Proposal Manager

About Overland AI

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Overland AI is transforming land operations for modern defense. The company leverages over a decade of advanced research in robotics and machine learning, as well as a field-test forward ethos, to deliver combined capabilities for unit commanders. Our OverDrive autonomy stack enables ground vehicles to navigate and operate off-road in any terrain without GPS or direct operator control. Our intuitive OverWatch C2 interface provides commanders with precise coordination capabilities essential for mission success.

Overland AI has secured funding from prominent defense tech investors including 8VC and Point 72, and built trusted partnerships with DARPA, the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. Backed by eight-figure contracts across the Department of Defense, we are strengthening national security by iterating closely with end users engaged in tactical operations.

Role Summary

Overland AI is seeking a highly capable Proposal Manager to own and scale how we pursue, shape, and win strategic defense and federal opportunities.

This is a senior individual-contributor role for someone with 7-10 years of relevant experience who can operate independently, bring strong proposal and capture instincts, and establish a high-quality, repeatable operating model from the ground up. You will be a foundational owner of the function and a trusted partner to Business Development, Engineering, Product, Program Management, Finance, Legal, and executive leadership.

You will lead high-priority proposals from early opportunity qualification through submission and post-submission learning. You will know what "good" looks like: a disciplined capture plan, a compelling win strategy, a compliant proposal, clear technical storytelling, aligned pricing and program inputs, and a team that understands exactly what it owns and when it is due.

This role is based in Seattle, Washington. Regular in-person collaboration is important given the cross-functional and highly technical nature of the work.

What you'll do

• Lead the end-to-end proposal process for priority defense, federal, and strategic commercial pursuits-from proposal kickoff through submission, debrief, and incorporation of lessons learned.
• Drive capture activities for priority opportunities, including customer and market research, bid/no-bid recommendations, win themes, competitive positioning, teaming strategy, and pursuit planning.
• Develop and maintain clear proposal schedules, compliance matrices, responsibility assignments, outlines, storyboards, review plans, submission checklists, and risk trackers.
• Facilitate proposal kickoffs, regular check-ins, working sessions, and structured reviews; keep cross-functional contributors aligned and proactively resolve blockers.
• Partner with technical SMEs to translate complex capabilities in autonomy, robotics, artificial intelligence, vehicle systems, software, and field operations into differentiated, evaluator-focused proposal content.
• Own the development and integration of technical, management, past-performance, staffing, resumes, cost/pricing, and other required proposal volumes or artifacts.
• Work closely with BD, Engineering, Product, Program Management, Finance, Legal, and executives to ensure the proposed solution, delivery plan, staffing, schedule, cost assumptions, and contractual response are accurate, cohesive, and competitive.
• Manage responses to RFPs, RFIs, BAAs, SBIR/STTR opportunities, OTAs, IDIQ task orders, and other government solicitations.
• Create and maintain reusable proposal content, including capability statements, technical narratives, company information, past performance, resumes, templates, graphics, compliance tools, and submission standards.
• Establish scalable proposal processes, tools, and operating rhythms that improve quality, compliance, turnaround time, institutional knowledge, and win rate as Overland grows.
• Support the development of customer-facing collateral and briefing materials when needed to advance an active capture strategy.
• Bring sound judgment to ambiguous, deadline-driven work: identify gaps, clarify decisions, appropriately escalate risks, and maintain momentum without requiring close direction.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7-10 years of experience in government contracting, proposal management, capture management, federal business development, technical program management, or a related discipline.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, English, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex federal, DoD, national-security, or dual-use technology proposals from kickoff through compliant submission.
• Experience leading responses to government acquisition vehicles and solicitations, including RFPs, RFIs, BAAs, OTAs, SBIR/STTRs, IDIQs, or task orders.
• Experience supporting cost-volume development, level-of-effort estimates, labor planning, pricing narratives, or proposal coordination with technical experts, finance and legal/contracting teams.
• Experience managing proposal schedules, compliance matrices, content plans, cross-functional reviews, and final submission processes.
• Demonstrated technical writing and editing experience, including synthesizing technical, programmatic, and business inputs into evaluator-facing content.
• Experience coordinating contributions from technical, program, finance, contracts, business development, and executive stakeholders.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience supporting defense technology, autonomy, robotics, AI/ML, unmanned systems, aerospace, or complex hardware-software products.
• Shipley, PMP, or comparable proposal/capture methodology training or certification.
• Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain and maintain one.

Location

This position will be located in Seattle, WA.

Compensation And Benefits

Pay range: $130,000 - $190,000 annually

Overland AI believes in creating a work environment that you look forward to embracing every day. Benefits include:

• Equity compensation
• Best-in-class healthcare, dental and vision plans
• Flexible PTO
• 401k with company match
• Parental leave

Overland AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

This position may involve access to export-controlled technology. Employment is contingent on the ability to comply with U.S. export control laws.

Overland AI provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans during the application process. Please contact peopleops@overland.ai to request an accommodation.