FLIR

Sr. Proposal Manager

US - Lewisburg, TN Full time

Be visionary

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets that require advanced technology and high reliability. These markets include aerospace and defense, factory automation, air and water quality environmental monitoring, electronics design and development, oceanographic research, deepwater oil and gas exploration and production, medical imaging and pharmaceutical research.

We are looking for individuals who thrive on making an impact and want the excitement of being on a team that wins.

  

Job Description

  

Summary 

At Teledyne, the Senior Proposal Manager – Cost & Price is a people manager and functional leader responsible for leading the Cost & Price / Estimating organization supporting U.S. Government and DoD electronic contract manufacturing (ECM/EMS) proposals. This role owns the strategy, execution, quality, and continuous improvement of proposal cost models, pricing outputs, and compliant cost volumes. The Senior Proposal Manager ensures proposal pricing is accurate, defensible, audit‑ready, and competitive, while developing team capability and enforcing standard processes across the proposal lifecycle. 

This position partners closely with Program Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Contracts, and Compliance to support proposal reviews, fact‑finding, and negotiations. 

Key Responsibilities: Other duties as assigned.

People & Functional Leadership 

  • Provide direct management of the Cost & Price / Estimating team (pricing analysts, estimators, cost modelers), including hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning. 

  • Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and workload priorities to support multiple concurrent proposals with varying complexity and urgency. 

  • Develop and maintain a competency matrix, training plans, and standard work to improve estimate quality, cycle time, and audit outcomes. 

  • Foster a culture of accountability, data integrity, and continuous improvement within the pricing organization. 

Proposal Cost & Price Ownership 

  • Own the end‑to‑end cost & price function for Government and DoD proposals, from kickoff through submission, negotiation support, and contract award. 
  • Set the pricing approach and cost modeling strategy (bottom‑up, parametric, learning curve, volume pricing) appropriate to proposal scope and risk. 

  • Ensure consistent, accurate roll‑up of labor, materials, overheads, NRE, test, and integration costs across all proposal volumes and summary sheets. 

  • Approve final cost models, pricing summaries, and cost narratives prior to internal reviews and customer submittal. 

Compliance, Audit Readiness & Risk Management 

  • Ensure all proposals comply with internal estimating system requirements and applicable Government contracting standards (e.g., cost/pricing data expectations, documentation rigor, traceability). 

  • Enforce disciplined Basis of Estimate (BOE) development, including assumptions, methodologies, sources of data, and management review evidence. 

  • Oversee preparation of audit‑ready pricing support for fact‑finding, negotiations, and post‑award reviews. 

  • Identify pricing, estimating, and execution risks early and clearly communicate impacts and mitigation strategies to leadership. 

Cross‑Functional Integration 

  • Partner with Supply Chain and Materials leadership to ensure BOM pricing, supplier evidence, lead times, and cost drivers are accurately reflected in proposal pricing. 

  • Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Test, and Quality to validate scope assumptions, labor standards, and production/test strategies. 

  • Support Contracts and Program Management during negotiations, E/N responses, and pricing changes driven by customer feedback or leadership decisions. 

  • Provide concise, executive‑level communication on proposal status, cost drivers, assumptions, and risk. 

Process, Tools & Continuous Improvement 

  • Own pricing tools, models, and templates (primarily Excel‑based), ensuring version control, governance, and consistency across proposals. 

  • Establish and track proposal KPIs (cycle time, estimate accuracy, audit findings, rework) and lead corrective actions where gaps exist. 

  • Drive estimate‑to‑actual feedback loops and update estimating methods, factors, and standards to improve long‑term accuracy and profitability. 

  • Lead initiatives to streamline pricing workflows, reduce manual effort, and improve data quality and responsiveness. 

Required Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Business, or related discipline (or equivalent experience). 

  • Demonstrated people management experience leading pricing, estimating, or proposal teams. 

  • Significant experience supporting Government / DoD proposals involving complex manufactured products or services. 

  • Strong background in cost modeling, pricing strategy, and proposal cost volume ownership. 

  • Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills with the ability to review and approve complex models. 

  • Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and communicate effectively with senior leadership. 

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Experience in electronic contract manufacturing (ECM/EMS) environments (PCBA, box build, test, integration, NRE). 
  • Familiarity with structured proposal review gates, fact‑finding, and negotiation support for defense customers. 
  • Experience driving estimating system improvements and estimate‑to‑actual analysis programs. 

Core Competencies 

  • People leadership and talent development 

  • Cost modeling & pricing governance 

  • Proposal execution under tight deadlines 

  • Risk identification and mitigation 

  • Executive‑level communication and influence 

  • Continuous improvement mindset 

Success Metrics 

  • On‑time delivery of compliant, high‑quality cost & price proposals 
  • Improved estimate accuracy and reduced pricing rework 
  • Positive audit and negotiation outcomes 
  • Increased team capability and throughput 
  • Improved proposal cycle time and predictability 

  

Teledyne and all of our employees are committed to conducting business with the highest ethical standards. We require all employees to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, rules and regulatory orders. Our reputation for honesty, integrity and high ethics is as important to us as our reputation for making innovative sensing solutions.

Teledyne is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic or non-merit based factor made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. ​