Capture & Proposal Lead

Modern Intelligence; Washington; Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical for employee and family

Dental and vision coverage

Generous PTO

Paid Holidays

Parental Leave

Job summary

Modern Intelligence seeks a seasoned Capture & Propose leader to own government pursuit efforts for its Sovereign platform. You will manage bids from start to submission, coordinate with engineers, and develop winning strategies for SBIR/STTR and other DoD opportunities.

You will collaborate with partnerships, finance, and executives, shaping proposals, win themes, and past performance materials while navigating export-controlled tech requirements.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in capture, proposals, or government business development at defense/dual-use hardware or deep-tech companies.
• Experience managing government proposals from decision to bid through submission.
• Experience writing RFI/RFP responses, white papers, and proposals for SBIRs, OTAs, CSOs, BAAs, or FAR/DFARS solicitations.
• Experience managing deadlines, compliance matrices, and color team reviews.
• Understanding of DoW acquisition and how to structure proposals, including past performance and win themes.
• Ability to translate technical input from engineers into clear, compliant proposals.
• Ability to distill robust AI/ML concepts into concise written and verbal communications.
• Experience tracking pursuits in a CRM and reporting progress to executives.
• Regular use of AI tools for research, drafting, compliance checks, and editing.
• US person status due to export-controlled technology.

Responsibilities

• Own each proposal from bid/no-bid through submission, including capture plan, compliance matrix, schedule, and color-team coordination with finance.
• Collaborate with engineers to write technical sections; maintain library of past performance and boilerplate for reuse.
• Bid on DoD/DoW contracts via SBIR/STTR, AFWERX, Army xTech, DIU, SOFWERX, OTAs, CSOs, BAAs; pursue opportunities as a sub or software CLIN.
• Work with Partnerships to write bids when partnering with manufacturers; travel for customer meetings and industry days as needed.

Skills

Capture management

Government proposals

Business development

RFI/RFP writing

SBIR/OTAs/BAAs

Compliance matrices

Color team reviews

DoD acquisition

Technical writing

AI concepts distillation

CRM tracking

Export-control awareness

Tools

CRM software

APMP/Shipley process

AI tooling support

Job description

Artificial intelligence is changing war - making decisions in combat quicker and more accurate, while enabling information to be shared more rapidly across both America’s and her adversaries’ militaries. Modern Intelligence builds Sovereign, the first defense-purpose foundation AI for unmanned systems, to be the standard battlefield AI on every Western unmanned system. Today, Sovereign allows drones as varied as unmanned vessels on water to backpack attack quadcopters to see, decide, and act even when jammed. We believe the responsibility of reliably and ethically building lethally autonomous AI is immense to our service members, the American people, and civilians everywhere.

Modern Intelligence has worked with partners across the Department of War including the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, and countless unmanned systems hardware companies.

We have raised more than $22M million in venture capital from Exponential, Oxford Funds, Bedrock, Vine Ventures, Contrary, Air Street, Caffeinated, Champion Hill, Swell, Myelin, and others.

Details

We have been founder-led on capture and proposals since 2021. You will be our first dedicated Capture & Propose hire.

You own each proposal from bid/no-bid through submission: capture plan, compliance matrix, schedule, color teams, and coordinating cost volume with finance. Engineers will write the technical sections with you. You’ll build and maintain a living library of past performance and boilerplate so we reuse what already works.

We pursue DoW contracts via SBIR/STTR, AFWERX, Army xTech, DIU, SOFWERX, OTAs, CSOs, and BAAs that fit our technology. Wins often land as a sub on a partner’s vehicle or as a software CLIN inside a larger contract. When we bid alongside a manufacturer, you’ll work with Partnerships to help write those bids and win those contracts.

This role is on-site in Austin, or remote from the DC area until we open an office there. Travel as required for customer meetings, industry days, and demos.

Requirements

• 4+ years in capture, proposals, or government business development at a defense, dual-use, hardware, or deep-tech company
• Experience managing government proposals from the decision to bid through submission
• Experience writing RFI and RFP responses, white papers, and proposals for SBIRs, OTAs, CSOs, BAAs, or FAR/DFARS solicitations
• Experience managing deadlines, compliance matrices, and color team reviews
• Understanding of DoW acquisition and how to structure proposals, including past performance and win themes
• Ability to turn technical input from engineers and founders into clear, compliant proposals without overstating the product
• Ability to distill robust technical AI/ML concepts and differentiators through clear, concise, and compelling written and verbal communication.
• Experience tracking pursuits a CRM and reporting progress to the executive team
• Regular use of AI tools for research, first drafts, compliance checks, and editing
• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)). This role works with export-controlled technology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Capture or proposal experience with autonomy, robotics, aerospace, or defense software
• Wins as a subcontractor or software provider on a partner vehicle
• Relationships with PEOs, program offices, or innovation units
• Familiarity with FAR/DFARS and Shipley- or APMP-style capture process
• Experience building a capture or proposal function at a startup

Modern Intelligence builds Sovereign: edge targeting software for unmanned systems, already in use on live missions. You’ll be our first dedicated Capture & Propose hire, owning the government pursuits and proposals that put Sovereign on contract, working directly with the founders.

125000 - 175000 USD a year

Compensation Specifics

• Final offer depends on demonstrated capture and proposal experience
• Annual performance bonus tied to proposal delivery and awarded work
• Equity is granted on top of base for every full-time role.

Benefits

• Full medical for employee and family
• Full dental and vision for employee and partial coverage for your dependents.
• Generous and flexible PTO
• Paid Holidays: All federal holidays + last two weeks of the calendar year
• Paid Parental Leave: 12 weeks