Senior Proposal Writer

Mettle Ops; Madison Heights (MI); On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Mettle Ops is seeking a Senior Proposal Writer in Madison Heights, MI to lead and coordinate the development of compliant, compelling, and competitive responses to federal, state, and commercial solicitations. The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of government contracting experience within manufacturing, engineering services, or defense-related industries.

The role sits on the business development team and will manage the proposal lifecycle from opportunity identification through

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Business, Marketing, Communications, English, Engineering, Technical Writing, or a related field.
• Ten years of proposal coordination, proposal management, or technical writing experience for government contracts.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, engineering services, defense contracting, aerospace, or technical service organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead proposal development from solicitation release to final submission.
• Develop compliance matrices, outlines, schedules, and submission plans.
• Coordinate activities among engineering, manufacturing, quality, operations, contracts, and leadership.
• Manage proposal calendars, reviews, milestones, and submission requirements.
• Prepare and format technical, management, and past performance narratives.
• Convert multi-author content into a cohesive, single voice response.
• Maintain proposal databases and content libraries.

Skills

Team collaboration

Technical writing

Government procurement

Adobe CC

MS Word

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, English, Engineering, Technical Writing, or a related field.

Tools

Adobe CC

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

About the Organization Mettle Ops is a woman-owned business experienced in defense program management, federal acquisitions, business development, engineering, analysis, reporting, and risk management with the mission of helping soldiers survive on the battlefield. Through transparency and grit, Mettle Ops delivers multidisciplinary, comprehensive Department of Defense engineering solutions to government and industry partners on a national scale with a mission to build business based on a philosophy of hard work and dedication. Mettle Ops believes they have a high obligation to the warfighter, their home state of Michigan, their customers, their employees, their faith, and their place on this earth. Mettle Ops is inspired by courage and tenacity and so-named Mettle Ops.

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Description

Mettle Ops is seeking an experienced Senior Proposal Writer to lead and coordinate the development of compliant, compelling, and competitive responses to federal, state, and commercial solicitations. The successful candidate will have no less than ten (10) years of experience supporting government contracting pursuits within manufacturing, engineering, technical services, or defense-related industries.

This position serves as a key member of the business development team and will manage the proposal lifecycle from opportunity identification through submission. This key position will collaborate with procurement, engineering, manufacturing, program management, quality, and executive leadership teams to develop proposals, capability statements, qualification packages, and other business development materials supporting strategic growth objectives.

The ideal candidate possesses a strong understanding of government procurement processes, solicitation requirements, proposal best practices, and compliance standards, including FAR and DFARS requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead proposal development efforts from solicitation release through to final submission.
• Review solicitation documents and develop compliance matrices, proposal outlines, schedules, and submission plans.
• Coordinate proposal activities among engineering, manufacturing, quality, operations, contracts, and executive stakeholders.
• Manage proposal calendars, draft reviews, milestone deadlines, and submission requirements.
• Analyze RFPs, RFQs, and other procurement documents to ensure complete compliance with customer requirements.
• Prepare, edit, and format technical, management, and past performance narratives.
• Convert multi-author content into a cohesive, customer-focused, single-voice response.
• Coordinate collection of technical information, resumes, certifications, project descriptions, and past performance references.
• Maintain proposal databases, content libraries, capability statements, and corporate qualifications materials.
• Support capture planning and opportunity pursuit activities prior to solicitation release.
• Prepare capability statements, presentations, and supporting business development materials.
• Review and integrate graphics, process diagrams, manufacturing capabilities, production data, charts, and technical illustrations.
• Ensure consistency with corporate branding and proposal standards.
• Submit proposals through government portals and electronic procurement systems as required.
• Capture lessons learned and maintain proposal metrics to support continuous improvement.

Work Environment

This position operates in-office in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment supporting federal government and defense manufacturing opportunities. This role requires close collaboration with technical, engineering, production, and executive teams while managing multiple proposal efforts under demanding schedules. The successful candidate must demonstrate professionalism, adaptability, attention to detail, and the ability to consistently produce high-quality, compliant proposal submissions.

Position Requirements

Required Skills

• Ability to work on a team
• Exceptional technical writing and editing abilities.
• Strong understanding of government procurement terminology and contracting processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe CC, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong document formatting and production capabilities.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple proposal efforts simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to interact in a professional manner with executive leadership, engineers, manufacturing personnel, and customers.
• High degree of attention to detail and accuracy.

Preferred Technical Skills

• Familiarity with manufacturing or engineering terminology and processes
• Understanding of U.S. Government procurement procedures and proposal requirements
• Knowledge of customer service principles and quality standards
• Experience with Adobe CC and MS Office for document layout, formatting, and integration
• Proposal management and preparation processes
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes, machining, fabrication, engineering design, prototyping, and production operations is a bonus

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, English, Engineering, Technical Writing, or a related field.
• Minimum ten (10) years of proposal coordination, proposal management, or technical writing experience supporting government contracts.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, engineering services, defense contracting, aerospace, industrial, or technical service organizations.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating responses to RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, SETA, and IDIQ task order opportunities.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent proposal efforts with strict deadlines.
• Advanced writing, editing, proofreading, and document management skills.

Preferred

• Experience supporting DoD, US Army, USAF, NAVFAC, DLA, MDA, GSA, DOE, or other federal agencies.
• Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, SAM.gov, PIEE, and federal acquisition processes.
• Experience with proposal preparation software including Adobe and MS Office.

Key Competencies

• Technical: Research and information gathering, data analysis and verification, document production and records management, design and formatting of professional documents
• Interpersonal: Collaborative teamwork, relationship building, effective oral and written communication with internal and external stakeholders, social perceptiveness in understanding audience needs
• Professional: Sound judgment and decision-making, creative problem-solving, self-directed learning and professional development, service-oriented mindset, persuasive communication

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Senior Proposal Coordinator in Madison Heights, MI

Posted on: 9/10/2026