Strategic Defense Proposal Writer

Forterra; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium Healthcare Benefits

Life/AD&D and Disability Insurance

7 weeks paid parental leave

20 days PTO per year

Job summary

Forterra in Arlington, VA seeks a skilled Proposal Writer to develop winning government- and defense-facing content. You will partner with capture, growth, and technical teams to translate complex inputs into clear, persuasive proposals and related business development materials.

This role requires collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience in proposal writing, proposal development, business development writing, technical writing, or federal/defense communications.
• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to turn complex inputs into clear and persuasive content.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, Department of Defense, or federal contracting pursuits.
• Familiarity with proposal development and business development materials such as RFIs, sources sought, white papers, and solution briefs.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple assignments under deadline.
• Ability to work effectively with technical, business, and executive stakeholders.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to interview contributors and synthesize disparate inputs.
• Ability to balance compliance, clarity, and persuasiveness in written responses.
• High degree of ownership, responsiveness, and problem-solving ability.

Responsibilities

• Write, edit, and refine proposal content for U.S. Government and defense opportunities
• Support development of a broad range of business development materials, including: RFI responses, Sources Sought responses, Solution briefs, White papers, Capability statements, Executive summaries, and other materials
• Translate technical, operational, and programmatic inputs into clear, compelling, and customer-focused written responses
• Work with capture and growth teams to develop win themes, discriminators, and messaging that align with customer priorities
• Interview subject matter experts and cross-functional contributors to gather content and convert it into polished written products
• Ensure written materials are accurate, compliant, and aligned with solicitation or customer requirements
• Support proposal content development through storyboarding, outlining, drafting, editing, and incorporating review feedback
• Help tailor messaging and content to specific customers, missions, and opportunity strategies
• Maintain and improve reusable content libraries, templates, and writing standards
• Contribute to continuous improvement of proposal and business development writing processes, tools, and best practices

Skills

Proposal writing

Technical writing

Editing

Storytelling

Interviewing contributors

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Forterra in Arlington, VA seeks a skilled Proposal Writer to develop winning government- and defense-facing content. You will partner with capture, growth, and technical teams to translate complex inputs into clear, persuasive proposals and related business development materials.

This role requires collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.