Senior Proposal Manager

Aretum; Town of Vienna (WI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental &amp

Retirement Plan (401k)

Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&

Paid Time Off

Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)

Short Term & Long-Term Disability

Training & Development

Job summary

Aretum is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager to run the proposal process from draft to final submission for federal opportunities. You will lead writers, subject matter experts, pricing, and teaming partners to deliver fully compliant, clearly written proposals built around a winning strategy.

The role is hybrid in Vienna, VA, reporting to the Director of Proposals. Required 10+ years of federal proposal management, DoD/DHS/civilian agency experience, and active security clearance or eligibility.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in federal proposal management, including at least 5 years as proposal manager
• Experience guiding DoD, DHS, or civilian agency proposals, multi‑volume and teaming
• Knowledge of FAR, contract types, and federal acquisition processes (IDIQs, GWACs, task orders)
• Ability to convert SME input into clear, persuasive content
• Proven cross‑functional leadership under tight deadlines
• Proficiency with MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint/SharePoint
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent proposal experience
• U.S. work authorization; no sponsorship
• Experience with Shipley or similar capture and proposal methodologies
• APMP Foundation or Practitioner certification
• Experience with GovWin, SAM.gov, or proposal tools
• Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one

Responsibilities

• Run the proposal process from kickoff to submission
• Lead writers, SMEs, pricing, and teaming partners
• Analyze RFPs and build compliance matrices and outlines
• Set schedules, assign owners, and track deadlines
• Coordinate with pricing and contracts for a single story
• Shape the win with capture managers
• Lead color team reviews and ensure quality checks
• Support orals and evaluation responses
• Maintain reusable content libraries
• Conduct lessons‑learned after submissions
• Mentor proposal coordinators and writers
• Stay current on FAR/DFARS changes

Skills

Federal proposal management

Leadership of cross‑functional teams

Strong writing and editing

APMP certification

U.S. work authorization

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

GovWin

SAM.gov

Proposal automation platforms

Job description

Aretum delivers technology-enabled mission support to the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and civilian agencies, and we grow by winning work.

As our Senior Proposal Manager, you’ll run the proposal process for our priority pursuits, from draft RFP through final submission. You’ll lead writers, subject matter experts, pricing, and teaming partners to deliver proposals that are fully compliant, clearly written, and built around a winning strategy.

This is a hybrid role based in our Vienna, VA office, reporting to the Director of Proposals. Because Aretum is a federal contractor, you may handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and must follow applicable safeguarding requirements.

Responsibilities

• Run the proposal
• Manage proposals for federal opportunities from kickoff through submission, including RFIs, sources sought, task orders, and full-and-open competitions
• Analyze RFPs and build compliance matrices, annotated outlines, and response templates mapped to Sections L and M (or equivalent)
• Set and enforce schedules, assign volume and section owners, and keep writers, SMEs, and partners on track to deadlines
• Coordinate with pricing and contracts so the technical, management, past performance, and price volumes tell one consistent story
• Shape the win
• Partner with capture managers to turn win themes, discriminators, and customer insight into proposal strategy
• Lead color team reviews (Blue, Pink, Red, Gold), make sure feedback is resolved, and own final compliance and quality checks
• Support orals preparation and responses to evaluation notices, discussions, and final proposal revisions
• Build the function
• Maintain and grow a library of reusable content, past performance write‑ups, résumés, and templates
• Run lessons‑learned sessions after every submission and improve our proposal processes over time
• Mentor proposal coordinators and writers, and stay current on FAR/DFARS changes and evaluation trends

Requirements

• Required 10+ years of federal proposal management experience, including at least 5 years leading complex proposals as the proposal manager
• Track record managing proposals for DoD, DHS, or civilian agencies, including multi-volume responses and teaming arrangements
• Working knowledge of the FAR, contract types, and federal acquisition processes, including IDIQs, GWACs, and task order competitions
• Strong writing and editing skills, and the ability to turn input from technical SMEs into clear, persuasive content
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams under tight deadlines, often across several pursuits at once
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent proposal experience
• U.S. work authorization; sponsorship is not available
• Preferred Experience with Shipley or a similar capture and proposal methodology
• APMP Foundation or Practitioner certification
• Experience with tools such as GovWin, SAM.gov, or proposal automation platforms
• Active security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long-Term Disability
• Training & Development

EEO & Pay Transparency Statement Aretum is committed to fostering a workplace rooted in excellence, integrity, and equal opportunity for all. We adhere to merit‑based hiring practices, ensuring that all employment decisions are made based on qualifications, skills, and ability to perform the job, without preference or consideration of factors unrelated to job performance. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aretum complies with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws. We are proud to support our nation’s veterans and military families, providing career opportunities that honor their service and experience. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact our Talent Acquisition team for assistance. In compliance with Executive Order 13665, Aretum will not discharge or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing their own pay or that of another employee or applicant.

U.S. Work Authorization

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. This position does not offer sponsorship.

Salary Range: $120,000–$150,000 annually. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including education, experience, qualifications, skills, and applicable contract requirements.