Senior Proposal Manager I
Rocket Lab
Salary undisclosed
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Description
ABOUT ROCKET LAB
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Rocket Lab’s Business Development team is responsible for connecting customers across government and commercial sectors with our industry leading mission solutions spanning launch and space systems. They work closely with new and existing customers to understand their needs and develop tailored solutions to deliver their missions. Building and maintaining relationships with customers and internally with engineering and operations teams is at the core of our Business Development team. They have their fingers on the pulse of the space industry and are driven to deliver results for our customers and our business.
SENIOR PROPOSAL MANAGER I
Based out of Rocket Lab's site in Tucson, AZ, the Senior Proposal Manager plays a key role in creating compliant and compelling business proposals that win new business with US and international customers. This role primarily supports the Space Systems Business Development team, with a specific focus on satellite opportunities.
WHAT YOU’LL GET TO DO:
- Develop and execute proposal plans, including analyzing RFPs, creating outlines, and building compliance matrices.
- Collaborate with the Business Development Manager and/or Director to craft winning proposal strategies and develop compelling messaging.
- Write and manage compliant, high-quality proposals that clearly address RFP requirements.
- Take responsibility for specific volumes of proposals, ensuring they are well-written, compliant, and align with the overall strategy.
- Lead proposal kick-off meetings and facilitate regular check-ins with contributors to ensure timelines are met.
- Coordinate with internal teams (such as engineering, finance, legal) to gather and refine content for proposals.
- Create and manage proposal templates, reusable content, and visual elements (charts, tables, and infographics).
- Conduct quality assurance reviews for grammar, consistency, and formatting to ensure polished submissions.
- Oversee final production and submission, ensuring proposals are delivered on time and meet customer requirements.
- Document lessons learned, and recommend process improvements for future proposals.
- Support travel as needed (~10%).
YOU’LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in technical, management, or business discipline.
- 5+ 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 a proven ability to translate complex technical information into clear, concise, and persuasive language tailored to different audiences.
- Project management experience, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meeting deadlines while ensuring high-quality deliverables.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams to achieve proposal objectives.
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- Active U.S. security clearance.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.
- Experience using tools such as Salesforce and SharePoint.
- Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to balance and prioritize multiple tasks.
- Background in organizational effectiveness and operations, implementing best practices.
- Experience with proposal frameworks and methodologies.
- Familiarity with industry-standard proposal processes such as Shipley or APMP.
- Familiarity with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
- Aerospace or defense industry experience, with a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, customer base, and technology trends in the aerospace or satellite industry.
- Ability to effectively present proposal concepts and strategies to internal stakeholders, including team members and leadership.
- Proven ability to build relationships with internal stakeholders, including engineers, leadership, and cross-functional team members.
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
About this role
Rocket Lab's Space Systems Business Development team is seeking a Senior Proposal Manager to lead the development of winning proposals for satellite and space systems opportunities across government and commercial customers. Based in Tucson, you'll own the full proposal lifecycle—from RFP analysis and strategy development through final submission—while managing high-stakes opportunities valued at $100 million and above. This role demands strong technical writing skills to translate complex aerospace concepts into compelling, compliant narratives, paired with project management discipline to coordinate across engineering, finance, legal, and other internal teams while meeting tight deadlines.
The position requires at least five years of proposal management experience and a bachelor's degree in a technical, management, or business field, with the ability to obtain a security clearance. You'll need proven success managing large-scale proposals, cross-functional collaboration skills, and expertise in Microsoft Office. Experience in aerospace or defense, familiarity with proposal methodologies like Shipley or APMP, and knowledge of ITAR regulations are significant advantages. An active security clearance would streamline your onboarding.
This is an in-office role in Arizona with occasional travel (roughly 10%). Rocket Lab emphasizes a fast-paced, mission-driven culture where teams work under pressure to deliver results on challenging timelines. The work involves both strategic thinking—crafting winning proposal approaches with leadership—and hands-on execution, including quality assurance, template management, and lessons-learned documentation to continuously improve processes.
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