Space Defense Proposal Architect

Lodestar; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity incentives

Unlimited PTO

401(k) retirement plan

Medical, vision and dental coverage

Job summary

Lodestar Space in Los Angeles, CA seeks an experienced technical proposal writer to translate complex space systems into compliant, evaluator-ready submissions for government and IC contracts. You will own RFx content, coordinate with engineering and business teams, and ensure timely, cohesive proposals across multiple opportunities.

You will collaborate with engineering and mission operations to extract input, maintain a content library, and apply FAR/DFARS requirements to deliver compelling

Qualifications

• 3 to 6 years of hands-on technical proposal writing for DoD, DoW, NASA, or IC.
• Experience writing for space systems, satellite tech, or defense software.
• Ability to decompose complex solicitations independently.
• Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS.
• Experience across RFPs, OTAs, CSOs, BAAs, and SBIRs.
• Exceptional written communication skills.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and self-reliance.

Responsibilities

• Own the writing of technical, management, and past performance volumes for prime and subcontractor submissions across DoD, DoW, NASA, IC, etc.
• Translate complex engineering concepts — orbital mechanics, autonomous systems architecture, machine vision, onboard edge computing, RPO, directed energy, etc. — into clear, compliant, evaluator-ready narrative.
• Write executive summaries, capability descriptions, technical approaches, staffing narratives, and past performance write-ups that are both compliant and compelling.
• Build and maintain a reusable proposal content library — boilerplate, capability sheets, past performance templates — that reduces per-submission workload over time.
• Perform thorough RFP decomposition — Section L, Section M, SOW, CDRLs, and all attachments — and produce compliance matrices and annotated outlines before writing begins.
• Track and enforce compliance across all volumes, ensuring every requirement is addressed, cross-referenced, and verifiable at submission.
• Apply working knowledge of FAR and DFARS to ensure submissions meet regulatory requirements without over-engineering the response.
• Flag solicitation ambiguities, conflicts, or requirement gaps early and raise them before they become submission-day problems.
• Work directly with Lodestar's technical team to extract input efficiently — structured interviews, architecture reviews, and targeted written Q&A rather than open-ended drafting requests.
• Coordinate inputs from Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Mission Operations to assemble complete, cohesive submissions on deadline.
• Support team reviews and incorporate feedback quickly without losing compliance or narrative coherence.
• Own proposal schedules, draft cycles, and submission logistics across multiple concurrent opportunities.

Skills

Proposal writing

Space systems

Solicitation analysis

FAR/DFARS

Acquisition vehicles

Written communication

Ambiguity tolerance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Political Science, Business, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

AI proposal tools

Job description

Lodestar Space in Los Angeles, CA seeks an experienced technical proposal writer to translate complex space systems into compliant, evaluator-ready submissions for government and IC contracts. You will own RFx content, coordinate with engineering and business teams, and ensure timely, cohesive proposals across multiple opportunities.

You will collaborate with engineering and mission operations to extract input, maintain a content library, and apply FAR/DFARS requirements to deliver compelling