Capture Manager

XLA is currently seeking a Capture Manager.

Overview

We are seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented Capture Manager to facilitate business development activities, identify opportunities, and manage the end-to-end capture process to secure new contracts. The candidate will have a strong understanding of federal procurement processes and experience using tools such as GSA eBuy, SAM.gov, FedConnect, and pipeline management systems like NextStage. This role requires excellent organizational skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate across teams to drive success.

Key Responsibilities

Opportunity Identification and Pipeline Management

• Identify contract opportunities on SAM.gov, FedConnect, GSA eBuy, and other federal procurement platforms.
• Filter opportunities based on company capabilities, past performance, and agency targets.
• Input opportunities into the NextStage Pipeline and update pipeline daily, ensuring accurate and detailed opportunity summaries.
• Conduct weekly pipeline reviews, advancing projects through stages and removing no-bid opportunities.

Market Research and Communication

• Reach out to Contracting Officers or Specialists to signal intent to respond to RFIs, SSNs, or MRAS.
• Conduct initial outreach via email and phone to Points of Contact (POCs) listed on opportunities to request meetings and gather additional information, documenting all interactions.

Analysis and Qualification

• Conduct Gap Analyses to identify project needs and internal capability gaps.
• Develop Capabilities Matrices to evaluate past performance, personnel, processes, and customer understanding.
• Perform go/no-go decisions for opportunities and communicate no-bid decisions with the Contracting Officer.

RFI/SSN/MRAS Response Management

• Create compliant RFI templates and coordinate responses to meet deadlines.
• Write RFI responses, ensuring all submissions are stored in NextStage and SharePoint.
• Maintain organized SharePoint folders for each opportunity.

Pursuit and Customer Engagement

• Develop and execute customer outreach plans, including meeting setup and engagement with program offices, branches, bureaus, and divisions.
• Identify customer pain points, needs, and objectives through direct interaction.
• Facilitate solution development by collaborating with internal teams to create tailored approaches for client needs based on SOW, PWS, or scope documents.

Teaming and Competitive Analysis

• Create and maintain Teaming Matrices, identifying and engaging potential teaming partners with relevant past performance, solutions, and resources.
• Conduct competitive analysis to understand customer preferences, vendor relationships, and develop differentiation strategies.

Proposal Development and Compliance

• Create Compliance Matrices for RFPs to ensure adherence to solicitation requirements.
• Develop and maintain a Proposal Playbook, including checklists and outlines.
• Collaborate with internal teams to refine solutions and proposals.

Recruitment and Key Personnel

• Develop job descriptions and lead recruitment efforts for key personnel, including interviewing and offering contingent hires.
• Collaborate with HR/recruitment teams to ensure readiness for project execution.

Relationship Management

• Foster ongoing relationships with customers, building trust and credibility to position the company for long-term success.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with federal procurement platforms such as SAM.gov, FedConnect, and GSA eBuy.
• Strong understanding of federal contracting processes, including RFIs, SSNs, and MRAS.
• Proficiency in pipeline management tools such as NextStage and document collaboration tools like SharePoint.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Experience in competitive analysis, teaming, and solution development.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of specific government contracting vehicles (e.g., GSA MAS, OASIS, STARS).
• Experience creating gap analyses, compliance matrices, and proposal outlines.
• Familiarity with pricing strategies and competitive rate analysis.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and collaborate effective