Capture & Proposal Writer

Fuse; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Relocation assistance

Flexible time off

Paid time off

Leave of absence policies

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Fuse is seeking a driven capture and proposal professional to lead strategy and respond to government and commercial solicitations in Washington, DC or the San Leandro, CA area. You will translate complex technology into clear technical narratives, manage cross-functional inputs, and ensure timely, high-quality submissions.

You will collaborate with engineering, contracts, and leadership to build compelling proposals, templates, and reusable content, while maintaining rigorous standards for

Qualifications

• 5+ years writing or managing proposals in government, defense contracting, or related fields.
• Excellent verbal and written communication that distills complex ideas for diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to spot gaps and propose practical solutions using internal or external resources.
• Comfort working in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments with multiple teams.
• A self-starter who can rapidly find information with minimal guidance.
• Outstanding writing and editing skills for persuasive proposals and technical docs.

Responsibilities

• Support capture strategy, including competitive analysis, teaming decisions, and win themes.
• Lead and coordinate proposal development from kickoff through submission.
• Write, edit, and manage proposal volumes to ensure compliance, clarity, and persuasiveness.
• Coordinate inputs from SMEs, engineering, contracts, and leadership, and manage timelines.
• Develop and maintain proposal templates, compliance matrices, and reusable content libraries.
• Create technical and go-to-market content with engineering and business teams.
• Translate cutting-edge capabilities into clear, compelling stories.

Skills

Proposal writing

Excellent communication

Gap analysis

Adaptability

Writing & editing

Job description

Washington, DC or San Leandro, CA

About Fuse

We are building one of the most potentially consequential companies of the century. Our mission is to accelerate the world's transition to fusion energy while safeguarding humankind. This is not a normal company. This is not a normal job. We are committed for the long term to win.

About the Role

You’ll help Fuse grow revenue. You will lead proposal and capture work from teaming strategy and solicitation response through final submission, while translating complex technology into clear technical narratives, product documentation, and go-to-market content. The work crosses engineering, business development, contracts, and leadership. The standard is simple: understand the technology, make the case clearly, and get high-quality work out the door on time.

What We Value

• Care about the details — sloppy work costs us later, so do it right the first time.

• Move with urgency — every week matters more than it feels like it does.

• Be responsible for the outcome, not just the task; if it is not working, it remains your problem until it is fixed.

• Assume good intent — disagree openly, then commit fully once a call is made.

Core Responsibilities

Capture & Proposal

• Support capture strategy, including competitive analysis, teaming decisions, and win themes.

• Lead and coordinate proposal development in response to government and commercial solicitations, from kickoff through submission.

• Write, edit, and manage proposal volumes (technical, management, past performance) to ensure compliance, clarity, and persuasiveness.

• Coordinate inputs from subject matter experts, engineering, contracts, and leadership, and manage timelines across proposal efforts.

• Develop and maintain proposal templates, compliance matrices, and reusable content libraries.

Content & Documentation

• Understand and clearly communicate Fuse's value proposition across audiences.

• Create technical and go-to-market content in partnership with engineering and business teams.

• Write narratives that translate cutting-edge capabilities into clear, compelling stories.

• Review and edit documentation to maintain a high standard of quality.

• Identify, triage, and resolve gaps in existing documentation.

• Maintain style guides and writing best practices across all content types.

General

• Prioritize, adapt, and operate effectively in unstructured, fast-moving startup environments.

• Manage and coordinate internal and external stakeholders to keep deals and projects on track.

• Stay curious and enthusiastic about learning and communicating new technology and concepts.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business, government, government contracting, or defense contracting, with direct experience writing or managing proposals.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex ideas into digestible concepts for stakeholders at every level, and to produce large, high-quality documents on short timelines.

• Ability to spot technical or functional gaps and propose solutions using internal or external resources.

• Comfort working in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments across varied stakeholder groups, including design, engineering, program management, security, supply chain, and finance.

• A self-starter who can rapidly find information without clear guidance.

• Outstanding writing and editing skills across both persuasive (proposal) and technical (documentation) formats.

Preferred Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in capture, proposal writing, or government contracting.

• Familiarity with traditional and non-traditional government contracting vehicles.

• Significant experience with government solicitation processes (RFP, RFI, RFQ, BAA, OTA, etc.).

• Experience writing for a startup or fast-scaling company, balancing structured proposal work with more flexible content needs.

• Active security clearance.

Additional Requirements

• This is not a remote position and will require relocation if not already local to Fuse's Washington, DC or San Leandro, CA facility (as applicable to this role).

• Position requires the ability to work extended hours and weekends when needed.

• Position may require some business travel to other Fuse facilities.

Security Clearance

This role may require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Relocation assistance for roles that require it.

• Flexible time off. Take what you need, no accrual tracking.

• 2 weeks of paid time off built into the end of each year (subject to team and business needs).

• Supportive leave of absence policies.

• Paid leave for new parents.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity

Fuse is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Fuse is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, ancestry, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.