Proposal Manager

CTSI; Maryland; On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm is looking for a Proposal Manager to drive proposal efforts for manufacturing, prototyping, and engineering design focused on serving DoD and federal customers. The ideal candidate will need a Bachelor's degree, preferably in engineering, and over 5 years of experience in federal proposal efforts. This role requires strong organizational skills, a deep understanding of manufacturing processes, and the ability to collaborate with diverse teams. U.S. Citizenship is required due to security clearance needs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience leading federal proposal efforts.
• Experience with manufacturing, engineering, prototyping, or production contracts.
• Ability to interpret SOWs, PWSs, and technical data packages.

Responsibilities

• Lead major proposal efforts through the full lifecycle.
• Coordinate technical volumes with engineering SMEs.
• Organize proposal kickoff meetings and daily status updates.

Skills

Understanding engineering drawings

Technical proficiency in MS Word

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Time-management skills

Ability to translate engineering concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree

Engineering degree (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace)

Tools

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

CTS is hiring a Proposal Manager to support the growth of our manufacturing, prototyping, and engineering design business. This role will lead proposal efforts focused on build-to-print manufacturing, custom fabrication, prototype development, and engineered product solutions — primarily supporting DoD and federal customers.

The selected candidate must possess a strong technical foundation and be capable of understanding engineering drawings, manufacturing processes, material requirements, and technical data packages. This position requires the ability to work closely with engineers, manufacturing leads, and program teams to develop compliant, technically accurate, and competitive responses.

The Proposal Manager will lead major proposal efforts through the full lifecycle of development, including:

• Proposal planning and schedule development
• RFP/RFQ/RFI analysis and compliance matrices
• Technical volume coordination with engineering and manufacturing SMEs
• Cost volume coordination with estimating and production teams
• Development of manufacturing approaches, staffing plans, and execution strategies
• Review team management (Pink, Red, Gold Team reviews)
• Editing, compliance review in support of final submission

The role requires collaboration with engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations personnel to clearly articulate manufacturing processes, prototype development plans, quality controls (AS9100), and production scalability strategies.

Day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Issuing technical data calls to engineering and manufacturing teams
• Organizing and leading proposal kickoff and daily status meetings
• Coordinating graphics for process flows, manufacturing layouts, and technical illustrations
• Ensuring alignment between technical approach and cost estimates
• Maintaining proposal templates tailored to manufacturing and engineering pursuits
• Acting as primary point of contact for assigned proposal efforts

This is a high-visibility role requiring direct interaction with senior leadership, engineers, and program managers.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Engineering degree strongly preferred (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering).

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience leading federal proposal efforts
• Experience supporting manufacturing, engineering, prototyping, or production-based contracts
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, SOWs, PWSs, technical data packages, and specifications
• Experience with build-to-print and production-based proposals
• Understanding of AS9100 quality environments
• Strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat
• Strong technical comprehension of manufacturing processes (machining, fabrication, assembly, prototype builds).
• Ability to translate engineering concepts into clear proposal narratives.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.
• Confidence managing multiple concurrent manufacturing RFQs/RFPs under tight deadlines.
• High attention to detail and compliance.

U.S. Citizenship is required for security clearance eligibility. Current DOD security clearance a plus. Candidate selected will be subject to a Government background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.