Lead Proposal Engineer: Aerospace & Defense Proposals

Karman Space & Defense; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; 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

Company-paid life and AD&D insurance

Disability coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense in Huntington Beach, CA seeks a Lead Proposal Engineer to guide competitive aerospace and defense proposals, from customer request analysis through final submission. You will coordinate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development to build accurate, executable cost estimates that reflect Karman capabilities.

The role requires interpreting requirements, developing manufacturing assumptions, labor and material estimates, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 1+ years at Karman Space & Defense or 3+ years in space/defense engineering.
• Experience interpreting drawings, specifications, BOMs, statements of work, and other technical requirements.
• Ability to develop cost estimates for labor, material, tooling, and outside processing.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and building detailed cost, estimating, or analytical workbooks.
• A current DoD Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate customer requests for quotation, statements of work, engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of materials.
• Identify required materials, processes, tooling, outside services, and other cost elements beyond customer-provided BOMs.
• Define proposal requirements, assumptions, risks, exclusions, and areas needing customer clarification.
• Develop and review manufacturing processes, labor content, cycle times, production rates, and related assumptions.
• Estimate direct labor hours using supported manufacturing processes, historical data, engineering input, and production requirements.
• Create and validate cost estimates for materials, labor, tooling, outside processing, non-recurring engineering, inspection, and testing.
• Prepare detailed basis-of-estimate documentation for labor, material, tooling, and other cost inputs.
• Support technical discussions with customers and partner with Business Development to align capabilities with customer needs.
• Maintain and update Microsoft Excel-based cost and proposal workbooks to ensure accurate formulas, assumptions, and pricing.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain to validate manufacturability, capacity, tooling requirements, production rates, and supplier pricing.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Strong communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Cost Estimating Software

Job description

Karman Space & Defense in Huntington Beach, CA seeks a Lead Proposal Engineer to guide competitive aerospace and defense proposals, from customer request analysis through final submission. You will coordinate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development to build accurate, executable cost estimates that reflect Karman capabilities.

The role requires interpreting requirements, developing manufacturing assumptions, labor and material estimates, and