Lead Proposal Engineer – Aerospace & Defense (DoD Secret)

Socket.dev; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

HSA with company contribution

FSA

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Lead Proposal Engineer in Huntington Beach, CA to lead technical and cost-estimating activities from customer requests through final submission. You will collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development to develop accurate, executable cost estimates aligned with customer needs and Karman capabilities.

You will maintain and update Excel-based cost models, define assumptions, and prepare detailed

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Manufacturing Engineering.
• 1+ years at Karman Space & Defense or 3+ years in the space/defense industry.
• Experience interpreting drawings, BOMs, SOWs, and other technical docs.
• Experience developing technical or manufacturing cost estimates.
• Strong proficiency with Excel; capable of maintaining cost/estimation workbooks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to document risks and recommendations; DoD-Secret clearance or ability to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate customer RFQs, SOWs, drawings, specs, and BOMs.
• Identify materials, processes, tooling, and other cost elements beyond provided BOMs.
• Define proposal requirements, assumptions, risks, exclusions, and clarifications needed.
• Develop and review manufacturing processes, labor content, cycle times, and production rates.
• Estimate labor hours and create cost estimates for labor, materials, tooling, and NRE.
• Prepare basis-of-estimate documentation for inputs and assumptions.
• Support discussions with customers and align capabilities with needs.
• Maintain Excel-based cost and proposal workbooks with accurate formulas.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain to validate manufacturability and pricing.

Skills

Cost estimation

Costing analyses

Excel proficiency

Technical communication

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/ Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

Excel

Job description

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Lead Proposal Engineer in Huntington Beach, CA to lead technical and cost-estimating activities from customer requests through final submission. You will collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development to develop accurate, executable cost estimates aligned with customer needs and Karman capabilities.

You will maintain and update Excel-based cost models, define assumptions, and prepare detailed