Capture Development Lead

Company Overview

Why do you need to choose between doing important work and having a fulfilling life? At Ardent, we have both. Ardent employees are committed to solving our customers’ most difficult problems—and we are committed to the well‑being, personal goals, and professional development of our employees. We are "All In." We put forth our strongest effort possible to get the mission accomplished and we do it together.

We respect the skills and experience you bring to the Ardent team. And we provide a rewarding environment to help you succeed.

We offer highly competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and an exceptional culture that embraces flexibility, innovation, collaboration, and career growth. A collective service mindset underpins our work, and a shared camaraderie to serve clients, colleagues, and our communities set us apart. Our full commitment to being "All In" for our employees and our clients is not just our approach, it is our standard.

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, choose Ardent and make a difference with us.

Ardent is seeking a Capture Development Lead to join our team. This is a hybrid/on‑site position requiring 2–3 days on‑site at our Vienna, VA, Headquarters.

Ardent is hiring for a Capture Development Lead to join a dynamic, fast‑moving team. As a premier federal government contractor specializing in geospatial intelligence, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), this position plays a crucial role in identifying, pursuing, and winning new business opportunities with DOD and Fed Civ agencies. This position requires a hustle and competitive mentality with a blend of strategic thinking, relationship‑building, and technical knowledge to support the growth and success of the organization.

The ideal candidate should have a deep understanding of the Federal IT Full and Open services market, a proven track record and understanding of how to run capture on federal opportunities, and customer engagement and management experience.

At Ardent you will have the support from a world‑class proposal shop and program delivery team that encompasses technical writers, Ph.D. level technology experts, in‑house graphics design, and proposal management expertise. You will be provided all the necessary tools to develop and capture new business – such as Salesforce, Gov Win, a custom developed AI opportunities search engine, and others.

In addition, we offer a competitive base salary commensurate with years of experience and the potential of 20–30% bonus based on wins and other performance measures that contribute to the growth of Ardent’s enterprise value.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including federal agency representatives, industry partners, internal and external teams.
• Identify and qualify new business opportunities through market analysis, networking, and industry events.
• Develop and execute strategic plans to capture new business with a one (1) to three (3) year outlook, including identifying target opportunities, assessing competitive positioning, and developing win strategies.
• Lead and manage the capture process for identified opportunities, including the development of capture plans, winning proposal strategies, and value propositions – ensuring capture plans are executed effectively to maximize win probabilities.
• Collaborate with technical and subject matter experts to develop compelling solutions and proposals that address customer requirements and differentiate the company from competitors.
• Manage the proposal development process, including writing, editing, and reviewing proposal content to ensure compliance with solicitation requirements and alignment with capture strategy.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with federal government customers, understanding their missions, challenges, and needs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to customers, providing insights and recommendations on how the company’s geospatial intelligence, digital transformation, and AI/ML capabilities can address their needs.
• Conduct in‑depth market research to identify potential business…