Capture Manager - AI Company Alliance

Job Description

The Capture Manager drives end-to-end capture execution for the strategic alliance between Jefferson and an applied AI company. This high-impact role manages the entire lifecycle of a pursuit-from early opportunity identification and qualification through proposal submission and award. The alliance joins Jefferson's management consulting expertise with the AI company's applied AI, data analytics, and automation capabilities (including asset readiness, waterway analytics, and AI decision support).

Working directly with the AI company , you will curate, shape, and win a multi- million dollar pipeline of federal contracts. As the architect of each joint pursuit, you will lead cross-functional teams across both companies to build high-level customer relationships, shape acquisition requirements ahead of RFPs, and structure competitive teaming arrangements. This position serves as a key growth driver for Jefferson, offering high autonomy and direct visibility with executive leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Pipeline & Alliance Leadership: Partner with the AI company's business development team to build, qualify, and manage a joint federal pipeline combining Jefferson's consulting with the AI company's software suite .
• End-to-End Capture Execution: Lead joint pursuits from early identification through proposal submission and contract award for both new and follow-on opportunities.
• Strategic Win Themes: Develop capture plans and win themes highlighting secure, production-ready AI deployment (including air-gapped/classified networks) within 60- 120 days .
• Teaming & Deal Architecture: Define roles, work share, and prime/sub positioning per the alliance agreement; negotiate additional teaming agreements and secure optimal contract vehicles.
• Customer & Market Shaping: Build relationships across the Department of the Navy, DoT, and civil defense agencies to shape requirements ahead of RFP releases.
• Competitive Intelligence: Conduct black-hat assessments, price-to-win modeling, and gap analyses to establish ghosting strategies and operational consortia.
• Proposal & Capability Translation: Partner with technical and program leads to translate joint past performance and proof points into compelling proposal discriminators.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Align internal and partner teams (proposal, pricing, legal, technical) to ensure compliant, high-quality submissions.
• Governance & Reporting: Conduct market research, risk assessments, and bid/no-bid analyses; track pipeline health and report progress directly to executive leadership.

Required Skills

Required Qualifications:

• Experience: 10+ years in federal capture, BD, or program support with a proven track record of winning $25M+ contracts in defense or civilian sectors.

• Domain Knowledge: Demonstrated experience capturing technology-enabled work, including enterprise software, data orchestration, cloud infrastructure, or enterprise-scale AI.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business , Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Strategic Partnerships: Proven success structuring and negotiating teaming agreements and managing joint pursuits with strategic partners.

• Client Network: Existing federal customer network with direct experience engaging PMOs and PEOs.

• Acquisition Expertise: Deep understanding of FAR/DFARS, rapid vehicles (OTAs, SBIR transitions), and major contract vehicles like OASIS+.

• Proposal & Pricing: Strong skills in opportunity qualification, capture strategy, competitive pricing, and cost proposal preparation (including fixed-price contracts).

• Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex AI architecture into clear mission-readiness outcomes for government decision-makers .

• Logistics : Ability to travel to client, partner, and Washington, D.C. sites as needed.

Clearance & Eligibility :

• Citizenship & Residency: U.S. citizenship required ; must reside in and maintain legal authorization to work in the United States.

• Security Clearance: Active Secret or Top Secret clearance preferred , or the eligibility to obtain the clearance level required by targeted pursuits.

Desired Skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Specialized Capture: Prior capture success in AI, data analytics, automation, legacy modernization, or strategic alliances with tech companies.

• Software Procurement: Familiarity with scoping, pricing, and selling applied AI/decision-support software, including air-gapped or classified network deployments.

• Target Agencies: Capture experience aligned with the AI company's focus areas: Navy (shipyards/sustainment), DoT, maritime/port operations, and asset readiness across defense/civilian agencies.

• Tools & Tech: Experience using CRMs, market intelligence platforms, proposal tools, and AI tools for research or strategy.

• Certifications: PMP, Shipley, or APMP certification.