How to hire a capture manager

How to hire a capture manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step capture manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a capture manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new capture manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The capture manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A capture manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, capture managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of capture managers.

   Type of Capture Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Capture Manager		$32-87
   Manager, Project Management	The role of a project management manager involves the planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closure of projects. Project managers oversee the scope of the entire project, the team, success or failure, and its resources... Show more	$35-69
   Deputy Program Manager	A deputy program manager is responsible for planning productive and engaging activities that would develop active group coordination and efficiency, helping each participant to reach maximum potential and personal goals. Deputy program managers handle the business development activities from conceptualization to execution, identifying resources and materials, finalizing participants, and allocating adequate budget to support the program objectives... Show more	$38-79

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Capture Management
   • Business Development
   • Veterans
   • DOD
   • Federal Government
   • Past Performance
   • Project Management
   • Strategy Development
   • RFP
   • Competitive Analysis
   • Pricing Strategy
   • Proposal Management
   • Contract Award
   • RFI

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Project manage the complex pursuits using APMP best practice principles.
   • Coordinate with writers, assign leads, SMEs, and teaming partners.
   • Manage capture process for specific opportunities in DoD or civilian market as assigned.
   • Manage internal portal site (SharePoint) to insure proper bid documentation and version control.
   • Apply Shipley and industry best practices to build winning solutions and effectively manage and support capture and proposal teams.
   • Lead the proposal process and support to efficiently develop and deliver complex and lengthy sales pursuit and bid engagements.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your capture manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A capture manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, capture managers' average salary in nebraska is 37% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level capture managers earn 63% less than senior-level capture managers.
   • Certifications. A capture manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a capture manager's salary.

   Average capture manager salary

   $110,790yearly

   $53.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level capture manager salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a capture manager job description

   A capture manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a capture manager job description:

   Capture manager job description example

   The Mission Solutions Operation within the Intelligence Group of Leidos is seeking a Capture Manager to lead and support high-performing capture teams, responsible for securing existing and winning new business opportunities in the Intelligence Community market. The successful candidate possesses technical education and related professional experience, resourcefulness, and motivation to join a cohesive, winning team. The position will report to the Vice President of Business Development Operations and Strategy. The position is located primarily in Chantilly, VA and requires a Secret clearance.
   Primary Responsibilities:
   The Capture Manager is responsible for developing and supporting the execution of the business operation's overall capture strategy associated with an approved pursuit effort to increase the win probability of new and existing projects. Duties may include orchestrating bid strategy, providing oversight of the development of proposal volumes, conducting market and competition analysis, and creating, leading, and supporting capture and proposal teams. The selected candidate is responsible to follow corporate processes for business development and capture management. This includes working closely with the responsible business development or marketing lead, supporting the transition from opportunity identification into capture efforts, assembling a capture team and managing the capture team to successfully bid and win contracts, contacting and interfacing with existing and new clients and partners, communicating the organization's core capabilities, establishing internal and external teaming, and managing bid and proposal funding. Additional responsibilities include: works as lead, responsible for entire sections, volumes, proposals, and/or captures; develops solutions to difficult problems and issues that are unclear and require thorough analyses and understanding of domain knowledge; collaborates with internal stakeholders, business development and operations team members, as well as customer leadership and external stakeholders; works collaboratively with team members regarding solution design, process and/or approaches; participates or leads opportunity gate reviews, black hat sessions, win theme and discriminator workshops, proposal and program reviews, and lessons learned activities; communicates status, resource needs, capture strategy, and recommendations to executive leadership; oversees the proposal phase of the opportunity to ensure successful delivery to the client; and contributes feedback and innovative ideas to the team in support of continuous improvement.
   
   Basic Qualifications
   Bachelor's degree and 12+ years of prior relevant experience or Master's degree with 10+ years of prior relevant experience Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as effective collaboration and inclusive leadership skills Familiarity with federal government acquisition types, processes, and tools Demonstrated skills in areas relevant to business development including: opportunity qualification, capture strategy, customer and industry collaboration, and team leadership Candidate must possess an active Secret clearance
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   Experience in capturing and winning business development opportunities with emphasis on opportunity qualification, stakeholder engagement, solution development, and proposal submission Proven record of success managing and winning capture efforts within the Intelligence CommunityExperience in the development of and successful negotiation of teaming agreements Experience in the development of competitive pricing strategies and associated cost proposal Active Top Secret / SCI clearance and willingness to obtain a successful polygraph
   
   Pay Range:
   Pay Range $113,100.00 - $174,000.00 - $234,900.00
   
   The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right capture manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with capture managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit capture managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your capture manager job on Zippia to find and recruit capture manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit capture managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new capture manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the capture manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new capture manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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