Senior Proposal Writer

Agile Defense, LLC; McLean (VA); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Agile Defense, LLC in McLean, VA is seeking a Technical Solution Proposal Writer to translate technical designs into compelling proposal content and ensure compliance with solicitations. You will collaborate with Solution Architects and discuss win themes for clear communication across the proposal lifecycle.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of federal proposal experience, with IC/defense exposure, and a background as an analyst or investigative professional.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience developing proposal content for federal civilian and defense customers.
• Experience supporting proposals for Intelligence Community (IC) customers is highly desired.
• Professional background as an analyst or investigator in IC, law enforcement, or journalism is highly desired.
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Foreign Language, Communications, Business, Technical Writing, or related field is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop written proposal content including technical and management approaches.
• Work with SAs to translate designs into compliant proposal content.
• Interview SMEs to gather, synthesize, and refine input into polished narrative.
• Ensure proposal content complies with solicitation requirements and reflects win themes.
• Manage writing assignments across multiple bids and meet deadlines.
• Collaborate with proposal managers, graphics, and other team members.
• Edit and refine content for clarity, accuracy, and consistency.
• Apply Shipley/APMP-like best practices to produce customer-focused narratives.
• Participate in color team reviews (Blue, Pink, Red, Gold).

Skills

Technical writing

Federal proposals

Interviewing SMEs

Time management

MS Office

SharePoint

Salesforce

Invisible Thread

Education

Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Communications or related field

Shipley/APMP Practitioner training

SAFe Agile / ITIL v4 / Jira Essentials / CAPM certifications

Tools

MS Office Suite

SharePoint

Job description

About Agile Defense

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That's why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility-leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation's vital interests.

Requisition #: 1953

Job Title: Technical Solution Proposal Writer

Location: Hybrid, McLean, VA

Clearance Level: Secret, Must Have Ability to Obtain a Clearance

Job Description

The primary responsibility of this position is to act as a proposal writing counterpart to our team of Solution Architects (SAs). The TSWP helps SAs translate their technical expertise, knowledge, and bespoke solution artifacts into compliant, compelling proposal content. The TSPW should have a demonstrated aptitude for understanding technical concepts across industry, asking insightful questions to tease out the "why" and "how" and drive collection of information that will result in a successful proposal. Similarly, the TSWP also serves as a translator between BD/Capture and SAs to ensure win themes are infused into technical solutions and clearly communicated throughout the proposal for ease of evaluation. The ideal candidate is a professional self-starter, intelligent communicator, and collaborative leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop written proposal content including technical approaches, management approaches, and other narrative sections that require technical insight.
• Work closely with SAs to understand solution designs and articulate them via compliant, compelling proposal content.
• Interview/debrief SMEs across diverse technical domains to gather, synthesize, and refine raw technical input into polished narrative
• Ensure proposal content is compliant with solicitation requirements, aligns with win themes, and reflects a strong understanding of the customer mission
• Manage writing assignments in a prioritized manner across multiple bids and meet all deadlines
• Collaborate with proposal managers, graphics specialists, and other team members throughout the proposal lifecycle
• Edit and refine submitted content to ensure clarity, accuracy, consistency, and adherence to industry writing standards
• Apply industry best practices (e.g., Shipley, APMP) to produce structured, customer focused, and compelling proposal narratives
• Participate in color team reviews and activities (Blue, Pink, Red, Gold)

Education and Background

• Minimum of 7 years of experience developing proposal content for federal civilian and defense customers.
• Demonstrated experience supporting proposals for Intelligence Community (IC) customers is highly desired.
• Professional background as an analyst or collector in the IC, as an investigator for law enforcement, or as an investigative journalist is highly desired.
• A Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Foreign Language, Communications, Business, Technical Writing, or a related field is required.

Years of Experience

7+ years

Required Skills

• Demonstrated ability to convert complex technical material into clear, compelling written content.
• Proven experience writing technical and management approaches for federal proposals.
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure while managing multiple concurrent deadlines.
• Strong interviewing skills for gathering information from SMEs.
• Excellent written communication, organization, and attention to detail Proficient in MS Office Suite and SharePoint.
• Strong self-management with a proactive demeanor and commitment to problem-solving in a collaborative, positive manner.

Preferred Skills

• Active security clearance or ability to obtain a clearance.
• Shipley, APMP Practitioner, or other formal proposal management/writing methodology training.
• Certifications in SAFe Agile, ITIL v4, Jira Essentials or CAPM Certification.
• Experience with proposals for classified or IC customers.
• Familiarity with proposal collaboration tools and environments; i.e. SharePoint, Salesforce, Invisible Thread.

Working Conditions

Must be able to maintain core business hours with flexibility to work late nights and weekends, as required. This position requires attendance in office 2 days a week and the ability to travel to secure sites for evaluation of proposal documents as needed.

$145,000 - $175,000 a year

Our Core Values

Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.

• Happy - Be Infectious. Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.
• Helpful - Be Supportive. Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.
• Honest - Be Trustworthy. Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.
• Humble - Be Grounded. Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.
• Hungry - Be Eager. Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.
• Hustle - Be Driven. Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.