Director of Proposal Operations

About the role

Saalex Corporation is seeking a Director of Proposal Operations in Lexington Park, MD, Washington, DC, or Huntsville, AL. Saalex Corporation is a professional services company delivering engineering, information technology, logistics, training, cybersecurity, and mission support solutions to the Department of Defense and Federal Government. We are committed to providing innovative solutions, exceptional customer service, and mission-focused support to our customers while fostering a culture of employee growth, collaboration, and ownership.

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary Range

$160K-$200K (depending on experience)

Work Location: Hybrid remote/in-office

Essential Functions

• Lead the full proposal lifecycle, including proposal planning, development, review, production, submission, debriefs, and lessons learned.
• Direct the development of responses to requests for proposals, requests for information, Sources Sought notices, Other Transaction Authority opportunities, white papers, task orders, and other government solicitations.
• Partner with Business Development and Capture leadership to develop proposal strategies, win themes, discriminators, and customer-focused messaging.
• Establish and maintain enterprise proposal processes, templates, standards, style guides, and best practices.
• Manage proposal schedules, resource allocation, color-team reviews, production activities, and final submissions across multiple concurrent pursuits.
• Lead compliance reviews, Pink Teams, Red Teams, Gold Teams, White Glove reviews, oral presentations, technical demonstrations, and other evaluation activities.
• Ensure proposal responses comply with solicitation requirements, evaluation criteria, customer instructions, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement requirements.
• Lead and develop proposal managers, coordinators, writers, graphic designers, and other proposal support personnel.
• Develop training, career-development, and succession plans for proposal team members.
• Maintain proposal content libraries, past-performance repositories, resume databases, and reusable proposal materials.
• Participate in capture planning, readiness assessments, gate reviews, and bid/no-bid discussions.
• Collaborate with Pricing, Contracts, Operations, and functional leadership to develop integrated, executable solutions.
• Support complex pursuits for Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Federal Civilian customers.
• Conduct win/loss assessments, debrief analyses, and lessons-learned activities to improve future proposal performance.
• Develop proposal metrics, dashboards, and performance analytics.
• Oversee proposal technologies, collaboration platforms, content-management systems, and automation capabilities, including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and AI-enabled proposal tools.
• Partner with Information Technology to support the responsible, secure, and compliant use of proposal technology.
• Identify and mitigate proposal risks while maintaining submission schedules, quality standards, and compliance requirements.
• Other duties as assigned or required.

Requirements & Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of Federal proposal management experience, including at least 5 years leading proposal teams or proposal operations.
• Demonstrated success managing winning Department of Defense and Federal Government proposals.
• Strong knowledge of Federal acquisition processes, solicitation compliance, FAR, and DFARS requirements.
• Experience supporting complex contract vehicles, task orders, and competitive procurements.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and project management skills.
• Experience with proposal management, collaboration, and content management tools.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority pursuits in a fast-paced environment

Desired

• Master's degree in a related discipline.
• APMP and/or Shipley certification.
• Experience supporting Navy, Department of Defense, or Federal Civilian customers.
• Experience with OTAs, CSOs, GSA Schedule opportunities, or other alternative acquisition approaches.

Education and Years of Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least 10 years of progressive Federal Government proposal management experience with at least 5 years of proposal team or proposal operations leadership experience required.

Security Clearance

Must be eligible to obtain a Secret clearance. Requirements to obtain a clearance include U.S. citizenship, a security investigation, and other applicable requirements.

Benefits & Perks

• Employer Paid Health Care Plans for Employees & Family
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Wellness Resources
• Stock Option Benefit