Proposal Manager

Job Summary
The Proposal Manager is responsible for leading and managing the end-to-end proposal development process to support the organization’s business development and sales objectives. This role involves coordinating cross-functional teams, developing compliant and compelling proposals, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality submissions that align with customer requirements and company objectives.

Business proposals to customers are often in response to requests for information (RFI), requests of materials (ROM), requests for proposal (RFP), and requests for quotation (RFQ); but can also, in some instances, be the result of unsolicited actions initiated by the organization to expand its chances of winning new business.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and skilled in managing multiple simultaneous proposals under tight deadlines. He/she possesses strong communication, writing, and leadership skills, with the ability to translate technical and operational information into persuasive, customer-focused content.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop proposal plans, outlines, compliance matrices, and schedules based on priorities defined by opportunity size, win potential, and other criteria.
• Conduct bid/no bid meetings to collaboratively evaluate opportunities and decide whether to submit proposals to pursue them; kickoff meetings to create a common understanding for the proposal team about the opportunity and what is needed to win it; and final review meetings to evaluate final proposals and gain management approval for their release.
• Lead and coordinate with cross-functional proposal teams, including Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Operations, and Finance to gather necessary information and input to create proposals.
• Draft, edit, and proofread proposal content, ensuring it is accurate, compliant, and persuasive. This includes managing proposal templates and brand compliance.
• Ensure the final proposal meets all the requirements and customer needs, from format and page count to providing all information clearly and accurately.
• Manage the final submission process and follow up with Business Development team to answer questions or address concerns from customers.
• Conduct debriefing sessions after submission to gather feedback and identify lessons learned to improve future proposals.
• Maintain a library of reusable content, past proposals, and best practices for future reference.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong ability to prioritize activities, create schedules, manage multiple proposals concurrently, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with various departments and stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for drafting and editing persuasive content.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure compliance and quality.

• Working knowledge of pricing and profitability management.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office especially in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Proficiency in relevant software and proposal management tools.
• Working knowledge of ERP systems – NetSuite is highly preferred.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in engineering.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in Sales, Marketing, or Sales Support.
• Prior experience in proposal management for competitive bids, preferably in aerospace and defense industry, is highly desirable.
• APMP certification is desirable.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, see, and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to pick up, handle, feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Office environment with temperature control. May be exposed to chemicals related to the manufacturing process. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

About the Company
Spectra Defense Technologies is a trusted and rapidly expanding group of defense electronics companies that provides a comprehensive range of high-performance technologies for demanding national security needs across various domains—air, sea, land, and space.
Argon designs, manufactures, and services rugged displays, tablets, mission computers, and peripherals for military application.
Our mission is to engineer and deliver ruggedized systems for data acquisition, computing, and visualization – built to perform in the most demanding environments.
Our vision is to be the #1 trusted source for rugged, secure defense electronics and avionics products worldwide.

Spectra Core Values:

These are deeply ingrained principles that guide all our actions and serve as the cornerstone of our culture:

Integrity in Every Action – We stand by our word, follow through on our commitments, and act with honesty, always.

Purpose-Driven Partnership – We listen first, collaborate deliberately, and work shoulder to shoulder with customers and teammates to solve what matters most.

Excellence Through Expertise – We bring rigor, precision, and decades of technical knowledge to everything we build because lives and missions depend on it.

Spectra provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.