Government Contracts Proposal Writer & Capture Manager (DOJ/DHS/DOC) (VA, Reston)

Position Overview

The Proposal Writer & Capture Manager leads end-to-end capture and proposal development efforts for federal opportunities within the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Commerce (DOC). This role is responsible for shaping winning strategies, developing compliant and compelling proposal content, managing capture activities, and ensuring alignment with agency mission needs, procurement trends, and evaluation criteria.

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The ideal candidate brings deep familiarity with federal acquisition processes (FAR/DFARS), agency-specific procurement cultures, and the ability to translate technical, operational, and management concepts into clear, persuasive proposal narratives.

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Key Responsibilities

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Capture Management

• Lead capture strategy development for DOJ, DHS, and DOC opportunities, including opportunity qualification, competitive analysis, customer engagement, and win-theme development.
• Build and maintain relationships with government stakeholders, primes, and teaming partners.
• Conduct Black Hat/Blue Team analyses, SWOT assessments, and price-to-win alignment.
• Develop capture plans, call plans, customer insight summaries, and solutioning frameworks.
• Identify and negotiate teaming agreements, NDAs, and subcontractor roles.

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Proposal Development

• Serve as lead writer for technical, management, staffing, and past performance volumes.
• Ensure all proposal sections are compliant with RFP/RFI/SOW/PWS requirements and agency-specific instructions (e.g., DOJ JMD, DOJ FBI, DHS PIL, DOC Commerce Acquisition Manual).
• Translate complex technical solutions (IT, cybersecurity, program management, analytics, mission support) into clear, compelling narratives tailored to DOJ/DHS/DOC missions.
• Manage proposal schedules, color team reviews, and content integration across SMEs.
• Develop storyboards, outlines, compliance matrices, and annotated templates.
• Coordinate graphics, resumes, past performance, and corporate experience content.
• Ensure proposals meet all formatting, page limits, and submission requirements (SAM.gov, eBuy, agency portals).

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Market & Agency Intelligence

• Monitor DOJ, DHS, and DOC procurement forecasts, budget priorities, and acquisition strategies.
• Analyze incumbent performance, contract vehicles, and competitive landscapes.
• Track relevant IDIQs, BPAs, and GWACs (e.g., ITSSS, ITSSS2, FirstSource II/III, EAGLE, OASIS+, Alliant, GSA MAS, NOAA ProTech).

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Internal Leadership

• Facilitate solutioning sessions with technical SMEs, program managers, and executives.
• Provide coaching on proposal best practices, compliance, and messaging.
• Support pipeline development and gate reviews (Gate 0?4).

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Minimum Qualifications

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Education & Experience

• Bachelor?s degree in Business, Communications, Public Policy, IT, or related field.
• 5?10+ years of experience in federal capture and proposal development.
• Demonstrated success writing and managing proposals for DOJ, DHS, or DOC.
• Experience supporting proposals valued at $10M?$100M+.

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Technical & Professional Skills

• Expert knowledge of FAR/DFARS, agency supplements, and federal procurement lifecycle.

• Strong understanding of DOJ, DHS, and DOC mission areas, including:

• DOJ: law enforcement, intelligence, litigation support, cybersecurity, ITSSS2, mission systems.

• DHS: CBP, ICE, USCIS, TSA, FEMA, CISA, S&T; security, vetting, analytics, cloud, cyber.

• DOC: NOAA, Census, NIST, USPTO; scientific, data, IT modernization, research support.

• Proficiency with proposal tools (SharePoint, Adobe, MS Office, SAM.gov).

• Ability to lead color team reviews and manage multiple deadlines.

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Writing & Communication

• Exceptional ability to write clear, concise, compliant, and persuasive proposal content.
• Skilled at synthesizing SME input into evaluator-friendly narratives.
• Strong interviewing, research, and technical translation skills.

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Leadership & Management

• Ability to lead cross-functional teams under tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational, planning, and decision-making skills.
• Experience negotiating teaming agreements and managing partner relationships.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Existing relationships with DOJ, DHS, or DOC program offices or contracting staff.
• Experience with DOJ ITSSS, JMD Service Desk BPA, FBI ITSSS2, or similar contracts in DHS, DOD, and DOC components.
• APMP certification.
• Prior experience supporting proposals for service desk operations, cybersecurity, AI/ML, cloud, or mission systems.
• Experience with price-to-win, cost narratives, and solution architecture.
• Active Top-Secret Clearance

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Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and competitive positioning
• Compliance discipline and attention to detail
• Executive-level communication and presentation
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments
• High integrity, discretion, and professionalism