Proposal Specialist (US)

DroneShield; Warrenton (VA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

DroneShield seeks a Proposal Specialist to own select proposal responses—RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, and other opportunities—across US defence and security markets in support of regional Commercial Directors.

Ability to work several days per week from Warrenton, VA, HQ is preferred, with remote work considered for the right candidate. This role is ideal for a strategic doer who can manage a proposal response end-to-end.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of hands-on experience in technology proposal development, preferably in defense or aerospace.
• Familiarity with defense procurement processes.
• Strong writing, editing and content structuring skills.
• Excellent organizational and stakeholder management under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Consult with Commercial Directors on inbound opportunities.
• Own full lifecycle of proposal responses from RFP to submission.
• Lead writing across technical, management and executive sections.
• Coordinate inputs from SMEs, legal, finance and engineering.
• Establish proposal plans, timelines and review cycles.
• Run internal reviews and incorporate feedback.
• Build a library of reusable content and boilerplate.

Skills

Proposal development

Technical writing

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Microsoft Office

Tools

SharePoint

Teams

Job description

Work withcutting edgeAI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some ofworld’smost challenging technical problems in the rapidly growingcounter-dronesector.

Our customersoperatein some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world, including militaryorganisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement. Protecting airspace in these settings requires technology that performs under pressure and teams that understandwhat’sat stake. At DroneShield, employees work at the leading edge ofcounter-drone innovation, helping to address real-world security challenges as drone threatscontinue to evolveglobally.

With one of the largest listeddefencecompany marketcapitalisationsin Australia, now part of the ASX200 index, DroneShield is experiencing a period of hypergrowth. Revenue has surged from A$57 million in 2024 to over A$217 million in 2025,representingrecord profitability and cashflow. The total addressable global market forcounter-droneis assessed at approximately$100 billion, andis currently at the nascent stage with much of the growth still tocome, with DroneShield well positioned as a global market leader, and the only public listed pure-play business in this sector.

Thecompany has grown from 11 employees in 2017 to over 450 staff globallytoday, andis on track to reach around 550 by the end of2026. This expansion includes investment of over A$50 million annually in R&D, a global pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, andcontinuous scaling of production capacity to meet accelerating demand.

The role is based atDroneShield’scentral Sydney headquarters. Overseas on-the-ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Netherlands, Denmark,Mexicoand Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70countries worldwide.

About the role

DroneShield seeks a Proposal Specialist to own select proposal responses—including RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, and others—across US (and sometimes international) defence and security markets in support of regional Commercial Directors.

Ability to work several days per week from our Warrenton, VA, US headquarters is preferred, although remote work will be considered for the right candidate.

This role is ideal for a strategic doer—someone comfortable managing a proposal response while writing the bulk of it.

You will collaborate closely with sales, engineering, legal, finance, and executive stakeholders. You will manage inputs across cross-functional teams to develop compelling, high-quality, compliant proposals. This is a hands-on role suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering winning bids.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations

• Consult and collaborate with Commercial Directors in vetting and critically evaluating inbound opportunities.
• Own and manage the full lifecycle of proposal responses from initial RFP review to final submission—including internal gating reviews, compliance, scheduling, content development, and delivery.
• Lead the writing effort, developing high-quality narrative content across technical, management, and executive sections.
• Coordinate inputs from subject matter experts, commercial, legal, finance, and engineering to deliver complete and compliant submissions.
• Establish and manage proposal plans, timelines, response matrices, and internal review cycles.
• Run internal reviews and incorporate feedback to improve response quality continually.
• Contribute to building and maintaining a library of reusable content, templates, past performance examples, and standard boilerplate.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• 2+ years of hands-on experience in technology proposal development, preferably in defense, aerospace, or dual-use sectors.
• Familiarity with defense and/or government procurement.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and structuring skills—you’re confident developing core content yourself.
• Outstanding independent organizational and project management skills—you can autonomously manage internal and external stakeholders and multiple bids simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Skilled at working cross-functionally with local and remote technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience with defence industrial participation (offset) programs is highly desirable, including the ability to assess offset obligations, develop industrial participation strategies, model offset credit requirements, engage with local industry partners, and support compliance reporting for government defence procurements in Europe and other international markets.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and document collaboration tools (e.g., SharePoint, Teams).

Compensation

The anticipated salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but not limited to relevant experience, skills, certifications and location. This hire will be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance.