PROPOSAL MANAGER – GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING – REMOTE, USA

Check Defense, LLC; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Check Defense, LLC is seeking an experienced Proposal Manager to own the full lifecycle of federal proposals. You will lead end-to-end development, coordinate with capture, business development, contracts, pricing, and operations, and ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS while guiding through color-team reviews and post-submission debriefs.

The role emphasizes strong writing, editing, and organizational skills to deliver high-quality, compliant proposals on time, with collaboration across teams and

Qualifications

• U.S. citizen required.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in English, Communications, Business, Journalism, Technical Writing, or related field.
• Six (6)+ years of federal proposal management experience.
• Working knowledge of the federal acquisition lifecycle and Sections B–M, PWS/SOW, CDRLs.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals with quality and compliance.
• Advanced skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint; Adobe Acrobat and desktop publishing.
• Experience using AI-assisted proposal tools for analysis, drafting, editing, and quality control.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; ability to provide direct editorial feedback.
• Willing to work extended/non-standard hours during critical submission windows.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of compliant, compelling responses to RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and other solicitations.
• Own proposal execution from release through submission and debriefs.
• Develop and maintain proposal management plans, compliance matrices, and schedules.
• Run kickoff meetings, stand-ups, and color-team reviews; assign tasks with due dates.
• Manage production, formatting, and submission across portals (SAM.gov, PIEE, eBuy).
• Lead after-action reviews to capture lessons learned and reusable content.
• Ensure FAR/DFARS compliance, CUI handling, and data protection.

Skills

US citizenship

Security clearance eligibility

Proposal management

Leadership and coordination

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in English/Communications/Business/Journalism/Technical Writing

Equivalent professional or military experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Adobe Acrobat

SharePoint

Teams

Job description

Security Clearance: None required to start; ability to obtain and maintain eligibility is preferred.

Position Overview

Check Defense, a fast-growing federal contractor, is hiring an experienced Proposal Manager to own the full proposal lifecycle: pre-Request for Proposal (RFP) planning and positioning, submission, post-submission evaluation support, and after-action review. The goal is consistently high-quality, fully compliant, and persuasive proposals for federal customers. The role works closely with capture leadership, business development, contracts, pricing, recruiting, and operations to align each proposal with the approved win strategy, the customer’s stated and unstated priorities, and Check Defense’s corporate objectives. The Proposal Manager will also coordinate with teaming partners supporting capture and must understand FAR and DFARS compliance. This position requires organization and proposal-management skills along with substantive writing and editing capability, not simply copyediting or document coordination.

Duties and Responsibilities

Proposal Leadership and Lifecycle Management

• Lead end-to-end development of compliant, compelling responses to RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Sources Sought notices, IDIQ task orders, GSA MAS and OASIS+ task-order requests, amendments, SOWs, PWSs, and white papers.
• Own proposal execution from RFP release (or Draft RFP) through submission, clarifications, Evaluation Notices, Final Proposal Revisions, and debriefs.
• Develop and maintain proposal management plans, including compliance matrices, requirements crosswalks, annotated outlines, writing assignments, storyboards, data calls, and milestone schedules built backward from the deadline.
• Run the kickoff, stand-ups, and status meetings; assign tasks with clear owners and due dates; and keep contributors on time and on quality.
• Plan and run color team reviews (Pink, Red, Gold, White Glove): recruit reviewers, prepare review packages and criteria, adjudicate comments, and verify that fixes are
• Manage production and submission, including assembly, page-count and format checks, file naming, redaction, PDF preparation, and upload through SAM.gov, PIEE, eBuy, agency portals, or partner systems, with dry runs well before the deadline.
• Track and enforce the proposal schedule in line with Sections L and
• Lead after-action reviews after each submission and debrief, capturing lessons learned, reusable content (capability descriptions, management approaches, past performance, resumes, templates, graphics concepts), and process corrections.

Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Build and maintain a compliance matrix that maps every Section L instruction, Section M factor, Section C/SOW/PWS requirement, and applicable FAR/DFARS clause to its response location.
• Review compliance and quality continuously, not just at color teams, checking page limits, fonts and margins, volume structure, cross-references, acronyms, and required forms and certifications.
• Resolve quality, compliance, and consistency issues before submission, and escal
• Track questions to the Contracting Officer, monitor amendments, and quickly assess and communicate their impact on the outline, schedule, and content.
• Handle and mark Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), teammate proprietary data, and competition-sensitive material according to DFARS 252.204-7012, Check Defense policy, and nondisclosure
• Verify that resumes, past performance citations, letters of commitment, and corporate data are accurate, current, and consistent across volumes.

Strategy, Writing, and Messaging

• Work with capture managers to define and validate win themes, discriminators, ghosting strategies, and customer hot buttons, and place them where evaluators will score them.
• Turn technical, training, and operational concepts into clear, benefit-focused prose that links Check Defense’s capabilitiesto customer outcomes.
• Write and rewrite proposal sections as needed, including executive summaries, management approach, staffing and phase-in, quality control, transition, and risk mitigation.
• Draft RFP-based sections and pre-positioning content so the team enters the live procurement with mature material, not a blank page.
• Direct graphics development (action captions, concept sketches, process visuals, org charts) with desktop publishing and graphics staff so visuals carry the message.
• Maintain a consistent voice, tone, and style across contributors and teammates through a style guide and disciplined editing.

Cross-Functional and Teammate Coordination

• Gather proposal inputs from Contracts, Finance, Pricing, Legal, HR, Recruiting, Security, IT, and operational subject matter experts, turning requirements into specific, time-bound
• Serve as the main proposal contact for teaming partners: issue data calls, track deliverables, and merge partner content into one unified voice.
• Support joint venture and teaming agreement pursuits by aligning the narrative with the approved workshare, management structure, and SBA performance-of-work requirements, in coordination with Contracts and Legal.
• Work with Pricing and Contracts so the technical, management, and cost volumes tell the same story, with narrative staffing matching the Basis of Estimate and price volume.
• Work with Recruiting on key personnel identification, resume tailoring, contingent hire letters, and support for the staffing approach.
• Manage the schedules and work of assigned proposal resources (coordinators, desktop publishers, graphic artists, technical writers, consultants, and SMEs), including onboarding surge consultants during peak periods.

Tools, Content, and Process Improvement

• Set up and administer Microsoft Teams and SharePoint proposal workspaces for requirements, contributor inputs, version control, and archived submissions.
• Administer and promote proposal tools and workflows, including SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Adobe Acrobat/Creative Cloud, and collaborative review platforms.
• Build and maintain a current, tagged, searchable content library of boilerplate, past performance write-ups, resumes, certifications, standard graphics, and reusable technical narratives.
• Identify content gaps and improvement opportunities across pursuits, and work with growth leadership to close them before the next procurement cycle.
• Track proposal metrics (submission volume, on-time rate, compliance findings, win/loss, debrief themes) and contribute to the corporate capture and proposal tracker.
• Refine and document proposal processes, templates, and checklists; mentor junior proposal staff; and coach first-time SME contributors on writing to evaluation criteria.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Business, Journalism, Technical Writing, or a related field; equivalentprofessional or military experience may substitute.
• Six (6) or more years of federal proposal management experience, with a record of compliant, on-time submissions and documented wins.
• Working knowledge of the federal acquisition lifecycle, and the ability to interpret and act on solicitation Sections B through M, PWS/SOW/SOO documents, and CDRLs.
• Proven ability to independently manage multiple concurrent proposals of varying size, complexity, and deadline pressure without sacrificing quality or compliance.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Word (styles, templates, section breaks, automated TOCs, cross-references), Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint, plus working proficiency in Adobe Acrobat and desktop publishing
• Experience using generative AI or AI-assisted proposal tools for solicitation analysis, compliance, drafting, editing, and quality control.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, including giving and receiving direct editorial feedback and communicatingrequirements and deadlines clearly at every level of seniority.
• Proven ability to influence without authority, driving executives, operators, and partner personnel to meet deadlines they did not set.
• Willing to work extended or non-standard hours during critical submission windows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD training and education pursuits, USSOCOM/USASOC, the Department of Homeland Security, FLETC, or federal law enforcement training programs.
• Experience with large multiple-award IDIQ vehicles and task order competitions (e.g., OASIS+, GSA MAS, Alliant, agency-specific vehicles).
• Experience with small business set-aside pursuits, including SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, and SBA-approved joint ventures.
• APMP Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional certification; Shipley, Lohfeld, or equivalent capture/proposal training.
• Ten or more years as a government contracting officer or acquisition professional is highly desirable.
• Prior U.S. military service, or direct experience with the training, special operations, or homeland security missions Check Defense
• Familiarity with CMMC and CUI safeguarding requirements as they affect proposal development and data handling.
• Working knowledge of pricing volume mechanics, basis of estimate construction, and staffing model logic sufficient to spot technical-to-cost misalignment.
• Graphics literacy: the ability to storyboard a concept for a graphic artist and judge whether the finished visual conveys the intended message.

Travel

Up to 15% (capture sessions, color team reviews, customer and industry events).