Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Proposal & Capture Manager to own the end‑to‑end proposal and quoting process for one of Karman’s four market segments. This role is centered on disciplined proposal execution and process management, requiring strong coordination across various functions to ensure compliant and timely submissions.
Responsibilities
- Own the full proposal and quote lifecycle from solicitation receipt through final submission (RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, ROMs, etc.)
- Serve as the single point of accountability for proposal compliance (requirements, evaluation criteria, contractual alignment)
- Build and manage proposal schedules and enforce milestones
- Triage incoming requests, applying the appropriate process rigor for complexity
- Coordinate proposal resources with the segment GM (engineering, contracts, PM, estimating)
- Leverage Proposal Operations for shared services (writers, DTP, compliance reviewers)
- Lead or coordinate development of all volumes (technical, management, past performance, cost/price)
- Own on‑time delivery and identify schedule risk early
- Execute Karman’s structured capture framework (gate reviews, win‑probability scoring, bid/no‑bid documentation)
- Prepare accurate gate review packages for segment leadership
- Translate BD win strategy into proposal structure, themes, and discriminators
- Maintain accurate opportunity data in CRM (stages, probabilities, dates, status)
- Conduct win/loss post‑mortems and deliver structured feedback to Capture Governance
- Lead the segment proposal team (writers, estimators, proposal engineers, admin support)
- Maintain a tiered response framework based on opportunity complexity
- Own triage decisions for incoming requests, escalating when strategically necessary
- Run color‑team reviews (pink/red/gold) and ensure feedback incorporation
- Build and maintain a segment content library (past performance, boilerplate, graphics)
- Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned
- Coordinate cost volume development with segment Finance, PM, and Contracts
- Ensure pricing decisions align with technical and management volumes
- Escalate complex pricing, FAR/CAS compliance, or strategic pricing issues to centralized Pricing
- Own all segment pipeline data in CRM and ensure accuracy from ID to award
- Provide regular pipeline and proposal status reporting to GM and BD Senior Director
- Support Long Range Planning & Orders Attainment with pipeline data
- Track key proposal performance metrics (on‑time delivery, compliance pass rate, win rates, etc.)
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Communications, or related field
- 8+ years of proposal management or capture experience in aerospace/defense or federal contracting
- Direct experience managing compliant, on‑time submissions under FAR/DFARS
- Proven record as the single accountable owner of multiple concurrent proposals
- Strong working knowledge of proposal compliance (Section L/M, outlines, compliance matrices)
- Experience leading cross‑functional proposal teams over multi‑week/month cycles
- Proficiency with proposal tools (SharePoint, Microsoft Office, document/version control)
- Ability to obtain a security clearance if required
- APMP Foundation/Practitioner/Professional certification
- Experience within structured capture governance (stage‑gate, bid/no‑bid)
- Familiarity with defense CRM systems (Salesforce GovCon, Deltek)
- Experience in multi‑segment or multi‑BU defense companies
- Experience building/maintaining proposal content libraries
- Background supporting tactical missiles, strategic missile defense, or hypersonics
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