Director, Pre-Award Program Management

Role Description

The Director, Pre-Award Program Management is eSimplicity’s dedicated Bid Readiness Lead on large and strategic pursuits. The role is the link between capture, technical proposal, basis of estimate (BOE) and program delivery and risk. It ensures that our price proposal is competitive, compliant, defensible and executable, as well as aligned with our technical response.

The Director is accountable for the BOE and for optimizing the balance between competitive pricing and execution risk, including proposal assumptions. The Director may also be responsible for management, staffing and/or key personnel for some proposals, as well as pre-award program planning. After award, the Director supports program startup activities, as needed.

The Director takes part in capture only as far as needed to understand the solution and ground the estimate. Capture strategy, customer relationships and teaming remain with the Capture Manager.

Building on this work, the Director also maintains eSimplicity’s program-management standards and supports readiness for CMMI appraisals and ISO audits. This enables process compliance and excellent performance, and ensures that what we propose matches how we actually work. The COO may also assign the Director to manage a small program, with a matching reduction in other responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Proposal: Estimation and BOE

Own the level of effort (LOE) and the Basis of Estimate: the BOE spreadsheet, BOE narrative and technical assumptions.

Serve as eSimplicity’s go-to authority for compliant, defensible BOEs covering solicitation requirements, contract type (FFP, T&M, cost-plus, IDIQ task orders), price realism and price reasonableness.

Work with Pricing through pricing iterations and trade-offs, assessing the impact of pricing changes on meeting SOO/SOW/PWS objectives, program execution, proposal risk and program risk.

Maintain and manage eSimplicity’s BOE standards, templates and estimating assumptions.

Look for AI and other tools that make estimating, proposal development and program management faster and more accurate.

Proposal: Risk

Identify execution risks and mitigations, and estimate what they would cost.

Recommend how that cost should be reflected in the price.

Develop and document the pricing assumptions that come from the BOE, and help build both bid case and business case scenarios.

Contribute to and review the Execution Model alongside the Bid Model, ensuring the executability review is complete before Price & Proposal Submission approval.

Provide leadership with a clear, concise read on risk, compliance and financial exposure at bid/no-bid gate reviews and price approval.

Proposal: Management and Staffing

Write or lead the management, staffing and key personnel sections, contributing to the technical solution.

Recommend team structures and labor mix that are competitive and staffable.

Lead or support identification of key personnel, résumés and letters of commitment.

Participate in color team reviews, ensuring proposal commitments align with the BOE and with eSimplicity practices.

Capture Involvement

Involvement in capture serves the estimate, aiming for continuity, clarity and early answers for the BOE, risk and staffing work.

Join capture early enough to understand the customer’s requirements, the emerging solution and the win strategy.

Provide the Capture Manager and solution architects a delivery and cost view: what is executable, what is staffable, and what price-to-win trade-offs mean for risk.

Contribute to the management and staffing approach as the solution takes shape.

Pre-award Planning and Program Startup

Build the program plan, staffing and hiring plan, incumbent capture plan and financial plan before award.

After award, lead or provide hands-on support for startup and transition, as needed, until the program is stable.

Process Standards and Audit Readiness

Keep proposal-ready descriptions of our certifications, quality processes and management approach.

Maintain a lightweight set of program management standards, templates and tools.

Support readiness for CMMI appraisals and ISO audits with process assets, artifacts and metrics.

Run internal process compliance checks and track findings and corrective actions to closure.

Program Management

When assigned by the COO, serve as PM for a small, stable program, owning customer relationships, delivery, staffing and financial performance.

Qualifications

12+ years in federal IT or digital services delivery, with 5+ years as a PM or PD on federal programs.

Proven experience as a bid delivery lead, PM Rep, proposed PM or key person on large federal bids.

Hands-on expertise building LOEs and BOEs and working with pricing teams across FFP, T&M and cost-plus contracts.

Working knowledge of federal acquisition (FAR, IDIQ and task order competitions, cost realism, evaluation criteria).

Experience starting up or transitioning new programs, including incumbent capture.

Experience implementing or supporting CMMI and/or ISO programs, and preparing for appraisals and audits.

PMP certification.

Excellent executive communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in eSimplicity’s markets: Civilian Health, Defense and National Security, and/or Citizen Services.

Agile or SAFe certification.

Experience with human-centered design and modern product delivery.

Shipley or APMP training; familiarity with capture gate processes.

Active DoD Secret clearance.

Preferredtor training.

Working Environment

This is a remote position supporting Eastern Time business hours.

Employees are expected to work 9:00 AM-5:00 PM ET unless otherwise directed by their manager.

Occasional travel for training or project meetings may be required and is estimated at less than 5% annually.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

401(k) retirement benefits.

Paid time off and paid holidays.

Life and disability insurance.

Additional wellness and employee support programs.

Applicants who need assistance or an accommodation should contact Human Resources.