals you have led are especially welcome.