Full Job Description
Role Overview:
Bow Wave LLC - a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone-certified small business providing hi-tech services for U.S. national security clients - is seeking a mid-level Business Development & Capture Manager to drive growth in Department of War (DOW) contracts.
This role combines business development and capture management functions in a small-business environment, meaning the candidate will wear multiple hats and own the full pursuit lifecycle from opportunity identification through proposal submission and contract award.
The ideal candidate has a proven ability to develop and execute capture plans, build relationships with DOW stakeholders, and lead proposal efforts - all while working collaboratively across Bow Wave's lean, agile team.
The candidate will be a key player in expanding Bow Wave's DOW portfolio by identifying new opportunities, crafting winning strategies, engaging customers and partners, and ensuring high-quality proposals that translate Bow Wave's capabilities into mission value for DOW clients.
Required no less than six (6) years experience performing sales growth with the client in order to apply.
***Extensive US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) experience prioritized.***
Responsibilities:
Opportunity Identification & Pipeline Development:
• Proactively research and identify DOW contracting opportunities that align with Bow Wave's service offerings.
• Monitor government procurement sites (e.g. SAM.gov), agency forecasts, and industry publications to pinpoint leads early.
• Leverage Bow Wave's small business set-aside status (SDVOSB, HUBZone) to target relevant programs and solicitations.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified DOW opportunities, continually updating it with new prospects and pruning those that don't fit.
• Ensure each opportunity is rigorously qualified (evaluate customer needs, funding, competition) before committing capture resources.
Capture Strategy & Planning:
• For each target opportunity, develop and execute a comprehensive Capture Plan and win strategy.
• Outline how Bow Wave will win the bid - including defining win themes, value propositions, and solution approaches that address the customer's mission needs and "pain points."
• Conduct thorough competitive analysis to understand rival bidders and position Bow Wave's strengths accordingly.
• Shape the opportunity by engaging with the customer early (e.g. responding to RFIs, attending industry days) to influence requirements and ensure Bow Wave is aligned.
• Identify any capability gaps and devise plans to fill them (through hiring, partnerships, or technology investments).
• Develop teaming strategies: decide whether to prime or sub, and secure teaming partners (subcontractors or primes) that strengthen the bid.
• Coordinate with Bow Wave's leadership on bid decisions (go/no-go) and ensure alignment of the capture plan with company goals.
Stakeholder Relationship Management:
• Build and nurture relationships with key DOW stakeholders to enhance Bow Wave's positioning. This includes engaging regularly with DOW customers (program managers, requirement owners, contracting officers) to understand their priorities, get early insight into upcoming needs, and establish Bow Wave's credibility as a mission partner. It also involves developing strong ties with industry partners - both large primes and other small businesses - to enable teaming on opportunities.
• Act as an ambassador for Bow Wave at defense industry events, networking venues, and one-on-one meetings, always gathering intelligence and promoting Bow Wave's value.
• By effectively managing customer and partner relationships, work to shape RFPs in Bow Wave's favor (or get early notice of sole-source/set-aside possibilities) and to position Bow Wave on winning teams.
Proposal Development & Leadership:
• Take a hands-on lead role in proposal development for DOW solicitations, especially when Bow Wave is the prime contractor.
• Often serve as the Proposal Manager, organizing the proposal team and owning the proposal schedule to meet all deadlines.
• Develop a compliance matrix and outline to ensure all RFP requirements (sections L and M) are addressed.
• Work with technical SMEs to formulate solutions and with writers to craft sections, but also be prepared to write or edit key proposal sections (executive summary, management approach, past performance) to reinforce win themes.
• Ensure the final proposal is not only compliant but also compelling - highlighting Bow Wave's discriminators and value proposition in clear, persuasive terms.
• Coordinate internal reviews (color team reviews) and make revisions.
• When needed, contribute to pricing strategy or narrative, working with Bow Wave's finance team on a competitive, compliant cost volume.
• Ultimately, be responsible for delivering a high-quality, on-time proposal that maximizes Bow Wave's chances of winning.
Market Intelligence & Internal Coordination:
• Continuously monitor the defense market and Bow Wave's competitive environment to inform business development strategy.
• Track DOW budget trends, policy changes, and technology initiatives in Bow Wave's domains (e.g. cybersecurity, intelligence, analytics) to anticipate areas of demand.
• Conduct ongoing competitive intelligence - understand key competitors' offerings, bid strategies, and past wins, especially other small businesses in the national security space.
• Use this insight to adjust Bow Wave's positioning and bid strategies (for instance, recognize when to pursue a prime role versus joining a team).
• Internally, serve as a bridge between BD and Bow Wave's leadership and operational teams.
• Provide regular pipeline updates and capture status briefings to the executive team, ensuring they are informed and can offer guidance or resources.
• Maintain an accurate opportunity tracking system (CRM), documenting all capture efforts, customer interactions, and proposal outcomes.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, project managers, and recruiters internally to line up needed resources (e.g. gathering past performance info, identifying key personnel/staffing strategies for proposals, etc.).
• After contract awards, facilitate a smooth handoff to the delivery team, sharing customer insights and win strategy context to help kick-start execution.
