Role: Senior Proposal Manager
Location: Rockville, MD (Hybrid – 1-2 days onsite)
Duration: 6+ month
This is a Senior Proposal Manager who will serve as both a proposal leader and mentor while helping mature the overall proposal function.
The person they hire will:
- Lead complex federal and SLED proposals from pre-RFP through submission
- Serve as the primary interface between capture, business development, SMEs, executives, and proposal contributors
- Mentor junior and mid-level proposal professionals
- Drive process consistency and proposal quality
- Help build repeatable, scalable proposal operations
- Improve templates, content libraries, compliance processes, and review methodologies
- Leverage AI tools such as Copilot and ChatGPT to improve efficiency and compliance workflows
Key Requirements
- 8–10+ years of federal proposal management experience (client preference)
- CMS / healthcare proposal experience strongly preferred
- Experience managing complex, multi-volume IT services proposals
- Experience mentoring proposal teams
- Strong stakeholder management skills
- Experience managing concurrent proposal efforts
- Ability to work independently within a growing organization
- Strong narrative development, compliance, and proposal review skills
Certifications
- Shipley Certification preferred and highly valued
- APMP certification is also viewed very favourably.
- Other proposal management certifications may be considered
- They want someone who understands structured proposal methodology and best practices
Ideal Background
- Federal consulting firms
- Government healthcare contractors
- CMS-focused environments
- Small to mid-sized federal contractors
- Professional services organizations
A consultative background is actually a plus because the role requires influencing executives, capture managers, writers, reviewers, and SMEs rather than simply managing schedules. They want someone who can act as a trusted advisor and help improve proposal operations overall.