Senior Director Proposal Strategy

Maximus; Santa Fe (NM); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Maximus is seeking a Senior Director Proposal Strategy to lead the federal opportunity lifecycle, shaping compliant, high-scoring proposals for DoD, DHS, Treasury and other agencies. You will translate complex technical solutions into clear messaging and oversee end-to-end proposal development across multiple pursuits.

This hands-on leadership role requires strategic vision and direct execution, coaching teams, coordinating cross-functional partners, and ensuring timely, bid-quality submissions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• 12+ years of professional experience in federal proposals.
• 10+ years in federal proposal strategy or capture management.
• Strong FAR knowledge and federal procurement experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead proposal strategy from pre-RFP through submission.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to develop volumes.
• Coach teams for oral presentations.
• Ensure compliance with FAR and client requirements.
• Develop executive summaries and win themes.

Skills

Proposal strategy

Capture management

Federal procurement

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

APMP certification

Orals coaching

Writing & editing

MS Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Proposal automation platforms

AI-assisted writing tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Senior Director Proposal Strategy is a key leadership role responsible for developing and executing winning proposal strategies across the federal opportunity lifecycle. This position drives the development of compliant, compelling, and high-scoring proposals that align with customer requirements and organizational win strategies. This role supports multiple concurrent federal pursuits annually, including large-scale, multi-volume efforts across the Federal Government, such as DoW, DHS, Treasury, HHS, CMS, VA, etc.

In addition to leading proposal strategy, this role is expected to directly manage proposals end-to-end, ensuring compliant, high-quality submissions across all phases of the proposal lifecycle.

The Strategist translates complex technical and operational solutions into clear, persuasive messaging and visual narratives that differentiate the organization and maximize probability of win.

This is a hands-on role requiring both strategic vision and direct execution of proposal development activities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for managing the Bid Strategy & Oral Presentations to establish processes, procedures and departmental policies.
• Collaborate with proposal managers and section leads to craft compelling, compliant, and easy-to-score presentations.
• Lead the creation of talk tracts, scenario-based questions, and sample government questions.
• Provide expert coaching and training to teams preparing for federal oral presentations, ensuring they effectively communicate their value proposition.
• Conduct practice sessions, providing constructive feedback and strategies for improvement.
• Work closely with proposal teams, technical solutions teams, subject matter experts (SMEs), and the functional operations team to develop compelling and competitive proposal strategies, refine technical and operational solutions, ensure alignment with client requirements, and enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of oral presentations.
• Stay updated on best practices in federal orals coaching and incorporate new techniques and strategies into training sessions.
• Assess key presenters’ effectiveness, offering tailored advice to improve delivery, confidence, and audience engagement.
• Monitor performance of subordinates according to established monitoring standards; conduct performance appraisals, make decisions on personnel actions including hiring, firing, and disciplinary action.

• Lead proposal strategy development from pre-RFP through submission, ensuring alignment with win strategy, customer insights, and evaluation criteria
• Analyze RFx (RFI/RFP/RFQ) requirements, including Sections L and M, and translate into actionable guidance for proposal teams
• Develop and implement proposal messaging frameworks, including win themes, discriminators, value propositions, and ghosting strategies
• Facilitate storyboarding sessions and define structured proposal outlines and messaging blueprints
• Lead end-to-end proposal management for assigned pursuits, including schedule development, review coordination, volume integration, and final delivery
• Ensure compliance with all solicitation requirements (Section L/M), internal processes, and submission deadlines
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (capture, SMEs, writers, graphics) to produce cohesive, compelling proposal volumes
• Guide development of clear, compliant, and persuasive proposal content, ensuring alignment with approved strategy
• Serve as the central integration point across Business Development, Capture, Proposal Operations, Technical SMEs, and Graphics teams
• Partner with solution architects to conceptualize and refine technical solution graphics for both customer engagement and proposal use
• Lead development of executive summaries and other high-visibility sections
• Facilitate black hat reviews and develop competitive positioning strategies to counter known and anticipated competitor approaches
• Mentor and develop junior proposal staff, contributing to team capability growth and knowledge transfer
• Support opportunity qualification and early shaping activities in coordination with Capture Managers
• Ensure consistency of messaging, tone, and visual storytelling across all proposal volumes
• Support proposal execution, including schedules, color team reviews, and milestone adherence
• Drive continuous improvement of proposal strategy, processes, and content development practices

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field of study.
• 12+ years of relevant professional experience required.
• Minimum 10 years of federal proposal strategy and/or capture management experience, as part of a broader 15+ year federal business development career — or equivalent demonstrated record of leading winning proposals on large, complex federal pursuits
• Demonstrated knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and federal procurement processes
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Experience supporting large, complex federal pursuits (e.g., IT, BPO, or professional services)
• Strong analytical, writing, editing, and communication skills
• Ability to effectively collaborate across cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders
• Experience handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and accountability
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint); familiarity with proposal automation platforms and AI-assisted writing tools strongly preferred; working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite a plus
• APMP Certification (Practitioner or Professional preferred). Shipley Associates training or equivalent structured proposal certification
• Experience with orals/oral presentation coaching on major federal prusuits.
• Experience with GSA ASS/FEDSIM proposal responses.
• Experience supporting large-scale, multi-volume proposals (e.g., IDIQs, GWACs)
• Experience developing executive-level proposal content and presentations
• Experience implementing proposal best practices and process improvements

Maximus is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics.

Minimum Salary

$180,000

Maximum Salary

$210,000