Deal Strategy Architect

SAIC; Virginia; On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC seeks a Deal Strategy Architect, a senior, hands-on expert in price-to-win and competitive intelligence for government defense pursuits. You will build pricing models, run simulations, and present clear win themes to executive leadership, shaping near- and long-term pursuit planning.

With 15+ years of IC experience, you will influence customers and capture teams, ensure compliance with FAR/DFAR, TINA, and GAAP, and mentor analysts while applying game theory and quantitative modeling to

Qualifications

• 15+ years of related government defense contracting experience
• PTW, competitive intelligence, cost estimating, or capture strategy hands-on experience
• Verified PTW accuracy on live competitive pursuits
• Track record across programs $10M–$10B+ with DoD and civilian customers
• Advanced Excel modeling: macros, regression, pivots, Monte Carlo; familiarity with Galorath SEER and DCAA ICE
• Executive briefing and communication skills to senior leadership
• Knowledge of FAR/DFAR, TINA, CAS, GAAP and government estimating systems
• Knowledge of US Government competitors, market positioning and bid tendencies
• Active Secret clearance; TS/SCI preferred
• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Finance, or Economics preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead PTW analysis—build pricing models and simulations, deliver PTW recommendations to executive and capture leadership
• Conduct Black Hat analyses and competitor profiling using government data and historical awards
• Apply behavioral economics and game theory to model pricing decisions of competitors
• Develop ghosting strategies and customer shaping campaigns before RFP to position strengths
• Perform advanced quantitative modeling—regression, Monte Carlo, war-gaming to stress-test pricing assumptions
• Synthesize CI into executive briefings and win themes for bid/no-bid and pricing decisions
• Ensure FAR/DFAR, TINA, CAS, GAAP compliance; maintain audit-ready documentation

Skills

PTW experience

Competitive intelligence

Cost estimating

Capture strategy

Executive briefing

FAR/DFAR knowledge

GAAP knowledge

US Government competitors knowledge

Secret clearance

MBA or advanced degree

Education

Bachelor's degree + 15+ years

Master's + 13+ years

PhD or JD + 10+ years

Tools

Galorath SEER

DCAA ICE model

Job description

Description

We are seeking a Deal Strategy Architect — a seasoned, hands‑on Price-to-Win and Competitive Intelligence specialist with 15+ years of individual contributor experience in government defense contracting pursuits. This is a practitioner role for the analyst who has personally built the models, run the Black Hats, shaped the customers, and called the winning price. If you have spent your career mastering the craft of competitive strategy from the inside out, this role was built for you.

The Deal Strategy Architect collaborates closely with capture leadership and is a critical thinker, competitor expert and customer SME and a trusted member of the growth team. He/she will synthesize research and data into presentations for senior executives and leaders in customer‑facing Business Units. This person will have a strong ability to serve as a facilitator promoting a data and strategy‑first culture of planning and analysis for near‑term and long‑term pursuit planning.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Independently lead Price-to-Win analysis — building custom pricing models, developing competitor bid strategy simulations, and delivering verified PTW recommendations directly to executive and capture leadership


• Conduct Black Hat analyses and deep‑ dive competitor profiling using SEC filings, USASpending, FPDS, wrap rate benchmarks, Government Contracting tools (DACIS, BGOV, GovWin, etc.) and historical award data to develop competitor SWOTs, ghosting themes and likely bid behavior


• Apply behavioral economics and game theory to model the psychological drivers behind competitor pricing decisions — going beyond the numbers to understand why competitors bid the way they do


• Develop ghosting strategies and customer shaping campaigns that influence requirements and evaluation criteria before the RFP drops — positioning organizational strengths as the natural solution


• Perform advanced quantitative modeling — including regression analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and scenario‑based war‑gaming — to stress‑test pricing assumptions and validate the \"Notional Winner\" profile


• Synthesize competitive intelligence into compelling executive briefings and win themes that translate complex data into clear, confident bid/no‑bid and pricing decisions


• Ensure full compliance with FAR/DFAR, TINA, CAS, and GAAP standards; maintain audit‑ready documentation in support of DCMA/DCAA estimating system reviews

Qualifications

• Bachelors and fifteen (15) years or more of related experience; Masters and thirteen (13) years or more experience; PhD or JD and ten (10) years or more experience


• 10+ years of hands‑on PTW, competitive intelligence, cost estimating, or capture strategy experience in defense/government contracting


• Personally verifiable PTW accuracy record on live competitive pursuits — you have called competitor prices within fractions of a percent


• Demonstrated personal win history across programs ranging from $10M to $10B+ across DoD and civilian agency customers


• Advanced Excel modeling skills — macros, regression, pivots, Monte Carlo; familiarity with cost tools such as Galorath SEER and DCAA ICE model


• Executive‑level briefing and communication skills — you can independently present and defend complex analyses to senior leadership with clarity and confidence


• Working knowledge of FAR/DFAR, TINA, CAS, GAAP, and government estimating system compliance requirements


• Strong knowledge of US Government competitors (traditional systems integrators and non‑traditional competitors such as cloud service providers), market positioning and investment areas, key capabilities and differentiators, program portfolio, bid tendencies, contract vehicle usage, capture strategies, ability to leverage their partnership ecosystem, and more.


• Active Secret clearance required; TS/SCI preferred


• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Finance, or Economics Preferred
  

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.