Job Description

Do you have a passion for space exploration?

Are you a results-oriented professional searching for impactful work in writing or managing proposals for new missions, and seeing the final product from start to finish?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

APL's Space Formulation Mission Area (SFMA) is seeking to grow our Proposal Management team in order to make critical contributions to NASA, NOAA, other government sponsors including DOD agencies, and international partners. Our proposal managers work with diverse teams to develop disruptive new mission and instrument proposals to meet the challenges of space science, exploration, and national security. Our work includes conducting space science research; development and application of space science, engineering, and technology; production of one-of-a-kind spacecraft, instruments, and subsystems; and developing applications to meet warfighter needs.

SFMA proposal managers lead the development of complex proposals in response to competitive solicitations and sole source efforts targeting Announcement of Opportunities (AOs), Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and research grant/cooperative agreement opportunities. These proposals range from large spacecraft missions in excess of $1B, to medium instruments and studies, to small research grants. Large proposals cover areas such as science definition, technical implementation, spacecraft and payload development, cost justification, and management approach.

We are seeking to augment our over-arching proposal management role in the Space Formulation Mission Area (SFMA) primarily for our Civil Space opportunities supporting NASA and NOAA, and secondarily for efforts that interface with other APL sponsors including the DoD and IC community.

As a SES Proposal Manager, your primary responsibility will managing the competitive proposal implementation process to produce compliant and compelling proposals. This includes providing subject matter technical expertise, guidance, and assistance to proposal authors and proposal team members.

In addition, you will...

• Participate in the development and review of proposal strategies and themes, and develop proposal management plans;
• Review and analyze solicitation and related documents;
• Support advanced concept and pre-proposal technical development efforts;
• Create the proposal outline and compliance matrix to direct the proposal development process;
• Oversee volume leads/section managers/coordinators/production managers;
• Participate in proposal writing activities;
• Set and manage proposal schedules/plans/deadlines/progress monitoring/color review teams;
• Oversee the review, tailoring, and crafting of technical content to comply with solicitations;

• Obtain (or advises appropriate managers regarding the need for) proposal staffing and other resources;
• Oversee the configuration management and version control;
• Conduct lessons learned to produce process improvement and achieve higher success rates;
• Develop and lead staff training programs for overall proposal preparation improvements;
• Modernize and own all Sector proposal process documents.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Possess a BS in a technical field or business
• Have 5+ years of experience working with Proposal Management (5 years at Proposal Manager career level) with demonstrated success delivering winning proposals >$20M
• Are skilled in proposal development best practices and techniques (Announcement of Opportunities (AOs), non-RFP)
• Are willing and able to sit in an office environment for long periods of time, work in a team environment and work extra hours/weekends including travel
• Are able to obtain a Secret/Top Secret security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship
• Have experience with proposing to NASA solicitations
• Have experience in both large and small business environments, a plus
• Understanding of Government Contracting, specifically with NASA
• Have strong leadership skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to collaborate and work as a team leader, with dynamic interpersonal skills to interact with all levels of management and a variety of staff members
• Coordinate Q&As for solicitations and submit to customer

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Have an advanced degree in related field
• Have management experience
• Have experience in Space flight program formulation and implementation
• Hold an APMP Accreditation
• Are experienced with APL processes, practices and tools.

About APL's Space program:

Over the past 25 years, the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, has pushed the boundaries of what is possible; delivering game-changing impacts to sponsors like NASA and the Department of Defense. This includes historic, science space firsts like New Horizons reaching Pluto, Parker Solar Probe being the first to “touch” the sun, and the DART mission that redirected an asteroid for planetary defense. As a not-for-profit university affiliated research center, APL also delivered solutions to our nation’s national security challenges, as proven with the recent Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept (DARC) Tech Demo, and acts as a trusted partner with the US Space Force in space domain awareness and space-integrated warfare. APL teams are currently developing missions that will advance the search for life in the Solar System through programs such as Europa Clipper and Dragonfly, exploring the lunar and cislunar domains, and providing fundamental knowledge of our Sun’s influence on the near-Earth environment through IMAP and other research and technology endeavors. We are also providing game changing solutions to the most difficult and important national security space challenges. To learn about these APL’s mission and projects, visit https://space.jhuapl.edu/.

Why work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

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APL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

APL is committed to promoting an innovative environment that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and supports inclusion of new ideas. In doing so, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu. Only by ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard are we empowered to be bold, do great things, and make the world a better place.

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