Senior Proposal Solution Architect Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid) Employment Type: Full-Time Experience Level: Experienced Position Summary Emerging Tech (ET) was founded to meet the emergent need for a standards-based, end-to-end IT consultancy. Our experts across the United States design and implement cutting-edge solutions that transform our customers' capabilities. We are seeking an experienced Senior Proposal Solution Architect to lead technical solution development across Emerging Tech's federal opportunities and pursuits. This is a hybrid position based in the Washington, DC area, offering a combination of in-office collaboration and remote work, with occasional travel to customer meetings and industry events. In this role, you will own the end-to-end technical solution development process, from opportunity shaping and requirements analysis through proposal submission and transition to execution. You will serve as a key technical leader within ET's Business Development and Proposal teams, translating complex government requirements into innovative, differentiated, and executable solutions that demonstrate our capabilities and strengthen our competitive positioning. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will work directly with ET's executive leadership, Business Development, Capture, Technical Delivery, Proposal, Pricing, subject matter experts, and teaming partners to develop compelling technical solutions across a variety of mission areas. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing technical architectures, leading cross-functional solution teams, authoring technical proposal content, and presenting solutions to government customers.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Solution Development
- Lead end-to-end technical solution development for strategic federal capture and proposal efforts.
- Analyze and decompose complex government requirements, including Performance Work Statements (PWS), Statements of Objectives (SOO), and other solicitation documents, into executable technical solutions.
- Develop differentiated solutions across ET's core capabilities, including Enterprise Technology Integration & Interoperability, Cloud and Digital Operations, Enterprise Program Execution & Portfolio Integration, Cybersecurity & Mission Assurance, and Deployment and Infrastructure Readiness.
- Translate customer requirements into technical architectures, implementation approaches, staffing strategies, management approaches, and proposal content.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, architectures, market research, and industry trends to identify technical discriminators that strengthen ET's competitive positioning.
- Identify opportunities to incorporate modern technologies and methodologies, including cloud, DevSecOps, Zero Trust, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.
- Develop technical concepts, capability demonstrations, prototypes, and solution approaches that communicate ET's capabilities and demonstrate mission value.
Proposal Development & Technical Leadership
- Lead the development and authoring of technical volumes, white papers, solution narratives, and technical approaches from concept through final submission.
- Ensure proposed solutions are technically sound, compliant with solicitation requirements, differentiated, and aligned with customer objectives.
- Collaborate with Business Development, Capture, Technical Delivery, Proposal, and Pricing teams to develop cohesive and competitive proposal solutions.
- Support pricing teams by developing technical bases of estimates, work breakdown structures, staffing models, and implementation assumptions.
- Lead technical solution reviews, participate in color team reviews, and drive resolution of technical findings and gaps.
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations, oral proposal responses, demonstrations, and technical challenge responses.
- Support both classified and unclassified proposal efforts while maintaining technical quality, compliance, and consistency.
- Develop reusable technical solution content, architectures, and lessons learned to improve proposal development efficiency and consistency across future pursuits.
Customer Engagement & Team Leadership
- Represent ET's technical capabilities through customer engagements, technical briefings, white papers, industry days, conferences, and strategic planning sessions.
- Collaborate with executive leadership, Capture, and Business Development teams to understand customer priorities and support early opportunity shaping.
- Lead cross-functional teams of technical subject matter experts, delivery leaders, and teaming partners to develop feasible and differentiated solutions.
- Work closely with technical delivery teams to ensure proposed solutions are realistic, scalable, and aligned with ET's execution capabilities.
- Support the transition of awarded solutions to delivery teams, ensuring technical approaches, staffing strategies, and implementation plans are clearly communicated.
- Build and maintain awareness of industry trends, competitive positioning, and emerging technologies across ET's federal markets.
Minimum Qualifications
- U.S. citizenship.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of solution architecture and proposal management experience supporting Department of War (DoW) and/or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs.
- Demonstrated success leading technical solution development for small to medium-sized capture and proposal efforts.
- Experience developing technical solutions involving one or more of the following: Enterprise Technology Integration & Interoperability, Cloud and Digital Operations, Enterprise Program Execution & Portfolio Integration, Cybersecurity & Mission Assurance, or Deployment and Infrastructure Readiness.
- Ability to analyze complex customer requirements, including PWS and SOO documents, and translate them into compelling, executable technical solutions.
- Experience developing technical proposal content, solution architectures, implementation approaches, and staffing strategies in response to federal government opportunities.
- Experience collaborating with Business Development, Capture, Technical Delivery, Proposal, and Pricing teams throughout the proposal lifecycle.
- Strong understanding of federal proposal development processes, technical solutioning, and government customer requirements.
- Strong written and verbal communication, leadership, critical thinking, and customer engagement skills.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent solution development efforts and meet demanding proposal deadlines.
- Active TS security clearance preferred, or the ability to obtain one.
- Ability to work in a hybrid environment based in the Washington, DC area and travel to customer meetings and industry events as needed, primarily throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area.
Preferred Qualifications Experience
- Experience supporting small-business government contractors, particularly 8(a), SDVOSB, and prime contractor environments.
- Experience developing technical solutions for federal government opportunities and supporting successful contract awards.
- Experience supporting VA and DoW programs, customer communities, and mission requirements.
- Experience developing solutions for healthcare IT, enterprise systems integration, cloud modernization, cybersecurity, and secure or classified environments.
- Experience working with large systems integrators, prime contractors, and specialized technology vendors.
- Experience developing solutions across multiple technical domains and translating complex requirements into scalable architectures.
- Experience supporting classified and unclassified federal programs.
- Active TS security clearance or the ability to obtain one.
Skillset
- Familiarity with federal government acquisition processes, solicitation requirements, and proposal development lifecycles.
- Strong technical writing and solution development skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
- Ability to evaluate emerging technologies and identify practical applications that strengthen customer solutions.
- Working knowledge of modern technology and delivery methodologies, including Agile, DevSecOps, cloud architecture, Zero Trust, and enterprise integration.
- Experience using AI tools to accelerate research, technical solution development, and proposal writing, with sound judgment regarding their practical application.
- High tolerance for ambiguity and the ability to develop structured solutions from incomplete or evolving requirements.
- Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
Compensation & Benefits Starting salary of $160,000–$185,000, plus performance and award-based bonuses tied to the value of contracts supported and won. Bonus details will be discussed during the interview process.
ET offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees and their families:
- Retirement: 401(k) with a company match of up to 4% of pay (100% of the first 3% you contribute and 50% of the next 2%), plus profit-sharing plans.
- Time Off: 11 paid holidays, plus two weeks of PTO to start.
- Medical: A choice of three plans, including a Platinum plan with no in-network deductible, a Gold plan, and an HSA-eligible plan. In-network preventive care is covered at no charge on all three.
- Health Savings Account: Available with the HSA-eligible plan, funded with pre-tax dollars and yours to keep.
- Dental: Exams, cleanings, and X-rays covered at 100%, with an annual maximum of $2,000 in network.
- Vision: Coverage through VSP, with $10 eye exams and a $300 allowance toward frames and contact lenses every 12 months.
- Disability: Short- and long-term disability insurance replacing 60% of income, with the full cost paid by ET.
- Life Insurance: Group life and AD&D coverage of two times annual salary, up to $250,000, with the full cost paid by ET.
- Family Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision are available for spouses, domestic partners, and children.
Why Emerging Tech?
- Direct Impact: Work alongside ET's executive leadership and directly influence the technical solutions and proposals that shape the company's growth.
- Speed: As a small business, we make decisions and stand up capabilities in days, not months.
- Mission: Our work supports Veterans' healthcare and the warfighter.
- Growth: Join a growing organization where your technical expertise and contributions have a direct impact on business development, federal pursuits, and long-term company success.
Equal Opportunity Emerging Tech is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
