Proposal and Capture Manager

Who we are

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies. We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitious and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems.

The role

Are you ready to shape how a leading defense AI company wins its most critical opportunities? As the Proposal and Capture Manager at Helsing, you will own and orchestrate the end-to-end bid lifecycle — from opportunity qualification through to contract award. This is more than compliance with checklists and document formatting; it's an opportunity to craft the narratives that bring breakthrough AI capabilities to the warfighter, working at the intersection of strategy, technology, and commercial delivery. If you thrive in fast-paced, high-stakes environments where your work directly enables the fielding of game-changing defense technology, we want to hear from you.

The day-to-day

• Lead the full proposal lifecycle including capture planning, bid/no-bid decisions, storyboarding, content development, review governance, and on-time submission of compliant, compelling proposals

• Orchestrate cross-functional bid teams — bringing together engineers, program managers, business development, and subject matter experts — driving accountability and maintaining momentum across concurrent pursuits

• Develop win themes, discriminators, and proposal narratives that translate complex AI and software capabilities into clear, persuasive content tailored to defense evaluators

• Partner cross-functionally with Business Development, Program Management, Engineering, and Finance to ensure strategic and commercial alignment on every pursuit

• Build and refine scalable bid management processes, tools, and content libraries that support rapid growth without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy

• Manage proposal compliance, ensuring all submissions meet procurement requirements, evaluation criteria, and internal governance standards across relevant frameworks (e.g., FAR/DFARS, Commercial Solutions Openings, Other Transaction Agreements)

• Coordinate pricing and commercial strategy with Finance and Contracts teams to develop competitive, defensible cost volumes and pricing architectures

• Conduct post-submission debriefs and win/loss analyses, feeding insights back into the organization to continuously improve win rates

• Support the development of capture strategies and pre-RFP engagement plans that improve competitive positioning before formal solicitations are released

You should apply if you

• You have significant experience in bid and proposal management, ideally within the Defense, Aerospace, or National Security technology sector

• You have a proven track record of winning complex, high-value government contracts and understand the nuances of defense procurement

• You possess outstanding written communication skills and can craft clear, compelling narratives that resonate with military and government evaluators

• You've managed multiple concurrent bids under pressure and know how to balance scrappiness with rigor

• You communicate complex technical and commercial concepts with clarity and influence to technical and non-technical stakeholders alike

• You have strong commercial acumen and understand pricing strategies, contract types, and how to structure competitive offers

• You're energized by ambiguity, thrive under pressure, and are motivated by mission-driven work

Note: We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points.

Nice to Have

• APMP certification or experience with Shipley or similar capture and proposal best practices

• Background in software, SaaS, or AI-related proposals — not just traditional hardware-centric defense bids

• Familiarity with FAR/DFARS, DCAA audit requirements

• Proficiency in more than one European language (English plus German or French is a strong advantage)

• Experience working with or within US DoD procurement organizations

• Active security clearance

Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields

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Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

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The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world

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Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defense industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward

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In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts

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We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practice responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about

What we offer

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A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

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A generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to base salary) that includes, but may not be limited to, insurance coverage (medical and travel), flexible paid time off, paid holidays, and remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying plans or programs, as applicable and as may be amended, terminated or superseded from time to time.

• Growth toward global roles in our Finance organization

The base salary offered to the successful candidate will be determined by a variety of factors including relevant experience, qualifications, education, skill level, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Helsing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.

Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found here.