Proposal Manager

Ricardo Defense Inc

Proposal Manager leading high-quality, compliant proposals for Detroit Defense's growth. Collaborating across teams to ensure strategic alignment and technical capability in government contracts.

Posted 5/26/2026full-timeTroy • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $135,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Proactively and autonomously manage the full proposal lifecycle, including RFx analysis, outline and compliance matrix development, team coordination, content creation, reviews, and submission, ensuring adherence to schedules, quality standards, and Detroit Defense processes.
Analyze solicitations to determine requirements and develop compliant, strength-based proposal responses.
Partner and collaborate with business development and capture executives, portfolio management personnel, subject matter experts, account leads, and corporate business support services to develop and generate response approaches, strategies, themes, and discriminators.
Oversee the development and maintenance of proposal documentation (e.g., compliance matrices, outlines, assignments, schedules) using Detroit Defense tools and templates.
Coordinate with authors to ensure clear, concise, and compliant content aligned with win strategies and Detroit Defense solutions.
Apply storyboarding and other techniques to develop compelling, high-quality proposal content that showcases Detroit Defense's expertise aligned with government needs.
Lead and participate in proposal reviews to ensure quality, compliance, and responsiveness, incorporating Detroit Defense best practices.
Ensure proposal submissions comply with applicable instructions and company proposal best practices.
Demonstrate strong leadership by guiding and motivating team members, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Contribute to continuous improvement of Detroit Defense's proposal process by identifying gaps, inefficiencies, and recommending enhancements.
Participate in proposal debriefings and lessons learned sessions to gather feedback from customers and internal stakeholders.
Track proposal status and provide regular updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and timely communication throughout the post-submission phase.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s Degree and five years of proposal development, or ten years of proposal development experience in a government contracting environment in lieu of degree.
Must be able to obtain and maintain US Secret Clearance if required.
Proven ability to manage the full proposal lifecycle, from RFx analysis to submission in a federal procurement environment, ensuring adherence to schedules and quality standards.
Experience analyzing federal government issued solicitations and translate complex requirements into persuasive and compliant proposal content, highlighting Detroit Defense's strengths and differentiators.
Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills to manage and contribute to clear, concise, and compelling proposals.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including business development, capture managers, and technical experts.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), Experience with Document management and collaboration tools (SharePoint, MS Teams, Google Workspace, Box and other relevant electronic productivity tools (CRM (Salesforce, Capture Exec, GovWin IQ, GovTribe).
Experience with proposal management software (Visible Thread, PerfectIT, and AI tools: Claude, Co-Pilot, ChatGPT and Google Gemini)

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits
Company Paid Life and AD&D
Company Paid Short Term and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending & HSA Accounts
Legal & ID Shield Services
401k with Company Match
Paid Holidays
Paid Time Off (PTO)

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

proposal developmentRFx analysiscompliance matrix developmentcontent creationwritingeditingproject managementfederal procurementproposal management softwarestoryboarding

Soft Skills

leadershipcollaborationcommunicationorganizational skillstime-managementteam motivationproblem-solvingadaptabilityattention to detailstakeholder engagement

Certifications

Bachelor’s DegreeUS Secret Clearance