Job Title: Principal, Proposal Manager

Job Code: 18318

Job Location: Huntsville, AL, Melbourne, FL, Canoga Park, CA or Sacramento, CA
Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off

Job Description:

Reporting to the Director of Proposal Operations within L3Harris' Aerojet Rocketdyne Business Segment, this critical role is accountable for using Capture Plan elements to prepare an effective Proposal Plan and Proposal Strategy, then leading the proposal team in developing a highly competitive, winning-level proposal. Proposals will involve L3Harris and customer proprietary, firewalled, classified, ITAR and EAR, and other sensitive information. This is a highly networked position that includes partnerships and business alignment with Capture Teams and other functions across the business.

Essential Functions:

• Estimate, secure and effectively manage proposal budgets.

• Proactively identify proposal team members with necessary experience, skill sets and subject matter expertise; secure their commitments to participate.

• Transfer Capture Plan information effectively into the proposal process.

• Prepare Proposal Plan with all elements necessary to effectively lead the team and manage the process.

• Effectively tailor standardized proposal process to fit business needs for timely execution maximizing efficiency while providing high-quality, compliant and compelling proposals.

• Ensure that a draft Executive Summary is prepared and a Price-to-Win (PWin) target/range is established (both typically by Capture Manager).

• Ensure comprehensive proposal readiness, including pre-proposal efforts that effectively implement the win strategy.

• Champion proposal professionalism and skills acquisition among team members.

• Develop and maintain effective customer interfaces within the Strategy and Business Development organization and participating stakeholders.

• Conduct effective Proposal Kickoff meetings, communicating all necessary information and assignments in a manner that informs, orients, inspires and energizes the team.

• Align collocated or virtual proposal participants to become a smoothly operating team.

• Involve senior leadership at key phases of the proposal to ensure alignment; provide status and reporting, including immediate notification when critical issues emerge or additional resources are required.

• Lead proposal tagup (standing) meetings, conveying necessary information, status and resolving issues and resource needs in an effective manner.

• Provide ever-strengthening leadership-level knowledge of the technical solution and program elements and effectively work with engineering, program management and other discipline leads.

• Use an effectively tailored industry/company-standard proposal process and best practices (e.g., annotated outlining, storyboarding/mockups, Just In Time training).

• Review and read completed proposal sections throughout the proposal development process, ensuring complete compliance with solicitation requirements and that the proposal meets or exceeds evaluation criteria.

• In close partnership with the Capture Manager, ensure timely, effective color team reviews (e.g., Pink, Red, Gold).

• Strong grasp of all elements that go into cost/pricing effort, including refinement of cost-related elements to meet Price to Win targets.

• Lead or participate in Functional and Executive Level Reviews to successful approval.

• Deliver compliant, responsive, error-free, professional quality, winning-level proposals within customer-defined timeframe.

• Capture post-submittal proposal team lessons learned to identify trends and implement corrective/improvement initiatives to improve the proposal process.

• Participate, as requested, in any customer-requested post-submittal activities (e.g., site visits, surveys, questions or deficiency or other evaluation notices) and debriefs.

• Lead proposal team in preparing Best and Final Offers (BAFOs) and Final Proposal Responses (FPRs), as requested.

• Work with capture manager, providing relevant information to support a Win/Loss analysis, when requested

• Business travel up to 10%. 

• Ability to obtain US Secret Security Clearence. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 12 years of prior relevant aerospace and defense experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 10 years of prior related aerospace and defense experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 16 years of prior related aerospace and defense experience. 

• 4+ years ​​​​​​Proposal experience in aerospace or defense industry.

• Formal proposal management and process training (e.g., Shipley, SM&A, Lohfeld).

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Highly skilled in the utilization of MS PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.

• Experience within DoD and/or Federal Government acquisition environment or relevant certification from the Defense Acquisition University.

• Graduate degree from an accredited university or college in a relevant area of study.

• Proposal management certification (e.g., APMP, Shipley, company internal).

• Project Management certification from Program Management Institute.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington State and New York State is $101,000 - $187,000. For California, Seattle and New York City, the salary range for this role is $115,500 - $214,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.