Proposal Senior Principal

SAIC; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC is seeking a seasoned, cleared senior-level Proposal Writer to craft Federal RFx content with minimal oversight, primarily in Reston or Chantilly, VA. Hybrid work is offered, and candidates should be local to Northern Virginia.

You will own full lifecycle federal proposal support—from planning, templates, and writing resumes and past performance to submission—while mentoring junior writers and driving process improvements using AI tools.

Qualifications

• Requires a BA/BS and 15+ years Federal proposal writing experience; 13+ years with a Masters; additional 4+ years can substitute for degree.
• Experience providing full lifecycle Federal proposal support including planning, content, templates, writing and editing key sections.
• Must be a US Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead proposal artifacts that are clear, concise, persuasive, compliant and compelling.
• Coach and mentor junior writers and participate in color reviews.
• Ensure content aligns to RFx requirements, capture strategies and best practices.

Skills

Federal RFx proposal writing

Full lifecycle proposal support

Content planning and writing

Mentor junior writers

AI-enabled proposals

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Journalism/English/Communications or related field

15+ years Federal proposal writing experience; 13+ years with Master's

Tools

AI proposal tools

Job description

Description

SAIC is looking for a seasoned, cleared senior level Proposal Writer who is accomplished with writing original content for all sections of Federal RFx, with minimal oversight. This position offers hybrid work opportunities, with primary work to be completed in the Reston or Chantilly, Virginia offices. The candidate should be local to the Northern Virginia area.

What You’ll Do

The Proposal Writer we seek is a principal-level proposal professional and is a key member of the Proposal Development Center (PDC). You will provide full lifecycle, Federal proposal support, from content planning, template development, and writing and editing key sections (resumes, past performance, and narrative volumes), through submission. You’ll also coach and mentor junior writers and participate in process improvement initiatives. You’ll share your wisdom in peer and color reviews and apply analytical skills to process efficiencies and proposal quality through the use of proprietary AI tool.

What You’ll Bring to the Table

In this role you will join the PDC family that enjoys a team culture, and collaborative engagement with all levels of proposal contributors and stakeholders.

You have a hunger for knowledge, a thirst for quality, and an eye for accuracy. You have strong critical thinking skills and easily digest technically complex information. You have experience with writing proposals or technical documents for the Federal Government. Each proposal offers you an opportunity to learn about exciting innovations that sustain and support our government, including our military.

Your strengths with the written word, communications, and the English language (grammar nerds welcomed and embraced),will be appreciated throughout the proposal development process. Your expertise weaving in win strategies, themes, and discriminators into proposal artifacts means you are making an impact to important solutions supporting our customers.

What SAIC Offers

We empower you to paint our proposals with your creative and analytical skills. SAIC is dedicated to your professional development and career growth with our mature mentor-protégé program and robust training opportunities (e.g., emerging technologies, including AI, leadership development, and industry best practices).

In this deadline-driven industry, we offer you competitive compensation, a flexible work schedule, and work-life balance.

Don’t take our word for it… some of SAIC’s recognition includes:

• Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2026, Glassdoor, 2026
• America’s Best Midsize Employers, TIME, 2024
• Forbes best Large Employers, Forbes, 2023
• Ranked #1 of Top Companies for Veterans - DiversityInc – 2022
• Ranked #7 of Top 25 Veteran Employers – Military.com - 2022

Day in the Life of a Proposal Writer

• You’ll interview candidates and SMEs, and engage with fellow contributors to develop proposal artifacts that are clear, concise, persuasive, compliant, and compelling
• You’ll ensure accurate content that is error free and aligned to RFx requirements, company process, capture strategies, and industry best practices
• You’ll peer review your teammates work, and ask them to review your work
• You may be a reviewer in our formal color reviews—sharing your crucial insight, knowledge, and expertise
• You’ll coach and mentor less experience writers
• You may be engaged in the earliest stages of capture strategy development

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA or BS degree or higher (or equivalent) in Journalism, English, Business, Information Technology, Communication Arts, or other relevant fields and 15+ years of solid Federal proposal writing experience. 13+ years of experience with a Masters Degree. An additional 4+ years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Experience providing full lifecycle, Federal proposal support, from content planning, template development, and writing and editing key sections (resumes, past performance, and narrative volumes), through submission.
• Must be a US Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI.

Desired:

• Experience with FEDSIM/AAS, OTA, and Self-Scoring bids a plus
• Be a champion of AI tools for quality improvements and efficiency
• Knowledge of infrastructure modernization, applications/software development and sustainment, cloud solutions, warfighter solutions, and agile methodologies for defense, civilian, space, and National security sectors of the federal government
  

Target salary range: $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.