Senior Proposal Manager

Senior Proposal Manager

Fort Worth, Texas; Marietta, Georgia; Palmdale, California

What You Will Be Doing

The Senior Proposal Manager leads the LM Aeronautics (Aero) competitive Proposal Operations organization, with responsibility for team leadership, process execution, and capability development across multiple sites. This role is instrumental in driving proposal excellence by overseeing staff, processes, training, and the successful execution of complex, high-visibility capture efforts.

The position also plays a key role in advancing 1LMX and proposal-related transformation initiatives, ensuring effective deployment, adoption, and continuous improvement of tools and processes across Aero. Working closely with Business Development (BD) and Capture Management leadership, the Senior Proposal Manager ensures that proposal strategies are aligned with program objectives and positioned for success in highly competitive environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Aero Proposal Operations organization, including staff, processes, training, and performance across three geographic sites
• Drive execution of competitive proposals, including complex, strategic "must win" campaigns requiring a high degree of ingenuity
• Collaborate with Business Development (BD) and Capture Management leadership to implement resource-effective Proposal Plans using tools such as OppHub
• Support development of Win Strategy and Capture Plans, ensuring alignment with Program Strategy and BD Win Plans
• Ensure proposals effectively incorporate persuasive themes, discriminators, and customer-focused benefits and proofs
• Ensure all proposals are compliant with solicitation requirements (RFP, RFI, BAA, CRAD, PRDA)
• Implement and manage Aero's Proposal Process using advanced concepts, best practices, tools, and automation tailored to specific campaigns and customers
• Support content development, including authoring text and graphics, and driving compelling proposal storylines
• Establish and lead color team reviews (e.g., Pink/Red) in coordination with Program Managers/Campaign Leads, ensuring feedback is effectively incorporated
• Participate in and support "must win" reviews and executive-level proposal evaluations
• Lead post-submittal activities including Evaluation Notices (ENs), Best and Final Offers (BAFO), oral presentations, and lessons learned
• Capture and analyze team and process performance metrics, reporting insights and driving continuous improvement initiatives
• Provide regular status updates and insights to senior leadership
• Balance team workloads, assignments, and priorities across multiple sites to meet business needs
• Forecast upcoming proposal activity and manage associated Overhead budgets
• Manage engagement of external proposal support resources during surge demand
• Oversee hiring processes, including job requisition preparation, candidate interviewing and selection
• Lead onboarding, mentoring, training, and career development of team members

What's In It For You

From onsite to remote, we offer flexible work schedules to comprehensive benefits investing in your future and security, Learn more about Lockheed Martin's comprehensive benefits package here.

Who You Are

You are a strategic, results-driven leader with experience in proposal management, capture support, and business development in a fast-paced environment. You have a proven track record of leading high-performing teams and managing proposals, while collaborating across functions and influencing stakeholders, including leadership. You are skilled in developing proposal strategies, ensuring compliance, and translating concepts into clear, customer-focused messaging. You thrive in dynamic environments, balancing priorities, and are passionate about developing teams, improving processes, and driving innovation to deliver results

• Domestic travel required and potential for some international travel.

Basic Qualifications:

• Interpersonal and communication experience
• Experience with competitive proposal process used in aerospace/defense (e.g., SMA, Shipley)
• 10+ years of experience leading complex competitive proposals in aerospace/defense or other high-tech industry
• Experience leading proposal organizations
• Experience interfacing with executive level leadership
• Experience working with cross-functional and cross-geographic teams

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge of the US Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) process for DoD and non-military (e.g., NASA) agencies
• Experience with international customer capture efforts/proposals
• Experience leading cross-functional teams
• Experience leading transformation tool/technology projects to automate and innovate capture/proposal process (including AI)
• Capture or proposal professional certification/training
• Bachelor's degree. Master's degree in relevant field a plus
• Security Clearance Statement: This position requires a government security clearance, you must be a US Citizen for consideration.
• Clearance Level: Secret

Other Important Information You Should Know

Expression of Interest: By applying to this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified you may be contacted for this and future openings.

Ability to Work Remotely: Part-time Remote Telework: The employee selected for this position will work part of their work schedule remotely and part of their work schedule at a designated Lockheed Martin facility. The specific weekly schedule will be discussed during the hiring process.

Work Schedules: Lockheed Martin supports a variety of alternate work schedules that provide additional flexibility to our employees. Schedules range from standard 40 hours over a five day work week while others may be condensed. These condensed schedules provide employees with additional time away from the office and are in addition to our Paid Time off benefits.

Schedule for this Position: 4x10 hour day, 3 days off per week

Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in California, Massachusetts, and New York (excluding most major metropolitan areas), Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington or Washington DC is $151,200 - $266,570. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate's final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays.

(Washington state applicants only) Non-represented full-time employees: accrue at least 10 hours per month of Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used for incidental absences and other reasons; receive at least 90 hours for holidays. Represented full time employees accrue 6.67 hours of Vacation per month; accrue up to 52 hours of sick leave annually; receive at least 96 hours for holidays. PTO, Vacation, sick leave, and holiday hours are prorated based on start date during the calendar year.

This position is incentive plan eligible.

Pay Rate: The annual base salary range for this position in most major metropolitan areas in California, Massachusetts, and New York is $173,900 - $301,415. For states not referenced above, the salary range for this position will reflect the candidate's final work location. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Lockheed Martin considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/ training, key skills as well as market and business considerations when extending an offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays.

This position is incentive plan eligible.

Lockheed Martin is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will be considered without regard to legally protected characteristics.

The application window will close in 90 days; applicants are encouraged to apply within 5 - 30 days of the requisition posting date in order to receive optimal consideration.

At Lockheed Martin, we use our passion for purposeful innovation to help keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work.

With our employees as our priority, we provide diverse career opportunities designed to propel, develop, and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work. We place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering an inclusive environment built upon integrity and corporate responsibility.

If this sounds like a culture you connect with, you're invited to apply for this role. Or, if you are unsure whether your experience aligns with the requirements of this position, we encourage you to search on Lockheed Martin Jobs, and apply for roles that align with your qualifications.

Experience Level: Experienced Professional

Business Unit: AERONAUTICS COMPANY

Relocation Available: Possible

Career Area: Business Development

Type: Full-Time

Shift: First