Proposal Manager

Na Ali'i; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Na Alii is seeking a Proposal Manager to lead the development and submission of complex federal proposals in response to RFIs, Sources Sought, and RFPs for the Nakupuna Companies. The role includes coordinating the entire proposal process, from strategy to post-submission activities, with a focus on compliant, persuasive storytelling.

The candidate will manage color-team reviews, leveraging AI tools in the process, ensuring FAR/DFARS compliance, and collaborating with subcontractors and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and minimum five years of professional experience coordinating or managing Federal proposals.
• Experience managing large, competitive proposals (e.g. $25M+) for Federal customers.
• Strong writing/editing skills and ability to convey complex solutions clearly.
• Solid project management capabilities with multiple proposals simultaneously.
• Familiarity with FAR/DFARS and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end proposal development and respond to RFIs, Sources Sought, and RFPs.
• Coordinate with BD/Capture and other stakeholders to develop win strategies and themes.
• Create and maintain proposal shells, compliance matrices, and action plans (POA&M).
• Conduct color-team reviews, ensure consistency of voice across documents, and manage submission quality.
• Coordinate with contracts/legal to ensure regulatory compliance and accurate pricing.

Skills

Proposal management

Federal proposals

Writing and editing

Project management

Subcontractor coordination

Regulatory compliance (FAR/DFARS)

Microsoft Office

AI tools in proposals

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Awarded.ai

Adobe Acrobat

Proposal publishing software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Na Alii is looking for a Proposal Manager to s upport the growth of the Nakupuna Companies by leading the development and submission of complex proposals in response to Requests for Information (RFI), Sources Sought, Requests for Proposal (RFP), and other related customer response deliverables to Federal government agencies and/or partners. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the entire proposal process, from proposal strategy development, overarching compliance, color-team coordination, organizing final submission and post-submission activities, and eager to learn and adopt AI tools within the proposal process.

Proposal Manager Job Locations

US-VA-Arlington

Job ID

2026-6392

Category

Business Development

Type

Full-Time Salaried

Company

Na Alii

Overview

Na Alii is looking for a Proposal Manager to s upport the growth of the Nakupuna Companies by leading the development and submission of complex proposals in response to Requests for Information (RFI), Sources Sought, Requests for Proposal (RFP), and other related customer response deliverables to Federal government agencies and/or partners. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the entire proposal process, from proposal strategy development, overarching compliance, color-team coordination, organizing final submission and post-submission activities, and eager to learn and adopt AI tools within the proposal process.

Responsibilities

The following reflects management's definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Lead the end-to-end proposal response development process and be able to manage multiple responses simultaneously
• Analyze and understand the RFP requirements, determining the proposal strategy, and developing a proposal plan
• Collaborate with Business Development/Capture Manager to facilitate sessions to develop solutions to perform, win strategies, cohesive proposal themes, and potential discriminators during Capture development
• Use Word to create response shells to guide proposal writers in developing content for proposals according to compliance requirements, evaluation criteria, and win themes
• Develop a compliance matrix, initiate a proposal preparation/review plan of action and milestones (POA&M), ensure compliance across the proposal at each development stage, and drive teams to meet proposal schedule deadlines and deliverables
• Facilitate and lead proposal-related meetings such as solutioning sessions, kickoff meetings, team touchpoints, and Pink, Red, and Gold proposal reviews
• Consolidate and edit writing inputs from multiple authors and subject matter experts (SMEs) - to include subcontractors - into compelling, compliant, and submission-worthy documents that read with one voice
• Coordinate and/or write past performance and coordinate Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) if required by the solicitation
• Evaluate proposals for compliance according to Section L and Section M, and ensure our proposals present the best and most sensible approach to compliance and tell a coherent story
• Finalize all RFI and proposal documents before submission, scrubbing them for typos, nonsense words, poor grammar, and Word formatting errors
• Coordinate with the contracts and legal teams to ensure all proposal documents are accurate and comply with federal contracting regulations, including FAR and DFARS
• Document and update BD processes and support creation and update of document templates in Word and PowerPoint
• Maintain data repositories, helping Nakupuna staff locate relevant templates, reference documents, solicitations, and proposals
• Participate in post-submission activities, such as debriefs and lessons learned sessions, to improve the proposal process for future opportunities
• Learn and incorporate AI platforms into proposal writing and management processes

Skills/Qualifications

Must have demonstrated ability and willingness to lead complex proposal efforts including outlining responses, developing win themes, managing effective color team reviews, integrating subcontractors into a larger team, conducting compliance reviews, completing final formatting, supporting development of our price-to-win strategy, and getting to the finish line with a winning proposal. This will require the following skills and qualifications:

• Deep experience in managing and winning large ($25M+), complex, competitive proposals to major Federal customers (e.g. DOW, DOS, DHS, DOJ, etc)
• Advanced knowledge of federal proposal best practices, industry standards, and experience working within federal procurement regulations, including FAR and DFARS
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills, with the ability to write and edit technical and non-technical content
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple federal proposals simultaneously
• Has used proposal development tools (e.g. awarded.ai and similar) in the past
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and proposal publishing software, such as Adobe Acrobat
• Willingness to flex work schedule to meet proposal objectives
• Solid written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications and Skills Requirements

• Has worked in the Defense and / or Civilian Agencies markets before
• Has managed large subcontractor teams in prime contractor role
• Has supported the development of an oral presentation or demonstration
• Familiarity with the SBA 8(a) Program and the structure of Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) entities

Education and Experience

This position requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution as well as a minimum of five (5) years of professional experience with Federal proposal coordination or management.

Certification Requirements

Shipley and/or APMP training or certification preferred.

Physical Requirements

The ideal candidate must at a minimum be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and working on a computer.

Compensation

The Nakupuna Companies use a market-based compensation strategy to ensure that our employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including but not limited to the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, and contract-specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location. The projected compensation range for this position is $95,000.00 to $150,000.00 (annualized USD). The salary range displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Nakupuna Companies total compensation package for employees.

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