Capture Manager

LufCo•Aberdeen, MD

About The Position

The Senior Capture Manager is the strategic leader responsible for leading enterprise growth by identifying and winning new business opportunities across a portfolio of Defense opportunities. This role bridges the gap and owns the full lifecycle of opportunity developement–from early market shaping and IR&D alignment through capture execution, proposal integration, and post-award transition–to execute winning strategies for high-value complex opportunities that drive revenue growth The ideal candidate will lead cross-functional teams to develop and execute winning strategies that are aligned to corporate objectives, warfighter capability gaps, and emerging mission priorities. You will not just "manage" the process; you will actively shape the solution. This position requires deep knowledge of the Warfighter Defense Acquisition System, strong executive communication skills, strategic financial judgment, and the ability to drive growth outcomes in a competitive, mission-focused environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or Political Science
10+ years of experience in Defense Acquisition or Solution Development, with at least 5 years specifically in a Solution Development or Portfolio Optimization.
Proven history of leading and winning projects or portfolios valued at >$50M (or relevant threshold).
Deep understanding of the Shipley Associates business development lifecycle, similar standard Capture/Proposal methodologies, or process optimization.
Ability to understand complex technical systems’ (e.g., C4ISR, Cyber, Systems Integration, Aerospace) requirements to guide solutioning and IR&D investment.
Existing relationships across DOW with emphasis on Army.
Experience managing IR&D budgets or technical product roadmaps.
Strategic Thinker: Can see the chessboard and anticipate competitor moves.
Persuasive Communicator: Able to convince internal leadership to invest B&P/IR&D funds and convince customers that our solution is the only logical choice.
Resilient: Maintains high energy and focus during long procurement cycles and high-pressure proposal phases.
self starter, well organized, ability to research across customer space, internally and externally.
Ability to travel as required.
TS/SCI (able to process, US citizenship is a must)

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategy Development: Lead the development and execution of the "Win Strategy"/growth strategy for assigned opportunities. Develop and maintain the Capture Plan, including competitive intelligence, Price-to-Win (PTW) analysis, and teaming strategies.
Solution Shaping & IR&D Alignment: Collaborate with Solution Architects and Engineering Directors to identify technological solutions that align to identified capability gaps. Advocate for specific IR&D projects to mature capabilities prior to Request for Proposal (RFP) release, ensuring our solution is not just compliant, but differentiated from the competition and is low-risk.
Gate Review Leadership: Prepare for and lead all rigorous internal Gate Reviews (e.g., BCA, Pursuit, Strategy, Bid, Color Teams), presenting data-driven recommendations to senior leadership, including the CEO for decision.
Teaming Strategy: Identify, negotiate, and secure teaming agreements with suppliers, subcontractors, and small business partners to fill capability gaps and enhance PWin (Probability of Win) by building long-term partnerships with decision makers.
Value Proposition: Articulate clear "Win Themes" and "Discriminators" that directly address the customer’s hot buttons and implicit needs and make recommendations to the CEO and other senior leaders on bid/no-bid decisions.
Acquisition Ecosystem: Successfully navigate the complexity of the Warfighting Acquisition System and strategically align mature solutions to warfighter capability gaps.
Pipeline Management: Identify and forecast procurement opportunities, across current and related customers, to determine if service and product offerings and IR&D initiatives will result in corporate growth.
Qualification: Evaluate potential growth opportunities against the company’s strategic goals and capabilities.Determine if PWin and funding realities justify the investment of bid & proposal (B&P) resources.
Market Intelligence: Maintain a pulse on the competitive landscape, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of competitors.
Relationship Building: Conduct frequent, meaningful engagements with government stakeholders (Program Managers, Contracting Officers, Mission / End Users, Senior Executives and Policy Makers) to understand the landscape and identify and evaluate potential business opportunities .
Shaping the Requirement: Utilize white papers, RFIs, and industry days to influence programs’ acquisition strategies and technical requirements.
Voice of the Customer: Serve as the internal advocate for the customer, ensuring the proposal team addresses the customer's actual reality and capability gaps.
Seamless Transition: Ensure a smooth handover of strategy, win themes, and solution architecture to the Proposal Manager.
Proposal Development: Write proposals, to include providing input on the technical capabilities, , to align the solution with customer needs.
Review Team Leadership: Serve as a key evaluator in Pink and Red Team reviews to ensure the proposal narrative remains aligned with the original Capture Strategy and input gained from customer engagements.
Competitive Analysis: Identify competitive landscape, to include their strengths and limitations, to refine our strategies and offerings.
Orals Preparation: If applicable, lead the coaching and preparation of key personnel for oral presentations.
Stand up: Support post award stand up efforts to include building a transition team, assigning resources, and coaching based on pre-award intelligence gathering.
Customer Relationship Engagement: Continue customer engagement, including Program Managers, Contracting Officers, Mission / End Users, Senior Executives and Policy Makers, and suppliers, subcontractors, and small business partners to ensure satisfaction.Identify and track risks and address issues early.