Senior Capture Director - Defense Technology

Leidos; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 154,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an experienced senior leader to oversee capture management for DoD and federal opportunities. You will lead a team of capture professionals, shaping strategy, engaging customers, and guiding bids from qualification through execution.

This role requires deep expertise in capture lifecycle, teaming, and pricing, with a track record of large, competitive awards. A TS/SCI-eligible mindset and strong communication are essential for success in matrixed environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 15+ years of capture leadership experience.
• Progressive experience leading capture management across DoD or federal procurements.
• Experience leading individuals and cross-functional teams in matrixed environments.
• Proven record of winning large, highly competitive federal opportunities (>$200M).
• Experience capturing and winning manufacturing, production, or hardware programs.
• Strong leadership to mentor, develop, and evaluate talent.
• Strategic thinking, sound judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication, including capture artifacts and executive briefings.
• Experience across all capture lifecycle phases.
• Experience developing and negotiating teaming agreements.
• Familiarity with federal solicitation tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior leadership and oversight for capture management across a portfolio of DoD opportunities.
• Lead and manage a team of capture managers and ensure adherence to capture processes.
• Serve as capture lead or executive capture advisor for strategic pursuits.
• Mentor, develop, and evaluate capture professionals, building depth and succession.
• Drive capture planning, customer engagement, competitive analysis, pricing, teaming, and proposal execution.
• Partner with business area growth and P&L leaders on pipeline development, staffing decisions, and pursuit prioritization.
• Influence cross-functional teams to deliver integrated and compelling solutions.
• Develop and maintain trusted customer relationships and strong industry partnerships.
• Assess competitive landscapes and teaming environments to position Leidos for success.
• Support on-contract growth initiatives and follow-on capture opportunities.
• Make informed, timely decisions in dynamic environments.
• Champion continuous improvement in capture processes, tools, and best practices.

Skills

Leadership

Capture management

Team leadership

Customer engagement

Pricing strategy

Teaming

Proposal execution

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Decision-making

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Master's degree

Job description

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our communities. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

Key Responsibilities

Provide senior leadership and oversight for capture management activities across a portfolio of complex, high-value DoD opportunities. Lead and manage a team of capture managers, ensuring consistent execution of Leidos capture processes and adherence to business and ethical standards. Serve as capture lead or executive capture advisor for the most strategic and competitive pursuits. Mentor, develop, and evaluate capture professionals, building depth, capability, and succession within the capture organization. Drive capture discipline across opportunity qualification, capture planning, customer engagement, competitive analysis, pricing strategy, teaming, and proposal execution. Partner with business area growth and P&L leaders on pipeline development, staffing decisions, and pursuit prioritization. Influence and align cross-functional teams, including technical, program, pricing, contracts, and operations, to deliver integrated and compelling solutions. Develop and maintain trusted customer relationships and strong industry partnerships. Assess competitive landscapes and teaming environments to position Leidos for success. Support on-contract growth initiatives and follow‑on capture opportunities. Make informed, timely decisions in dynamic environments, often with incomplete information. Champion continuous improvement in capture processes, tools, and best practices.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 15+ years of experience or equivalent experience with extensive relevant experience leading capture efforts and teams for federal or defense programs

Progressive experience leading capture management activities across complex DoD or federal procurements

Demonstrated experience leading individuals and cross‑functional teams in matrixed environments

Proven record of success capturing and winning large, highly competitive federal opportunities, including single‑award pursuits exceeding $200M

Experience capturing and winning manufacturing, production, or hardware‑based programs, including development‑to‑production transitions or sustainment efforts

Strong leadership capability to mentor, develop, and evaluate talent while maintaining high performance standards

Demonstrated strategic thinking, sound judgment, and decision‑making skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills, including development of capture artifacts, proposals, and executive briefings

Demonstrated proficiency across all phases of the capture lifecycle, including opportunity qualification, customer engagement, competitive positioning, pricing strategy, teaming, and negotiations

Experience developing and negotiating teaming agreements

Familiarity with federal government solicitation tools and procurement environments

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree (MBA or technical master’s degree)

Significant experience leading people, teams, and complex capture efforts

Deep experience supporting DoD and federal procurement organizations

Experience with Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), including OTA‑based solicitations, consortia, and non‑traditional acquisition approaches

Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility

Ability to operate independently, influence without authority, and build strong working relationships across technical, programmatic, and executive teams

Security Clearance Requirement

Active DoD Secret clearance, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI

At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We’re not hiring followers. We’re recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail.

Original Posting

Original Posting: October 15, 2026 For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range

Pay Range: Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00 The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer includes (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment‑related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment‑related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.