Senior Proposal Manager

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country’s most challenging technical problems.    All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.  

Riverside Research is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager to lead enterprise‑level proposal operations in Fairfax, Virginia. This role serves as the organization’s most senior proposal professional, responsible for planning, directing, and executing complex, multi‑volume proposal efforts for large‑scale lifecycle acquisitions, enterprise IDIQ vehicles, and high‑visibility task order competitions. The Senior Proposal Manager will oversee the full proposal lifecycle, shape proposal strategy in partnership with business development and capture leadership. They will oversee and lead the proposal team to ensure consistent, compliant and competitive submissions across the enterprise.

This leader will coordinate and integrate activities across Riverside Research’s research and development (R&D) and mission assurance business units, and across all corporate service centers including finance, procurement, contracting, security, IT, facilities, business development, human resources, recruiting, and program management. Responsibilities span proposal planning and resourcing, solution and volume development, color team execution, and post‑submission activities including EN responses, and orals preparation.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience managing complex Federal Government proposal efforts, including large DOD and Intelligence Community (IC) R&D, engineering, mission assurance, and enterprise‑level acquisitions. Candidates should have a proven record of developing proposal strategies, leading multi‑discipline teams, managing proposal managers and writers, and producing compliant, compelling, and fully integrated proposal products. A minimum of fifteen years of experience in proposal strategy development, proposal management, and proposal writing for formal Federal solicitations is required; significantly deeper experience leading large, complex pursuits is strongly preferred.

• →Proposal Team Formation - Lead the identification and assignment of proposal teams by analyzing pre‑solicitation and solicitation artifacts (historic RFPs, DRFPs, industry day materials, Q&A matrices, amendments) to determine resource requirements and align technical, management, financial, contracting, IT, facilities, security, HR, graphics, and recruiting stakeholders to the pursuit.
• →Solution & Strategy Development - Partner with capture leadership to shape and refine R&D and mission‑assurance solutions, organizing key technical and management points into coherent strategies, win themes, strengths with evidence, discriminators, value propositions, differentiators, competitive ghosting opportunities, and integrated volume messaging for DOD and IC solicitations.
• →Proposal Strategy Leadership - Direct proposal strategy development by determining which BD and capture outputs evolve into core proposal messages, refining strengths and weaknesses, and elevating the most resonant capture insights into focused, defensible win themes across all volumes.
• →Proposal Management Planning - Develop comprehensive proposal management plans by integrating capture artifacts, structuring solution storyboards, and preparing formal response frameworks for RFIs, Sources Sought notices, RFPs, and prototype proposal requests.
• →Compliance Management - Oversee formal and expanded compliance matrices to guide section development, identify compliance gaps, and support disciplined milestone reviews including pink, red, gold, and executive compliance checks.
• →Price‑to‑Win Integration - Support PTW strategy development by analyzing solicitation requirements, customer budgets, historical pricing, competitor tendencies, and should‑cost perspectives, ensuring alignment between technical solutioning, competitive positioning, and pricing strategy.
• →Teaming Strategy Development - Lead teaming strategy planning by evaluating historical data, industry outreach, and solicitation requirements to determine subcontracting and small business goals, shaping teaming constructs that strengthen Riverside’s solution and initiating and formalizing teaming discussions and agreements.
• →Proposal Schedule Leadership - Build, publish, and manage comprehensive proposal schedules covering all requirements, stakeholders, internal and customer milestones, stand‑ups, executive updates, Gate 4/Gate 5 reviews, Q&A cycles, kickoff, partner engagements, color team reviews (black hat, pink, red, gold, green, white glove, white hat), internal approvals, and final submission.
• →Knowledge & Version Control Management - Oversee proposal knowledge management and version control using enterprise IT tools (e.g., R3 WinCenter, MS Teams, classified/unclassified share environments) to ensure disciplined configuration control across all volumes.
• →Document Quality & Compliance Review - Responsible for the overall quality and compliance of the submitted proposal. Provide senior‑level review to ensure proposal content progresses through Shipley‑aligned development stages with increasing compliance, clarity, and evaluative strength.
• →Production & Submission Oversight - Lead planning and execution of proposal production and submission activities by coordinating all Section L requirements, ensuring complete, compliant, and timely delivery of all volumes and artifacts.

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in Federal Government proposal management, strategy development, and lifecycle proposal operations supporting DOD and/or Intelligence Community acquisitions; bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred. 12 years of direct proposal management experience if in possession of Master’s Degree.
• At least 2 years of experience applying formal proposal management methodologies supported by certifications such as APMP Practitioner or Professional, PMI, or PMP (Foundational‑level acceptable; higher‑level strongly preferred).
• Deep knowledge of proposal lifecycle standards and best practices (Shipley, APMP, PMI), including compliance management, solution development, volume integration, color team execution, and production.
• Demonstrated success leading proposal strategy, planning, development, and production for complex, multi‑volume solicitations, including large IDIQ vehicles, enterprise task order competitions, and full lifecycle R&D or mission‑assurance procurements.
• Demonstrated success developing and presenting oral proposals
• Demonstrated success establishing trusted working relationships with technical staff, leaders, and peers, as well as outside organizations.
• Demonstrated success managing large scale, complex, high dollar value programs/efforts.
• Demonstrated success working with and leading large teams including team members from other organizations.
• Possesses analytical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple project tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Security Clearance— Active Top Secret clearance required; TS/SCI strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel to support efforts across the organization.
• U.S. Citizenship required.

$165,900- 243,100 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

  Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring.  Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees. Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran’s status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.