DoD Proposal Writer & Growth Strategist

Forterra; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

PTO 20 days per year

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Forterra, a leading provider of autonomous systems, is seeking a skilled Proposal Writer to support growth across government and defense opportunities. You will craft compliant, persuasive content for proposals, RFIs, capability statements, and executive summaries, partnering with capture, growth, technical, program, and leadership teams.

The ideal candidate translates complex technical concepts into clear messaging, coordinates with subject matter experts, maintains reusable libraries, and

Qualifications

• Experience writing proposals for U.S. Government and defense opportunities.
• Ability to translate complex inputs into clear, persuasive content.
• Knowledge of RFIs, sources sought, white papers, and capability statements.
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects under deadline.
• Experience interviewing subject matter experts and consolidating inputs.

Responsibilities

• Write, edit, and refine proposal content for U.S. Government and defense opportunities.
• Develop RFI responses, sources sought, solution briefs, and related materials.
• Translate inputs into clear, customer-focused written responses.
• Collaborate with capture and growth teams to develop win themes and messaging.
• Interview SMEs and contributors to produce polished content.
• Ensure materials are accurate, compliant, and aligned with requirements.
• Support storyboard, outlining, drafting, and editing processes.
• Tailor messaging to specific customers and opportunities.
• Maintain reusable content libraries and standards.
• Contribute to process improvement of writing practices.

Skills

Proposal writing

Federal contracting

Technical writing

Content creation

Interview SMEs

Editing and storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Business, Political Science, Marketing, or related field

Job description

About Forterra
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

About the Role

Forterra is seeking a skilled and versatile Proposal Writer & Business Development Analyst to support the company's growth efforts across a range of business development activities. The role will focus primarily on developing compelling, compliant proposal and capture content, while also contributing market research, business analysis, and cost and pricing support that strengthen pursuit strategy and decision-making.

This is an ideal role for a strong writer with an analytical mindset who can translate complex technical, operational, strategic, and quantitative inputs into clear, persuasive materials for government and defense customers. The right candidate is highly organized, collaborative, detail-oriented, and comfortable moving between narrative development, research, and data analysis in a fast-paced environment.

The Proposal Writer & Business Development Analyst will partner closely with capture, growth, technical, program, finance, contracts, and leadership teams to develop high-quality written products and actionable insights that improve Forterra's competitive positioning and support successful pursuit outcomes.

WhatYou’llDo

• Lead the writing, editing, and refinement of proposal content for U.S. Government and defense opportunities
• Develop a broad range of business development materials, including RFI and Sources Sought responses, solution briefs, white papers, capability statements, executive summaries, customer briefings, and other strategic pursuit content
• Translate technical, operational, programmatic, and quantitative inputs into clear, compelling, and customer-focused written responses
• Partner with capture and growth teams to develop win themes, discriminators, and messaging aligned with customer priorities and opportunity strategy
• Interview subject matter experts and cross-functional contributors, synthesize disparate inputs, and convert them into polished written products with a unified voice
• Support proposal development through storyboarding, outlining, drafting, editing, compliance reviews, and incorporation of review feedback
• Conduct targeted market and competitive research using public budgets, procurement forecasts, acquisition histories, industry reporting, and other relevant sources
• Analyze customer priorities, acquisition strategies, market trends, and competitor positioning; synthesize findings into concise opportunity briefs and capture recommendations
• Support opportunity qualification, capture planning, and pipeline reviews with structured business analysis, research, and data-driven insights
• Support cost and pricing analysis by gathering inputs, reviewing historical awards and market benchmarks, documenting assumptions, and developing basic pricing scenarios
• Collaborate with Finance, Contracts, Program, and technical teams to validate cost and pricing assumptions and support bases of estimate, pricing narratives, and internal reviews
• Create clear exhibits, briefing materials, and executive summaries that communicate research findings, business implications, and pricing considerations
• Maintain and improve reusable content, market intelligence, templates, research sources, and writing standards
• Contribute to continuous improvement of proposal, research, analysis, and business development processes, tools, and best practices

What We’re Looking For

• A writer-first business development professional with strong analytical curiosity and sound judgment
• A detail-oriented and process-driven problem solver who can produce high-quality work in high-stakes environments
• A clear communicator who can distill complex technical, business, and quantitative inputs into persuasive narratives and actionable insights
• Someone who thrives in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments and enjoys collaborating across technical and business functions
• A proactive contributor who anticipates needs, takes ownership of deliverables, and consistently meets deadlines

WhatYou’llNeed

• Relevant experience in proposal writing, proposal development, business development writing, technical writing, market research, business analysis, or federal/defense communications
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to turn complex inputs into clear and persuasive content
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, Department of Defense, or federal contracting pursuits
• Familiarity with proposal and business development materials such as RFIs, Sources Sought responses, white papers, solution briefs, and executive briefings
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research, evaluate source quality, identify key findings, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information
• Working knowledge of business analysis concepts, including market sizing, opportunity assessment, competitive analysis, and pipeline or capture support
• Comfort working with cost and pricing inputs, historical data, assumptions, and basic financial or scenario models
• Strong spreadsheet skills and the ability to organize, analyze, and communicate data clearly
• Ability to work effectively with technical, program, finance, contracts, business development, and executive stakeholders
• Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to interview contributors and reconcile disparate inputs
• Ability to balance compliance, clarity, analytical rigor, and persuasiveness across written and quantitative deliverables
• High degree of ownership, responsiveness, discretion, and problem-solving ability

What We Love to See

• Experience writing or conducting market analysis for defense, autonomy, robotics, software, mobility, or other advanced technology markets
• Experience researching U.S. Government budgets, acquisition plans, contract vehicles, procurement histories, or competitive landscapes
• Familiarity with federal acquisition, contracting, and proposal processes, including both pre-RFP and live proposal efforts
• Experience supporting cost volumes, bases of estimate, price-to-win activities, or pricing strategy in a federal contracting environment
• Experience building or interpreting basic cost, pricing, market-sizing, or business-case models
• Experience editing contributions from multiple authors into a unified voice
• Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Business, Economics, Finance, Political Science, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.