Proposal Writer

Potomac Haven, Inc.; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional services firm is seeking a Proposal Writer to develop winning proposals for federal clients. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of experience in proposal writing, a strong understanding of federal processes, and a track record of success. Responsibilities include leading proposal development, analyzing requirements, and collaborating with experts. This role offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in a mission-driven organization based in McLean, Virginia.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in federal government proposal writing and management.
• High level of expertise in Microsoft Office 365, CoPilot and Adobe products.
• Understanding of FAR/DFAR regulations is necessary.
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule.
• Understanding of FAR/DFAR is necessary.
• Experience across IT management, software development, digital transformation, and program management.
• Proven proposal planning, organization, and compliant, winning responses.
• Excellent written and spoken communications; ability to motivate and collaborate.
• Ability to design and modify complex illustrations, visuals, and graphics; Copilot knowledge a plus.
• Strong writing/editing capability; synthesize and analyze material effectively.
• Self-motivated, work well independently and in teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with business development and subject matter experts to respond to proposals.
• Analyze solicitation requirements to ensure compliance.
• Lead proposal development lifecycle using Shipley methodology.

Skills

Proposal writing

Federal sector expertise

Technical translation

Microsoft Office 365

Adobe products

Clear persuasive storytelling

Translated complex tech to narrative

Excellent communications

Content development & editing

Independent & team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, English, Marketing, Journalism or Information Systems

Tools

Microsoft CoPilot

CoPilot

Adobe products

Job description

Description

Join a Mission-Driven Team Making a National and Global Impact.

Potomac Haven is a purpose-driven professional services firm that supports federal agencies across healthcare, financial services, and national security and defense missions. Our work advances government-wide priorities to modernize legacy systems, improve efficiency, and deliver simple, seamless, and secure services that strengthen public trust and outcomes.

We are currently seeking an experienced Proposal Writer (Information Technology and Healthcare) with a strong federal-sector background. The ideal candidate will bring a proven record of developing winning proposals and the ability to translate complex technical solutions into clear, compelling, and strategically aligned narratives that reflect agency mission goals and cross-cutting priorities such as software development, cybersecurity and zero trust, IT modernization, healthIT and responsible use of emerging technologies.

This role requires deep expertise applying Shipley-based methodologies to produce fully compliant, evaluation-ready proposals—including strong story flow, persuasive win themes, and consistent messaging that differentiates our approach while demonstrating measurable value to the Government.

In this role, you will:

• Collaborate closely with the business development, capture teams, and subject matter experts to review and respond to RFI's, RFPs and RFQs.
• Contribute to the creation of winning themes, executive summaries, and other business development materials.
• Translate complex business and technical requirements into clear, persuasive narratives that resonate with evaluators.

This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in the growth of a respected and rapidly expanding federal contractor. If you are passionate about crafting proposals that win and want to be part of a team that values excellence, innovation, and impact—we want to hear from you.

• Analyze Solicitation Requirements: Thoroughly review and interpret customer requirements, ensuring 100% compliance with all solicitation instructions, including FAR/DFAR regulations.
• Lead Proposal Development Lifecycle: Manage the end-to-end proposal process using tailored Shipley methodology - including proposal schedule development, team coordination, kickoff meetings, content development, compliance matrix preparation, data call management, and color team reviews.
• Collaborate with SMEs: Work closely with subject matter experts to distill complex business and technical information into accessible, solution-oriented content that resonates with evaluators.
• Develop Compelling Proposal Content: Participate in solution design sessions and translate business, operations and technical concepts into clear and concise, customer focused and persuasive storytelling content and utilize the structured writing process (POWeR).
• Craft Persuasive and Differentiated Content: Write, edit, and tailor proposal content to reflect win themes, competitive differentiators, and unique value propositions.
• Visual Communication: Design or refine graphics, illustrations, and visual elements that effectively convey technical approaches, key differentiators, and strategic messaging, in collaboration with solution architects and design teams.
• Enhance Readability and Impact: Apply best practices in proposal writing, including the use of action captions, win theme statements, and customer-centric language to improve clarity, engagement, and evaluator impact.
• Maintain a Strong Customer Focus: Ensure that every aspect of the proposal reflects a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, challenges, and goals, reinforcing Potomac Haven’s commitment to delivering tailored, mission-driven solutions.
• Ensure Quality and Compliance: Drive the development of high-quality, compliant, and customer-focused proposals by applying industry best practices and standardized processes. Maintain consistency in tone, structure, and messaging across all proposal sections.
• Facilitate Continuous Improvement: Provide regular progress updates, lead after-action reviews, and document lessons learned to enhance future proposal efforts.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, English, Marketing, Journalism or Information Systems preferred.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in federal government proposal writing and management, and deep knowledge and use of Shipley proposal management methodology and principles.
• High level of expertise and proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, CoPilot and Adobe products.
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedules.
• Understanding of FAR/DFAR is necessary.
• Experience with a wide range of technical subjects including information technology management, software development and support, digital transformation, strategic communication, program and operations management, grants administration and human capital management.
• Track record of successful proposal planning, organization, and development of compliant and winning proposal responses.
• Excellent communications (both written and spoken) including ability to motivate others and collaborate effectively.
• Ability to design, develop, and modify complex illustrations, visuals, and graphics. Knowledge and use of Microsoft CoPilot is a plus.
• Excellent writing/editing capability; ability to synthesize/analyze material effectively; experience writing/editing technical and non-technical documents.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently and in a team environment, including ability to organize, prioritize and work under pressure.

Work Schedule

• Onsite at McLean (Tysons Corner) at least 2-3 days per week.
• 8-hour shift during normal business hours of 8 am – 5 pm EST; Monday to Friday

More about Potomac Haven

We are an award-winning information technology and professional services firm recognized for delivering transformative solutions that drive mission success. Our strength lies in our diverse, multi-disciplinary teams—passionate professionals who bring deep expertise, agility, and dedication to every engagement.

We proudly serve a distinguished portfolio of federal clients, including the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, USAID, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), General Services Administration (GSA), Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)—among many others. Our mission is simple: to empower our customers to achieve their mission outcomes.