Proposal Manager - Aerospace Manufacturing

Position Summary

Lead the development and submission of RFIs, RFQs, ROMs, and full multi-volume proposals across commercial aerospace and defense customers. This role requires a strong understanding of DFARS/FAR-driven proposal environments, the ability to collaborate closely with internal subject matter experts, and the capability to operate as a hands-on individual contributor within a manufacturing-focused organization. This position will initially function as a standalone proposal role, with the opportunity to grow into a broader sales and business development leadership position as the company scales.

What you will be doing:

• Own the end-to-end proposal lifecycle, from solicitation review through final submission
• Serve as the central point of contact for all proposal development activities
• Partner directly with internal SMEs (Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, etc.) to build an agile proposal team
• Develop and implement scalable proposal processes to support business growth
• Improve the speed, consistency, and competitiveness of proposal responses
• Collaborate with leadership on capture strategy, customer positioning, and opportunity qualification

What you need to qualify:

• 3+ years of Proposal Management experience in aerospace and/or defense
• Demonstrated experience with DFARS and FAR-compliant proposals, including RFIs, RFQs, and multi-volume submissions
• Strong understanding of manufacturing-centric proposals (e.g., build-to-print, design-to-spec, repair)
• Excellent writing, organizational, and deadline management skills
• Proven ability to work as a hands-on individual contributor
• Experience in small- to mid-sized defense contractors
• Familiarity with AS9100 manufacturing environments
• Exposure to international defense customers and export-controlled data (ITAR familiarity preferred)

Additional Characteristics for Success

• Experience building/managing proposal functions within a $30M–$150M aerospace/defense organization
• Hands-on experience managing RFIs and RFQs (not solely oversight)
• Strong collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams
• Ability to create structure and processes in evolving environments
• Interest in growing into a broader revenue, sales, or business development role
• Role is primarily office-based, with frequent collaboration across departments. Occasional international travel may be required to meet with customers and support business development activities

What's in it for you:

• Competitive salary
• Excellent benefits package
• Matching 401K plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Opportunity to grow into a director level role

DISCLAIMER: The compensation range represents a good faith estimate of what our client may pay for the position at the time of posting. Our client may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s gender or any other protected status.