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Salary: USD 116,000 - 160,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager II to join its Business Development team at the global headquarters in Long Beach, CA. This role is critical to developing compliant and compelling business proposals that win new business with US and international customers, with a specific focus on satellite opportunities within the Space Systems division.
You will own the full proposal lifecycle, from RFP analysis and strategy development through final submission. Key responsibilities include: developing and executing proposal plans with compliance matrices; collaborating with Business Development leadership to craft winning strategies and messaging; writing and managing high-quality, compliant proposals that address RFP requirements; leading proposal kick-off meetings and coordinating regular check-ins with contributors; coordinating with internal teams (engineering, finance, legal) to gather and refine proposal content; creating and managing proposal templates, reusable content, and visual elements; conducting quality assurance reviews for grammar, consistency, and formatting; overseeing final production and submission to ensure on-time delivery; documenting lessons learned and recommending process improvements; and supporting travel as needed (~10%).
You will take responsibility for specific volumes of proposals and demonstrate success managing large-scale opportunities. This is an individual contributor role focused on proposal excellence and cross-functional coordination, not people management.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in technical, management, or business discipline
- 8+ years of experience in proposal management
- Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
- Demonstrated success leading proposals with values greater than $100 million
- Technical writing expertise with proven ability to translate complex technical information into clear, concise, persuasive language tailored to different audiences
- Project management experience managing multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and ensuring high-quality deliverables
- Experience leading cross-functional teams to achieve proposal objectives
NICE-TO-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Active U.S. security clearance
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)
- Experience with Salesforce and SharePoint
- Exceptional attention to detail and ability to balance multiple priorities
- Background in organizational effectiveness and operations
- Experience with proposal frameworks and methodologies (Shipley, APMP)
- Familiarity with ITAR and Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
- Aerospace or defense industry experience with understanding of competitive landscape and technology trends
- Ability to present proposal concepts and strategies to internal stakeholders
- Proven relationship-building skills with engineers, leadership, and cross-functional teams
