Vice President of Proposal Operations

Job Description
The Vice President of Proposal Operations is a senior executive accountable for leading and scaling the enterprise-wide proposal function for Intelligence & Security Sector that pursues approximately $7.0B in annual proposal volume across U.S. Government, DoW, Intelligence Community, and adjacent defense markets. This executive is the operational and strategic backbone of the company's growth engine, directly influencing win rates, pipeline conversion, and competitive positioning across all lines of business.

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Winning, the VP of Proposal Operations will build and sustain a high-performance proposal center of excellence, institutionalize repeatable capture-to-proposal processes, drive compliance across all Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) submission requirements, and lead a team of proposal managers, writers, coordinators, graphic artists, and volume leads. This leader will partner closely with Capture, Business Development, Contracts, Finance, and Program Management to develop compelling, differentiated proposals that win.
Proposal Operations Leadership

• Lead, develop, and scale a centralized proposal operations organization supporting all business units, including proposal managers, senior writers, coordinators, graphic designers, and volume leads.
• Establish and enforce enterprise proposal standards, templates, style guides, and governance frameworks that ensure consistent quality and compliance across all bid types.
• Manage a proposal pipeline representing ~$7.0B in annual submittal volume - prioritizing resources, resolving conflicts, and ensuring on-time, compliant delivery.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) including win rate, color review effectiveness, proposal cycle times, reuse rates, and volume leader productivity.

Capture & Business Development Integration

• Partner with Capture Management to ensure seamless handoffs from opportunity qualification through proposal submission; enforce gate review compliance and Shipley-aligned processes.
• Actively participate in Bid/No-Bid and Black Hat reviews, providing input on competitive intelligence, proposal risk, and resource feasibility.
• Collaborate with BD leads to develop win themes, discriminators, and ghost strategies that are woven throughout all proposal sections - transforming technical content into customer-centric narratives.
• Champion Price-to-Win (PTW) and competitive positioning strategies through strong alignment with Pricing, Finance, and Cost Volume leadership.

Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Design and institutionalize a scalable proposal process framework (ideally Shipley or equivalent methodology) with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, review milestones, and deliverable checkpoints.
• Drive adoption of proposal automation tools, content libraries, and collaboration platforms (e.g., Privia, Qvidian, Microsoft SharePoint, RFPIO, or equivalent) to improve efficiency and reuse rates.
• Implement a robust lessons-learned and debrief program - systematically capturing wins, losses, and evaluator feedback to continuously sharpen win strategy and execution.
• Lead after-action reviews on major proposals and create actionable playbooks that evolve with the competitive environment.

Team Development & Talent Management

• Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-caliber team of proposal professionals; establish career paths and skills development programs that reduce turnover and build bench strength.
• Foster a culture of urgency, ownership, and excellence - setting the standard for professionalism and performance under tight deadlines.
• Manage a mix of full-time staff and contracted proposal support resources, including surge capacity planning for peak proposal periods.

Executive Stakeholder Engagement

• Brief senior leadership (C-suite, Board, Operating Group Presidents) on proposal pipeline health, win/loss trends, resource utilization, and strategic recommendations.
• Serve as the executive decision-maker on proposal exceptions, compliance risks, and resource escalations.
• Represent the Proposal Operations function in strategic planning cycles, annual operating plan development, and M&A integration activities as applicable.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Execution under Pressure
• Storytelling & Persuasion
• Talent Builder
• Collaborative influence
• Data driven leadership

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• 10+ years of progressive proposal management experience within the Aerospace, Defense, or Government IT sectors.
• 7+ years in a senior leadership role managing large, multi-disciplinary proposal teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing proposal volumes of $3B+ annually.
• Deep expertise in U.S. Government procurement, FAR/DFARS, and RFP response mechanics (technical, management, past performance, and cost volumes).
• Proven track record of winning single-award and IDIQ contract vehicles including LPTA, Best Value, and Lowest Price technical acceptability.
• Expert-level proficiency in Shipley or equivalent BD lifecycle methodology.
• Active DoW Security Clearance (Secret or above) or ability to obtain.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• APMP Foundation or Professional certification.
• Experience supporting proposals for DoW, IC, DHS, NASA, or Civilian agency customers.
• Familiarity with Mission IT, C5ISR, systems integration, logistics, or engineering services environments.
• MBA or advanced degree.
• Experience with M&A proposal integration - onboarding acquired companies into enterprise proposal standards.
• Track record of building proposal centers of excellence from the ground up or transforming underperforming organizations.
• Established relationships with key government customers and industry teaming partners.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $200222 - $340378

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.

About BAE Systems Intelligence & Security
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it's what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts - defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team-making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you'll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

Intelligence & Security (I&S), based in McLean, Virginia, designs and delivers advanced defense, intelligence, and security solutions that support the important missions of our customers. Our pride and dedication shows in everything we do-from intelligence analysis, cyber operations and IT expertise to systems development, systems integration, and operations and maintenance services. Knowing that our work enables the U.S. military and government to recognize, manage and defeat threats inspires us to push ourselves and our technologies to new levels.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.