Proposal Manager

Sawtst, Llc; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Health insurance

Health savings account

Life insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Vision insurance

Job summary

SAWTST, LLC is seeking a self-starting Proposal Manager to lead end-to-end federal proposal development. This fully remote role requires ownership of content, compliance, and quality across all volumes, including technical, management, past performance, and cost sections.

You will collaborate with SMEs, pricing, HR, and contracts to craft winning narratives, manage schedules, and drive color-team reviews. A DoD/DoD-related background and Shipley experience are highly valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience leading and managing federal (DoD) proposal efforts, including full lifecycle ownership.
• Ability to thoroughly review and analyze federal solicitations and translate them into compliant proposal structures.
• Strong understanding of the federal procurement process and contract types.
• Proven track record of successful proposal wins in the DoD or federal space.
• Technical/proposal writing experience for persuasive, concise content.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end proposal lifecycle using Shipley Methods, including schedule and milestones.
• Develop and maintain compliance matrices to address all requirements across volumes.
• Coordinate with SMEs, BD, Pricing, HR, and Contracts to shape narratives.
• Direct writing, editing, and formatting for technical, management, past performance, and cost sections.
• Plan color team reviews and ensure adherence to deadlines and quality standards.
• Maintain proposal documents in SharePoint with version control.

Skills

Proposal management

Federal DoD proposals

Content writing

Compliance & QA

Shipley Methods

Team leadership

Stakeholder coordination

Editing & rewriting

Project management

Color team reviews

Education

Bachelor's degree

APMP (preferred)

Tools

GovWin

SAM.gov

SharePoint

Microsoft Office

Job description

SAWTST, LLC is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) founded in 2006 that has grown by consistently identifying and capturing new Information Technology (IT) and Enterprise Logistics opportunities and building on proven core strengths. We are seeking a self-starting, highly motivated Proposal Manager to lead the development of compliant, compelling, and winning federal proposals. This is a fully remote/virtual position; candidates must have a dedicated home office environment.

Key Responsibilities

The Proposal Manager owns the end-to-end proposal lifecycle and is responsible for proposal content, compliance, and quality. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and manage the entire proposal development process using the Shipley Methods, including schedule, milestones, reviews, and final production
• Analyze all solicitation documents (RFI, Sources Sought, RFP, RFQ, PWS, SOW, amendments, Q&As) and translate them into clear proposal requirements.
• Develop and maintain detailed compliance matrices to ensure every requirement is fully addressed in the appropriate volume/section.
• Allocate and map solicitation requirements to the proposal outline to produce fully compliant, responsive proposals.
• Proposal Planning & Management
• Support the Business Development Team by managing and directing proposal preparation tasks and proposal personnel.
• Lead and manage the entire proposal development process, including schedule, milestones, reviews, and final production.
• Prepare proposal management plans, annotated outlines, and storyboards to guide writers and SMEs.
• Conduct regular proposal status meetings; maintain and enforce the proposal schedule and deadlines.
• Content Development & Writing
• Transform capture strategies into clear proposal strategies, win themes, and discriminators woven throughout all volumes.
• Direct writing, editing, and rewriting to produce persuasive, customer-focused, and compliant content across all volumes (Technical, Management, Past Performance, Cost/Price narrative, and other required volumes).
• Develop/write original proposal content when needed (e.g., management approaches, technical approaches, risk/mitigation, staffing, transition).
• Review, edit, organize, and format proposal text to ensure consistency, clarity, and adherence to page limits and instructions.
• Create and refine graphics, tables, and call-outs to reinforce key messages and enhance readability.
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Work closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), BD Team, Pricing Team, HR, and Contracts to shape compliant and compelling solution narratives.
• Coordinate with the Pricing Manager to ensure Pricing Volume compliance with solicitation instructions and alignment with the technical/management approach.
• Communicate with teaming partners for data calls (resumes, past performance, technical inputs, pricing inputs)
• Color Team Reviews & Quality Assurance
• Plan, lead, and facilitate color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold/Green) for all major proposals.
• Develop review plans, instructions, review packages, and assignments; consolidate and adjudicate comments, ensuring only approved recommendations are incorporated.
• Maintain configuration control of all proposal documents using SharePoint, ensuring version control and final submission integrity.
• Prepare responses to Government Evaluation Notices (ENs), questions, and discussion.
• Tools, Templates & Process Improvement
• Create, maintain, and update all proposal-related templates (resumes, past performance write-ups, technical sections, company bios, standard forms, questions, etc.).
• Serve as SAWTST’s Proposal Management SME contributing to continuous improvement of processes, tools, and best practices.
• Participate in strategic planning discussions, opportunity shaping, and pipeline reviews in collaboration with Business Development and Operations.
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• SHIPLEY: 5 years (Preferred)

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience leading and managing federal (DoD) proposal efforts, including full proposal lifecycle ownership.
• Demonstrated ability to thoroughly review and analyze federal solicitations (RFI, Sources Sought, RFP, RFQ, PWS, SOW) and translate them into compliant proposal structures.
• Strong understanding of the federal procurement process and contract types.
• Proven track record of successful proposal wins in the DoD or federal space.
• Technical/proposal writing experience with the ability to produce clear, concise, and persuasive content.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Project, Outlook); comfort working in shared repositories (e.g., SharePoint).
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple, concurrent proposals and tasks.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to work effectively with geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to independently manage a demanding workload and adapt to shifting priorities and deadlines.
• Experience using GovWin and SAM.gov for opportunity research and tracking.

Education & Preferred Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Relevant Active Duty military experience and DoD schools/training may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Preferred training/certifications:
• Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) membership and/or certification

Desired Experience

• Business development experience supporting DoD or other federal agencies.
• Demonstrated success in strategic growth and expansion, including capture and sales management responsibilities.

SAWTST, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Veterans / Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disability.