Proposal Manager III

York Space Systems; Greenwood Village (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

York Space Systems seeks an experienced Proposal Manager III to lead end‑to‑end proposals for U.S. Government space programs.

The role requires an active TS/SCI clearance and is on-site in Greenwood Village, CO, working with capture, BD, technical, contracts, supply chain, and pricing teams. The candidate will own the proposal lifecycle from planning through submission, leveraging Shipley/APMP processes and coordinating color team reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of proposal management experience in Aerospace/Defense.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Shipley/APMP certification (Foundation/Practitioner/Professional).
• Experience managing large multi-volume proposals ($100M-$250M+).
• Experience supporting Space Force/SSC/NASA or space-focused customers.
• Familiarity with proposal automation/content management platforms.
• Mentoring/training junior proposal staff.
• Willingness to work full-time in Greenwood Village, CO; no remote/hybrid option.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end proposal lifecycle from RFP/RFI through submission.
• Develop and maintain schedules, outlines, and compliance matrices.
• Lead color team reviews and resolve comments with SMEs.
• Coordinate with Pricing/Cost, Contracts, and Legal for compliance.
• Produce final polished proposals and oversee submission and post-submission responses.

Skills

Proposal management

Leadership

Compliance

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SharePoint

Privia

RFPIO

Job description

York Space Systems is seeking an experienced Proposal Manager III to lead the development and submission of competitive proposals in support of U.S. Government space capability programs. This role requires an active TS/SCI clearance and is based on-site at our facility, given the sensitivity of program information and the need for direct, secure collaboration with capture, business development, technical, contracts, supply chain, and pricing teams.

The Proposal Manager III will own the end-to-end proposal lifecycle for space-focused pursuits, from color team planning and reviews through final submission, ensuring every deliverable is compliant, compelling, and aligned to both customer requirements and company win strategy. The ideal candidate has a proven track record managing complex, multi-volume proposals in the Aerospace & Defense sector, with direct experience supporting space systems, launch, ground segment, C2, or related mission areas.

This role will be fully on-site in our Greenwood Village, Colorado office.

Key Responsibilities

Proposal Leadership & Process Management

• Serve as the single point of accountability for assigned proposal efforts, managing the full proposal lifecycle from Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Information (RFI) release through final submission.
• Develop and maintain the proposal schedule, outline, compliance matrix, and work assignments in accordance with the Shipley or equivalent structured proposal methodology.
• Lead daily/weekly proposal status meetings (“proposal battle rhythm”) to track progress, resolve issues, and drive on-time, compliant delivery.
• Partner with Capture Managers to translate win themes, discriminators, and customer hot buttons into a cohesive proposal strategy and storyboard.
• Must be able to work extended hours, including evenings and weekends, during proposal “push” periods and color team review cycles.

Color Team Review Execution (Pink, Red, Green, Gold)

• Plan, schedule, and facilitate all color team reviews (Pink, Red, Green, and Gold), ensuring reviewers, materials, and logistics are in place.
• Consolidate, prioritize, and track disposition of all color team comments and ensure timely, complete resolution by authors and subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Confirm draft content addresses win themes, discriminators, and compliance early in the writing cycle.
• Coordinate independent evaluation teams to assess compliance, responsiveness, and competitiveness against the solicitation and evaluation criteria.
• Validate pricing strategy to ensure it meets PTW and customer budget
• Lead final executive review and sign off prior to submission, ensuring the proposal is submission ready.

Compliance, Content & Requirements Management

• Develop and maintain a detailed compliance matrix mapping RFP Sections L and M (or equivalent) requirements to proposal volumes, sections, and authors.
• Conduct ongoing compliance reviews throughout the development cycle to ensure the proposal fully and accurately addresses all customer requirements, terms, and evaluation criteria.
• Own and maintain the proposal content repository/knowledge library, including past performance write-ups, resumes, boilerplate, graphics, and reusable technical content, ensuring version control and content currency.
• Ensure final proposal content balances customer requirements with company capture strategy, cost realism, and business objectives.

Schedule, Pricing, Teaming & Contracts Coordination

• Develop and manage the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) for the proposal effort, aligning writing, review, pricing, and production milestones with the solicitation due date.
• Coordinate closely with the Pricing/Cost Volume team to synchronize technical, management, and cost volume development, ensuring consistency across all volumes.
• Support negotiation and execution of teaming agreements, subcontractor/vendor proposal inputs, and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in coordination with Business Development and Contracts.
• Work directly with Contracts and Legal to ensure proposal terms, assumptions, exceptions, and representations comply with corporate policy, FAR/DFARS requirements, and contractual risk parameters.
• Flag and elevate compliance, teaming, or contractual risks to leadership in a timely manner.

Production & Submission

• Manage desktop publishing, graphics, and editing resources to produce a polished, compliant, and professional final proposal package.
• Oversee final quality checks, formatting, and page/word count compliance prior to submission.
• Ensure timely, accurate submission of the proposal through the designated customer portal or delivery method.
• Lead post-submission activities, including responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs), clarification requests, and Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs), as required.

This role will not have direct reports.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Business, Communications, Engineering, or similar), or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of proposal management experience, with a strong, sustained focus on space capabilities within the Aerospace & Defense market.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Shipley Associates or APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) certification (Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional level).
• Experience managing large, multi-volume, multi-team proposals ($100M-$250M+ pursuits) in a prime or major subcontractor role.
• Prior experience supporting Space Force, Space Systems Command (SSC), Intelligence Community, NASA, or related space-focused customers.
• Familiarity with proposal automation and content management platforms (e.g., SharePoint-based repositories, Privia, RFPIO, or similar tools).
• Experience mentoring or leading junior proposal coordinators/writers.
• Willingness to work full-time in our Greenwood Village, CO office; this position does not support remote or hybrid work.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance.