Proposal Manager – Federal Civilian Proposal Team Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in New Mexico.

📋 Description

• Collaborate with regional and business-line teams on key pursuits, RFQs, RFPs, and shortlist interviews.

• Promote communication and teamwork across proposal, marketing, client account, business-line, and regional teams.

• Mentor and guide direct reports as well as other members of the proposal team.

• Distribute workloads across the Federal portfolio and facilitate cross-skilling and upskilling initiatives.

• Oversee team performance and ensure the delivery of compliant, high-quality outputs.

• Track and report on progress for essential pursuits, including win strategies, positioning, proposal advancement, and leadership communications.

• Act as a color-team and/or compliance reviewer for critical pursuits.

• Lead team initiatives and special projects, focusing on process improvement and AI integration.

• Engage in strategic planning, marketing intelligence assessment, customer concern identification, issue analysis, and win-strategy formulation.

• Manage complex, priority must-win pursuits from the capture phase through to interviews.

• Create schedules, templates, content plans, annotated outlines, drafts, compliance matrices, and production plans.

• Write and edit executive summaries, resumes, experience/past-performance sections, management sections, and other non-technical proposal content.

• Take part in Go/No-Go decisions, capture strategy sessions, and greenlight evaluations.

• Ensure adherence to delegation-of-authority guidelines, capture planning, and positioning activities.

• Facilitate color-team and quality reviews and incorporate lessons learned.

• Implement revisions for proposals and presentations based on feedback from review teams.

• Review and support pursuits managed by other proposal managers and serve as a pink- and red-team reviewer.

• Conduct and evaluate debriefs and apply lessons learned.

• Provide strategic guidance and leadership on proposals assigned to others.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Marketing, or a related field, along with 8+ years of relevant experience—or a combination of education and experience equivalent.

• 3+ years of experience in people management.

• Proven track record in recruiting, developing, mentoring, and retaining talent.

• Familiarity with the Architecture/Engineering industry, particularly AECOM’s U.S. Federal clients, projects, teams, credentials, and competitors.

• Ability to assess effort levels, assign and balance workloads, lead diverse teams, and collaborate with Business Lines, Client Account Managers, and marketing leadership.

• Demonstrated success in leading complex, multi-discipline and/or multi-geography proposals valued at over $20 million.

• Strong understanding of proposal and presentation best practices.

• Experience in supporting positioning, client engagement, and business development processes.

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a strong command of grammar, tone, and style.

• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Photoshop.

• Advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Familiarity with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.

• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities with strong follow-through and attention to detail.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, diplomacy, discretion, and problem-solving abilities.

• U.S. citizenship is required.

• No sponsorship for U.S. work authorization will be provided now or in the future.

• APMP and/or SMPS certification is preferred.

• Knowledge of CRM systems; experience with Salesforce is preferred.

• 10+ years of proposal-related experience is preferred, ideally supporting U.S. Federal clients.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Life and AD&D insurance.

• Disability coverage.

• Paid time off.

• Leaves of absence.

• Voluntary benefits and perks.

• Flexible work options.

• Well-being resources.

• Employee assistance program.

• Business travel insurance.

• Service recognition awards.

• Retirement savings plan.

• Employee stock purchase plan.

• Relocation assistance and/or per diem are not offered.