Proposal Associate Jobs in Columbia, MD (NOW HIRING)

Position Overview

Hive Group, a HUBZone-certified SDVOSB and multiple award-winning organization, delivers innovative solutions for complex, mission-critical federal programs. We are seeking a strategic, forward-thinking, and highly motivated Senior Proposal Manager to join the team in McLean, VA.

The individual in this role leads, architects, manages, and delivers compliant and compelling federal government proposals for major prime contracts and task orders. This position orchestrates cross-functional teams of technical experts, writers, subcontractors, and executives to secure high-value contracts with federal agencies.

As a high-impact leader within the Business Development team, the Senior Proposal Manager possesses complete ownership of the end-to-end proposal lifecycle—from pre-RFP capture alignment through final submission. Furthermore, the person filling this role champions the continuous maturity of the corporate knowledge base, content libraries, and compliance frameworks, while mentoring junior staff along the way.

This is a multi-faceted, hybrid role requiring multiple days per week onsite at the McLean, VA office for critical collaborative milestones, color team recovery sessions, and strategic kickoffs.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct all phases of the proposal lifecycle from pre-RFP capture architecture through final production, submission, and post-submission lessons learned.
• Analyze highly complex RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs to build bulletproof compliance matrices, proposal outlines, and win strategies.
• Establish and rigorously enforce proposal schedules, driving executive and SME accountability across the entire color team review cycle (Pink, Red, Gold, White). 
• Facilitate high-energy kickoff sessions, daily stand-ups, and intensive recovery planning sessions with internal subject matter experts (SMEs) and teaming partners.
• Review, edit, and synthesize complex technical inputs into a unified, persuasive, "one-voice" narrative that explicitly maps to evaluation criteria. 
• Maintain a hands-on, "player-coach" mindset, comfortably shifting from high-level strategy to direct content editing, resume tailoring, or past performance volume development as required in an agile small business environment.
• Support efforts to standardize and mature corporate proposal assets, templates, and repeatable methodologies to scale company win rates.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 10+ years of direct, progressive Federal Proposal Management experience within the government contracting (GovCon) sector.
• Proven track record of managing and winning federal prime contracts with multiple subcontractors valued at $35M+.
• Expert-level mastery of structured proposal frameworks, such as the Shipley Associates model.
• Deep knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), government evaluation trends, and diverse contract types (FFP, T&M, Cost-Plus, IDIQs, GWACs).
• Advanced proficiency in the Google Suite of tools, Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and enterprise collaboration platforms (SharePoint, MS Teams).
• Must reside within a commutable distance to McLean, VA to meet the minimum weekly onsite requirement.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Business, or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP Practitioner or Master) certification.
• Strong background in technical writing, capable of independently drafting management, transition, or quality control sections when SMEs are unavailable.
• Experience winning work with both the small business and unrestricted ecosystems.
• Experience identifying and successfully implementing AI and other related tools to increase proposal quality and efficiency.

The estimated compensation range for this position is between $124,300 and $148,700 annually. Actual salary is determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s specialized skills, certifications, and years of experience.

Hive Group offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance (medical, dental, vision), life and disability insurance, retirement contributions, paid leave, federal holidays, professional development opportunities, and lifestyle benefits.

Hive Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer dedicated to fair and unbiased employment decisions. We do not discriminate based on race, color, sex (including gender and transgender status), age, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, domestic partner or civil union status, gender identity, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Our hiring and promotion decisions are based exclusively on an individual's qualifications and suitability for the role.
Protecting Your Information

Stay vigilant against fraudulent job offers and individuals impersonating Hive Group Talent Acquisition Specialists. Hive Group will never request payment details or money during the application process. Official communications will only come from email addresses ending in @hive-llc.com or @applytojob.com — not from free email services like Gmail or messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

If you receive suspicious messages requesting payment or personal information, please report them immediately to talentacquisition@hive-llc.com.

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