Capture Leader

We’re hunting for an experienced Public Sector Capture Executive in the Washington, DC metro area to help us continue building a best-in-class capture organization and to support our business development function. We are a $1 billion+ global consulting provider and work across a range of industries to make the world a better place through deep domain expertise, innovative thinking and technology. This Public Sector Capture Executive will join a team that supports ICF’s largest business unit. Our work is diverse, timely, relevant, and impactful - improving the lives of millions of people at home and abroad every day.

• As Public Sector Capture Executive, you will be responsible for growth vis-à-vis executing our team’s largest captures across the Federal marketplace & maximizing pWin thru innovative thinking & bold action.  The Capture Executive serves in a lead role for a specific pursuit and provides strategic, tactical & thought leadership through bid submittal. They demonstrate leadership of the pursuit strategy by guiding strategy discussions and developing and leading gate reviews. The Capture Executive will ensure all external activities are completed while working in conjunction with SMEs & operating groups to increase pWin (e.g., devising call plans, meeting regularly with the client and other stakeholders, conducting competitor assessments, and devising the overall teaming strategy). The capture executive maintains the status of the opportunity record in the pipeline, regularly reports out on progress, and facilitates other discussions specific to things like recruiting, pricing, and procurement.  The capture executive understands the fundamentals of successful capture; leads the team using ICF's capture process and tools; is responsible for ensuring all tasks and requirements are effectively accomplished and communicates issues to leadership as soon as they arise.  Capture win rates are the measure of success & ability to drive efforts that shape and secure contracts from Federal Government organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leads the pursuit team and typically gets engaged in an opportunity at least 12-18 months before an RFP is issued. 

• Leads a typical capture portfolio of approx. $500M at anytime

• Leads the development of the win strategy and identifies critical activities and resources needed to increase the win probability

• Drives client-focused activities, including setting up and attending key client and stakeholder meetings throughout the life of the capture

• Sources teaming partners and negotiates teaming agreements and work share prior to RFP release

• Works with the Solution Lead/Architect (when one is assigned) to develop a technical solution and any related demonstrations that are presented to the client

• Works with marketing to develop any necessary thought leadership, campaigns, or social media activity

• Has a firm grasp of the proposal process and should serve as a color team reviewer during the proposal development phase

• In concert with the Capture team, responsible for client contact throughout the pursuit

• Responsible for making sure Capture activities happen and appropriate resources are identified and committed.  Specific activities identified in ICF’s capture framework that should occur as part of capture include developing strategies around the following:

  • Capture strategy and plan

  • Call plan development and implementation, including setting and attending client and teaming partner meetings

  • Gap Analysis

  • Win Themes + Messaging

  • Competitive Analysis

  • Staffing analysis, including engaging with recruiting

  • Pricing strategy, including engaging price to win team as appropriate

• Maintain relationships within potential client organizations across the Public Sector to identify potential opportunities and acquisition changes or trends.

• Lead capture meetings, including kickoffs, solution development meetings, win theme development, competitive analysis, teaming, pricing, and others as required to support captures, with support from SMEs, pricing support, and other internal partners.

• Develop, maintain, and execute capture strategies and detailed capture plans on the captures you manage, including but not limited to relationship building, information gathering and analysis, solution development, staffing and teaming, pre-RFP preparation.

• Identify capabilities gaps and evaluate and recommend teaming arrangements with input from SMEs.

• Participate in business planning activities to include quarterly pipeline and gate reviews, as well as proposal reviews.

Basic Qualifications: 

• Verifiable record of winning new business opportunities greater than $30M with the Federal government

• Prior capture leadership role at mid to large firms doing business with the U.S. Federal Government

• Working knowledge and understanding of the government acquisition process, the FAR and acquisition strategy development

• Firm understanding of a disciplined capture process within the Federal government marketspace

• Bachelor’s degree + at least 10 years with Federal Government capture experience with values greater than $30M per deal

• Strong organizational, prioritization, task-juggling and planning skills managing a wide range of efforts simultaneously

• A professional demeanor and positive attitude, even while working in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to gain support and establish working relationships with program/project managers, technical leads, SMEs, peers, and staff

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with outstanding interpersonal and negotiation skills

• Ability to Allocate Resources as needed and prioritize effectively in limited time frames, working across and throughout leadership channels to ensure appropriate multi-functional engagement to achieve desired objectives and established milestones

• Demonstrated Competence in leading and influencing high-performance teams

• Customer Engagement, with the ability to understand diverse customer needs

• Leadership, with a clear vision and ethical compass

• Market and Domain Knowledge, with a system-of-systems focus

• Relationship Management, emphasizing active listening and communications

• Win Strategy Development, able to create sound business models and value propositions by synthesizing information and ensure alignment with customer priorities.

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Experience leading multiple large efforts ($30 million+) concurrently

• Experience managing federal, state/local government and commercial proposals

• Prior experience with established proposal methodologies

• Demonstrated skills in opportunity qualification, customer visits, and customer relationship development

• Strong proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

• Experience using Microsoft TEAMS, SharePoint, or similar information sharing platform

Professional Skills:

• Agile Decision Making & masterful communication skills

• Creativity and high energy with a willingness to identify and try new strategies and tactics as they emerge.

• Ability to work as part of an integrated business development team

• Strong organizational skills, initiative, and commitment to high-quality work

• Team leadership skills, ability to manage by influence

• Strong meeting facilitation skills

• Strong verbal and editing/writing skills

• Team player with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrated outstanding level of professionalism, including ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy

• Sound business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well with all levels of internal staff, as well as outside clients, teaming partners and vendors

Working at ICF

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth. If you’re seeking to make a difference in the world, visit www.icf.com/careers to find your next career. ICF—together for tomorrow.

ICF is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. (EOE – Minorities/Females/ Protected Veterans Status/Disability Status/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity). For more information, please read our EEO & AA policy.

Reasonable Accommodations are available for disabled veterans and applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email icfcareercenter@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more about non-discrimination:  EEO is the law and  Pay Transparency Statement.

Fairfax, VA (VA01)