Director, CLD Proposal Management

The Director, CLD Proposal Management at Vast will lead the entire proposal development process for NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations Phase 2 RFP. This includes managing direct reports, ensuring alignment across various internal teams such as engineering, finance, and sales, and developing strategies that highlight Vast's strengths in the proposal.

To qualify for the Director, CLD Proposal Management role at Vast, candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or writing and have 10+ years of experience in proposal management or related fields. Preferred qualifications include success in securing large proposals and a strong technical background in aerospace or space programs.

Vast prefers candidates with demonstrated success in writing and winning large proposals valued at $100M+ with NASA or similar government agencies. Experience with the entire proposal lifecycle, or familiarity with spaceflight industry standards, is also highly desirable.

The salary range for the Director, CLD Proposal Management position at Vast is between $185,000 and $245,000. This salary is part of a comprehensive compensation package that includes stock options and extensive benefits to support your well-being and work-life balance.

Candidates can expect a dynamic and fast-paced work environment at Vast, where collaboration across teams is key. The company is dedicated to building internal processes while also moving forward rapidly with an innovative vision for humanity’s future in space.

When answering this question, highlight specific projects you've managed, focusing on your responsibilities, challenges faced, and how you successfully navigated the proposal process. Be sure to include quantitative examples of your success.

Discuss your strategies for balancing various competing priorities, such as stakeholder communication and technical accuracy. Emphasize the importance of creating a clear timeline and regularly updating all team members.

Explain your approach to researching the client and the competition. Discuss how you tailor your messaging to align with the client’s needs while showcasing your company’s unique advantages.

Share a specific instance, detailing your leadership role, the proposal’s goals, key challenges, and how you led the team to success. Quantifying results can add weight to your answer.

Discuss your conflict resolution techniques, emphasizing active listening, empathy, and finding common ground. Show how you maintain a focus on the overarching goal of the proposal.

Highlight the importance of clear, consistent communication across all levels. Discuss how you facilitate this through regular updates, meetings, and the use of collaboration tools.

Explain your process for ensuring the technical content aligns with the overall proposal strategy, checking for accuracy while maintaining clarity for the non-technical reviewers.

Describe your systematic approach to review RFP documents and use checklists to ensure that all guidelines are met, while also conducting rehearsals or mock presentations to refine the proposal.

Discuss how your engineering knowledge enables you to understand and convey complex technical concepts in a way that appeals both to technical reviewers and decision-makers.

Share your passion for space exploration and innovation. Mention how being involved in projects that contribute to humanity's future inspires you to excel in the proposal management field.