Proposal Manager

Elevate your career with Detroit Defense! Join a dynamic team dedicated to national security through cutting-edge technology. Detroit Defense has a long history of delivering advanced solutions to the Department of Defense. Dive into innovation in Systems Engineering, Combat Vehicle Integration, Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Software Development. Your journey to impactful work and rapid growth starts now—Behind the Mission Beyond the Challenge!

 Detroit defense seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented Proposal Manager to join our team in Troy, MI. This is a hybrid position with onsite requirements for classified proposal management and collaboration.

This Proposal Manager will play a pivotal role in driving Detroit Defense’s growth across the Department of War (DoW). This position demands close collaboration with business development, capture, and operations teams to lead the development of high-quality, compliant, and persuasive proposals that align with Detroit Defense's strategic goals and technical capabilities. The Proposal Manager is not only responsible for managing the mechanical and tactical proposal process but is expected to lead their teams to develop various configurations of strength-based proposals that are compelling to government customers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Proactively and autonomously manage the full proposal lifecycle, including RFx analysis, outline and compliance matrix development, team coordination, content creation, reviews, and submission, ensuring adherence to schedules, quality standards, and Detroit Defense processes. 
• Analyze solicitations to determine requirements and develop compliant, strength-based proposal responses. Partner and collaborate with business development and capture executives, portfolio management personnel, subject matter experts, account leads, and corporate business support services to develop and generate response approaches, strategies, themes, and discriminators.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of proposal documentation (e.g., compliance matrices, outlines, assignments, schedules) using Detroit Defense tools and templates. Coordinate with authors to ensure clear, concise, and compliant content aligned with win strategies and Detroit Defense solutions. Apply storyboarding and other techniques to develop compelling, high-quality proposal content that showcases Detroit Defense's expertise aligned with government needs. 
• Lead and participate in proposal reviews to ensure quality, compliance, and responsiveness, incorporating Detroit Defense best practices. Ensure proposal submissions comply with applicable instructions and company proposal best practices.
• Demonstrate strong leadership by guiding and motivating team members, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Possess strong interpersonal and people skills, including the ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and build relationships with diverse teams and stakeholders. 
• Contribute to continuous improvement of Detroit Defense's proposal process by identifying gaps, inefficiencies, and recommending enhancements.
• Participate in proposal debriefings and lessons learned sessions to gather feedback from customers and internal stakeholders. Track proposal status and provide regular updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and timely communication throughout the post-submission phase. Analyze feedback from debriefings to identify areas for improvement and incorporate lessons learned into future proposals.

• Bachelor’s Degree and five years of proposal development, or ten years of proposal development experience in a government contracting environment in lieu of degree.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain US Secret Clearance if required.
• Proven ability to manage the full proposal lifecycle, from RFx analysis to submission in a federal procurement environment, ensuring adherence to schedules and quality standards. 
• Experience analyzing federal government issued solicitations and translate complex requirements into persuasive and compliant proposal content, highlighting Detroit Defense's strengths and differentiators. 
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills to manage and contribute to clear, concise, and compelling proposals. 
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including business development, capture managers, and technical experts. 
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment. 
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), Experience with Document management and collaboration tools (SharePoint, MS Teams, Google Workspace, Box and other relevant electronic productivity tools (CRM (Salesforce, Capture Exec, GovWin IQ, GovTribe). Experience with proposal management software (Visible Thread, PerfectIT, and AI tools: Claude, Co-Pilot, ChatGPT and Google Gemini)

Detroit Defense offers an impressive compensation and benefits package including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits
• Company Paid Life and AD&D
• Company Paid Short Term and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending & HSA Accounts
• Legal & ID Shield Services
• 401k with Company Match
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)

Why Detroit Defense:
At Detroit Defense, we deliver mission-critical solutions that enhance national security, protect the warfighter, and enable readiness through innovation, technical excellence, and end-to-end lifecycle support. 

Remaining steadfast in our core values of Trustworthy, Mission Driven, Creative, and Agile we are a complex systems integrator for the U.S. Government, Detroit Defense provides solutions to meet the technical and programmatic challenges faced by our customers. Our proven success in multi-domain cross-platform system-of-systems integration results in fielded capability for warfighters. From R&D to production, fielding, and sustainment, Detroit Defense provides services and solutions to Empower Those That protect Us.

Veterans Encouraged to Apply: Detroit Defense proudly supports those who have served. We welcome applicants with military experience, including those transitioning to civilian careers. Your leadership, adaptability, and mission-focused mindset are valued here. Detroit Defense is a 4x recipient of the Hire Vets Gold Medallion Award since 2022.

Detroit Defense is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity or gender expression), age, mental or physical disability, creed, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, genetic trait or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.