Associate Proposal Manager (RF & Digital Systems)

Trident Systems Inc.; Fairfax, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 89,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life insurance (AD&D)

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

HSA/FSA

Paid time off

Holidays

401(k) with match

Parental leave

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

Trident Systems Inc. is seeking an Associate Proposal Manager (RF & Digital Systems) to own the proposal lifecycle, transforming complex technical concepts into winning narratives.

You will bridge engineering, finance, program management, and leadership to ensure responses are positioned to win. The role requires coordinating with BD, PM, Engineering, Pricing/Finance, and Contracts, while managing deadlines and schedules in a high growth, remote-friendly environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; 6+ years in proposal management or related field.
• Familiarity with federal procurement processes
• Ability to translate technical content into customer-focused language
• Proficiency with MS Word, SharePoint, Jira, and CRM systems
• Knowledge of commercial and government contracting requirements
• Strong planning and organizational skills; able to manage multiple deadlines
• Core competencies: articulate technical visions with strategic rationale
• Strong persuasive communication and negotiation skills

Responsibilities

• Supports pursuit of new business opportunities from RFP receipt through final delivery, improving team responsiveness and submission quality.
• Lead end-to-end proposal process from initial analysis and kickoff through production and delivery.
• Coordinate inputs from BD, PM, Engineering, Pricing/Finance, and Contracts for a unified voice.
• Rigorously review requirements to ensure 100% compliance with customer instructions.
• Build realistic yet aggressive proposal schedules and track milestones.
• Apply best practices to increase competitive edge and refine templates and workflows.
• Ingest, index, and parse incoming RFPs/RFQs into internal proposal systems.
• Maintain opportunity and proposal data in CRM, Jira, and SharePoint.
• Facilitate development of BOEs and requirements matrices as needed.

Skills

Proposal management

Technical interpretation

Cross-functional coordination

Project planning

Communication & negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

MS Word

SharePoint

Jira

CRM systems

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full Time Employee Full-Time Fairfax, VA, US

Salary Range: $89,000.00 To $172,000.00 Annually

Position Title:Associate Proposal Manager (RF & Digital Systems)
Requisition ID:
Position Location:Remote
Position Reports To:Director Proposals
Supervises Others:No

At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, we believe in the power of using strong engineering principles to drive innovation and solve complex problems. We foster a culture of rigorous engineering and continuous improvement, leveraging the full knowledge of our organization through collaborative product development processes that include design and peer reviews. We combine our expertise in space electronics with right-sized development processes to create innovative, high-performance space-based electronic systems that meet our customers' evolving needs.

We are a mission partner supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, and Civil space customers. We develop complex, radiation effects mitigated, designs that balance competing requirements in modern space programs, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to achieve more in space.

Position Summary

The Associate Proposal Manager acts as the central hub of the business development lifecycle. You won't just track deadlines; you will own the proposal machine, transforming complex technical concepts into structured, winning narratives. You will bridge the gap between engineering, finance, program management, and executive leadership to ensure every response we submit is positioned to win.

This is a high growth environment; the right person for this role will be calm under pressure, receptive to feedback, and comfortable driving to firm deadlines.

This is a remote position, but we would prefer a candidate who can work a hybrid schedule from our Fairfax, Virginia office.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Supports the pursuit of new business opportunities from RFP receipt through final delivery, while improving team responsiveness and the quality of our submissions.
• Proposal Lifecycle Management: Lead the end-to-end proposal process, from initial RFP analysis and kickoff through final production and delivery.
• Cross-Functional Orchestration: Coordinate inputs from Business Development, Program Management, Engineering, Pricing/Finance, and Contracts to ensure a unified voice and a cohesive value proposition. Ensure contributors understand requirements, deadlines, and review feedback.
• Compliance & Quality Control: Rigorously review requirements to ensure 100% compliance with customer instructions while maintaining high standards of editorial quality.
• Schedule & Resource Governance: Build realistic yet aggressive proposal schedules and internal milestones. Track progress against plan; proactively identify gaps and drive closure of action items.
• Win-Rate Optimization: Apply best practices in proposal writing and design to increase our competitive edge in the global space electronics market. Capture lessons learned after each major bid and help refine templates, checklists, and workflows. Recommend continuous improvements to how we plan, write, review, and submit proposals.
• Requirement Parsing: Ingest, index, and parse incoming RFPs/RFQs into internal proposal systems.
• System Management: Maintain opportunity and proposal data in CRM, JIRA, and SharePoint environments.
• Technical Facilitation: Facilitate the development of Basis of Estimates (BOEs) and requirements matrixes as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree or equivalent experience / combined education and 6+ years in proposal management, proposal coordination, technical sales, or business development supporting complex hardware products.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with federal procurement processes
• Ability to interpret technical content at a conceptual level and translate it into clear, customer focused language.
• Proficiency in MS Word, SharePoint, Jira, and CRM systems
• Knowledge of commercial and government contracting requirements
• Strong planning and organizational skills; able to manage multiple concurrent deadlines.
• Core Competencies: Ability to articulate technical visions with strategic rationale
• Strong persuasive communication and negotiation skills
• Proven track record in developing successful quotes and proposals for complex products

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with prime contractor customers in aerospace, defense is preferred; direct space industry experience is especially valued.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $89,000 - $172,000

Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Medical
• Vision
• Basic life with AD&D
• Short term disability
• Long term disability
• Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
• Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Trident Solutions is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)