Senior / Principal Capture Manager

University of Dayton Research Institute; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) in Dayton, Ohio, seeks an experienced Capture Manager to lead the strategy behind DoD and federal opportunities. You will work with technical experts, proposal professionals, contracts, pricing, and executive leadership to shape opportunities before they enter the formal proposal process and to position UDRI for a strong win posture.

The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of the federal acquisition environment, the ability to build relationships

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in BD, capture, program mgmt, proposals, or federal contracting.
• Experience shaping pricing strategy for competitive federal pursuits.
• Experience using GovWin, GovDash, SAM.gov, USAspending, FPDS, or similar tools.
• Knowledge of the federal acquisition lifecycle and procurement processes.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority.
• U.S. citizen able to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead capture activities for complex, competitive federal opportunities.
• Translate technical capabilities and customer relationships into focused, executable pursuit strategies.
• Collaborate with technical experts, business development, contracts, pricing, and leadership.
• Establish clear customer, competitor, solution, and win strategies before solicitation release.

Skills

Capture management

Business development

Proposal development

Pricing strategy

Federal contracting

Cross-functional leadership

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

GovWin

GovDash

SAM.gov

USAspending

FPDS

HigherGov

Job description

Position Summary

Lead Strategic Pursuits. Shape Winning Solutions. Drive Mission-Focused Growth.

Position Summary

Lead Strategic Pursuits. Shape Winning Solutions. Drive Mission-Focused Growth. Join UDRI as a Capture Manager and lead the strategy behind some of our most complex and competitive DoD and federal opportunities. In this high-impact role, you’ll work with technical experts, business development, proposal professionals, contracts, pricing, and executive leadership to help shape opportunities before they enter the formal proposal process, ensuring UDRI is well positioned by final RFP drop. The Capture Manager will lead capture activities for complex, competitive opportunities with federal government and other strategic customers, working across UDRI’s sectors and technical divisions, proposal management, contracts, pricing, and executive leadership. This position will help translate UDRI’s technical capabilities and customer relationships into focused, executable pursuit strategies designed to increase probability of win. The ideal candidate combines strong knowledge of the federal acquisition environment with the ability to build relationships, lead cross-functional teams, evaluate competitive positioning, and bring structure and discipline to opportunities before they enter the formal proposal process. Success will be demonstrated by the Capture Manager's ability to improve the maturity and competitive positioning of UDRI's strategic pursuits before solicitation release; establish clear customer, competitor, solution, and win strategies; strengthen cross-organizational pursuit planning; and increase UDRI's ability to make informed pursuit decisions and compete effectively for strategic growth opportunities.

The Institute has a tradition of research excellence with an uncompromising commitment to providing customers with quality products while maintaining the highest ethical standards. It is keenly aware that compliance with applicable laws and regulations is an essential condition for performing its business. Its commitment to compliance is based on providing a supportive environment, the integrity of its employees, and their support of the University’s policies and applicable laws and regulations of the United States.

Minimum Qualifications

Senior Level (P3):

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, science, communications, management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience, such as experience supporting business development, capture management, program management, proposal development, federal contracting, or related activities.
• Experience supporting pricing strategy for competitive federal pursuits, including consideration of customer budget, competitor positioning, contract type, cost drivers, and overall price-to-win strategy.
• Experience using federal market research and business development tools, such as GovWin, GovDash, SAM.gov, USAspending, FPDS, HigherGov, or comparable platforms, to conduct opportunity, customer, competitor, and market analysis.
• Experience supporting or leading competitive pursuits within the federal government contracting environment.
• Knowledge of the federal acquisition lifecycle and familiarity with solicitation types, contract vehicles, source-selection processes, and competitive procurements.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical, customer, competitive, and business information into an actionable pursuit strategy.
• Strong facilitation, communication, presentation, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic opportunities and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively with technical subject matter experts, senior leaders, business professionals, and external partners.
• Due to the requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a U.S. citizen and be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret security clearance, with eligibility for access to Special Access Programs (SAP), as required.

Principal Level (P4)

• Qualifications of the P3 Senior level and minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, including experience supporting business development, capture management, program management, proposal development, federal contracting, or related activities.

Preferred Qualifications

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

Senior Level (P3)

• 8 or more years of experience supporting federal government business development, capture, proposals, programs, or acquisition.
• Experience serving as Capture Manager or Capture Lead for complex federal opportunities.
• Experience pursuing Department of Defense opportunities, particularly with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, or other defense and research organizations.
• Experience with research and development, science and technology, engineering, advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, sustainment, or other technically complex government programs.
• Experience developing capture plans, competitive assessments, win strategies, Black Hat analyses, customer engagement plans, and teaming strategies.
• Experience with IDIQs, task-order competitions, BAAs, OTAs, or other federal acquisition mechanisms.
• Experience working in or with a university-affiliated research organization, nonprofit research organization, FFRDC, UARC, defense contractor, or similar research and technology environment.
• Formal training in Shipley, APMP, or another recognized business development/capture methodology.
• Active DoD security clearance.

Closing Statement

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973.