Director of Proposal Operations

Director of Proposal Operations FAIRFAX, VA (Hybrid) – Join a fast‑growing, innovative growth team at ECS, a leading mid‑sized technology services provider for the U.S. Federal Government. In this highly visible leadership role, you will leverage extensive experience in strategic proposal management, including expertise in large‑scale, multi‑phased written and oral proposals. Key Responsibilities Lead, mentor, and coach a proposal team comprising Managers, Analysts, Technical Writers, and Graphic Designers, fostering professional growth and development. Drive talent development, emphasizing adoption of generative AI across the team. Develop and implement proposal strategies in collaboration with corporate leadership, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. Oversee workload and schedule management for the entire Proposal Operations team. Lead hiring, position descriptions, and recruitment decisions to support team expansion. Champion integration of new proposal tools and technologies, specifically Generative AI, to maximize quality output. Conduct debrief assessment meetings to analyze wins and losses, document lessons learned, and drive continuous improvement. Partner with Business Development, Capture Management, Solution Architecture, Contracts, Subcontracts, Pricing, and Technical Teams to develop winning strategies and compelling proposal stories. Work with proposal managers, capture managers, and delivery teams to create a compelling proposal story. Required Skills Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, English, Marketing, or similar field (or 15 years of Federal proposal experience in lieu of a degree). Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in proposal development responsibilities. Minimum 5 years managing all types of solicitation responses, including full and open single and multi‑award proposals, BPAs and IDIQs valued at $150M‑$1B. Minimum 5 years in a management/supervisor/leadership role. Experience managing a proposal development organization and multiple oral proposals. Extensive knowledge of federal contracting and procurement processes across the federal government. Proven track record of winning complex federal contracts. Strong leadership, organizational, and project management skills. Excellent written and verbal communication abilities. Proficiency in proposal collaboration software, including MS SharePoint, MS Office, MS Teams, Adobe Acrobat, and proposal automation tools/applications. Shipley Certification or APMP Foundation certification or equivalent. 1+ years’ experience leveraging Generative AI tools and prompt engineering for the proposal lifecycle. Desired Skills Experience managing 30+ geographically dispersed proposal practitioners in the DC Metro area. Master’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, Project Management, Information Technology Management, or related fields. APMP Practitioner, Capture Practitioner, or Professional certifications. Formal training in Generative AI for proposals. APMP Micro Certifications. Continuous education: 20+ Continuing Education Units (CEUs) within the past two years. Early career as a proposal coordinator, writer, or graphics designer; prior Capture Manager experience a plus. Experience building out and supporting bids requiring Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) development. DC Metro location candidates with TS clearance and SCI eligibility. Equal Opportunity Employer ECS is an equal‑opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. #J-18808-Ljbffr