Senior Proposal Manager II

Rocket Lab Corporation; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab Corporation is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager II based in Tucson, AZ to lead compliant, high-impact proposals for US and international customers, with a focus on satellite opportunities. You will drive proposal strategies, content development, and cross-functional collaboration to win new business.

You will coordinate with engineering, finance, and legal teams, manage timelines, and deliver polished submissions while documenting lessons learned for continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in technical, management, or business discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in proposal management.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Demonstrated success leading proposals with values greater than $100 million.
• Technical writing expertise, translating complex technical information into clear, concise language.
• Project management experience managing multiple projects and deadlines.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams to achieve proposal objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute proposal plans, including analyzing RFPs, outlines, and compliance matrices.
• Collaborate with BD Manager/Director to craft winning proposal strategies and messaging.
• Write and manage compliant, high-quality proposals addressing RFP requirements.
• Take responsibility for specific volumes of proposals, ensuring they are well-written and aligned with the overall strategy.
• Lead proposal kick-off meetings and regular check-ins to meet timelines.
• Coordinate with internal teams (engineering, finance, legal) to gather and refine content.
• Create and manage proposal templates, reusable content, and visuals (charts, tables, infographics).
• Conduct quality assurance reviews for grammar, consistency, and formatting.
• Oversee final production and submission, ensuring timely delivery and compliance.
• Document lessons learned and recommend process improvements for future proposals.
• Support travel as needed (~10%).

Skills

Proposal management experience

Technical writing

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in technical, management, or business discipline

Tools

Salesforce

SharePoint

Job description

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Rocket Lab’s Business Development team is responsible for connecting customers across government and commercial sectors with our industry leading mission solutions spanning launch and space systems. They work closely with new and existing customers to understand their needs and develop tailored solutions to deliver their missions. Building and maintaining relationships with customers and internally with engineering and operations teams is at the core of our Business Development team. They have their fingers on the pulse of the space industry and are driven to deliver results for our customers and our business.

SENIOR PROPOSAL MANAGER II

Based out of Rocket Lab's site in Tucson, AZ, theSenior Proposal Manager plays a key role in creating compliant and compelling business proposals that win new business with US and international customers. This role primarily supports the Space Systems Business Development team, with a specific focus on satellite opportunities.

WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:

• Develop and execute proposal plans, including analyzing RFPs, creating outlines, and building compliance matrices.
• Collaborate with the Business Development Manager and/or Director to craft winning proposal strategies and develop compelling messaging.
• Write and manage compliant, high-quality proposals that clearly address RFP requirements.
• Take responsibility for specific volumes of proposals, ensuring they are well-written, compliant, and align with the overall strategy.
• Lead proposal kick-off meetings and facilitate regular check-ins with contributors to ensure timelines are met.
• Coordinate with internal teams (such as engineering, finance, legal) to gather and refine content for proposals.
• Create and manage proposal templates, reusable content, and visual elements (charts, tables, and infographics).
• Conduct quality assurance reviews for grammar, consistency, and formatting to ensure polished submissions.
• Oversee final production and submission, ensuring proposals are delivered on time and meet customer requirements.
• Document lessons learned, and recommend process improvements for future proposals.
• Support travel as needed (~10%).

YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in technical, management, or business discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in proposal management.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Demonstrated success leading proposals with values greater than $100 million.
• Technical writing expertise, with a proven ability to translate complex technical information into clear, concise, and persuasive language tailored to different audiences.
• Project management experience, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meeting deadlines while ensuring high-quality deliverables.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams to achieve proposal objectives.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Active U.S. security clearance.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.
• Experience using tools such as Salesforce and SharePoint.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to balance and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Background in organizational effectiveness and operations, implementing best practices.
• Experience with proposal frameworks and methodologies.
• Familiarity with industry-standard proposal processes such as Shipley or APMP.
• Familiarity with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
• Aerospace or defense industry experience, with a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, customer base, and technology trends in the aerospace or satellite industry.
• Ability to effectively present proposal concepts and strategies to internal stakeholders, including team members and leadership.
• Proven ability to build relationships with internal stakeholders, including engineers, leadership, and cross-functional team members.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

WHAT TO EXPECT

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Rocket Lab Corporation’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.