What are the responsibilities and job description for the SkillBridge Business Development Intern position at ABSI Aerospace & Defense?
Location: Remote / Hybrid (as applicable)
Program Type: DoD SkillBridge Internship
Duration: Up to 180 days (full-time)
Position Overview
ABSI Aerospace & Defense is an innovative small business headquartered in the St Mary’s County Innovation District located in Southern Maryland, a short distance from Naval Air Systems Command. At its core, ABSI is a technical solutions company committed to rapidly delivering emerging technologies that create asymmetric advantages for our customers. This is only made possible by employing and retaining world-class subject matter experts and personnel equally committed to our mission.
The SkillBridge Business Development Intern will participate in a structured training program designed to introduce transitioning service members to the fundamentals of federal business development and proposal operations.
This internship is training-focused and observational in nature. Interns will learn about contracting lifecycles, internal business development processes, and proposal development best practices through coursework, mentoring, and supervised project work. Interns will not represent the company, communicate with government customers, or engage in activities that create a conflict of interest while on active duty.
What You’ll Learn
Through guided training and hands-on learning activities, interns will gain exposure to:
- The federal acquisition and contracting lifecycle
- Internal opportunity identification and tracking processes
- Capture planning concepts and competitive analysis techniques
- Proposal development roles, workflows, and compliance fundamentals
- Proposal writing standards and internal review processes
- Collaboration between business development, technical, pricing, and leadership teams
- Ethical considerations and compliance requirements for SkillBridge participants
Learning is delivered through:
- Instructor-led and self-paced training
- Shadowing internal business development and proposal activities
- Practice exercises and supervised internal projects
Key Learning Activities & Responsibilities
Under close supervision and mentorship, the intern may:
- Observe and assist with internal opportunity tracking and pipeline reporting
- Support internal capture planning activities through research and analysis
- Assist with drafting internal proposal content and templates for training purposes
- Conduct market, customer, and competitor research using publicly available sources
- Support internal proposal compliance checks and review preparation
- Maintain internal documentation, trackers, and training artifacts
- Participate in internal meetings as a learner and observer
All activities are designed for training and skill development only and do not involve external representation or decision-making authority.
Program Outcomes
By the end of the SkillBridge internship, participants will gain:
- Shipley Associates Foundation for Proposal Development (APMP) Certification
- A working understanding of the federal acquisition and government contracting lifecycle
- Foundational knowledge of how organizations internally support federal business development and proposal efforts
- Exposure to capture planning concepts, competitive analysis, and proposal development best practices
- Experience supporting internal research, documentation, and proposal preparation activities in a training environment
- Familiarity with common business development tools, workflows, and collaboration processes
- An understanding of ethical considerations and compliance requirements applicable to SkillBridge participants
- Increased readiness for entry-level roles in business development, proposal coordination, or capture support following military separation
Ideal Candidate Profile
This opportunity is ideal for transitioning service members who:
- Are eligible for and approved to participate in the DoW SkillBridge Program
- Have an interest in federal contracting, proposal development, or capture management
- Demonstrate strong written communication and analytical skills
- Are detail-oriented and comfortable learning structured processes
- Can work effectively in a remote or hybrid training environment
- Are motivated to learn and accept feedback
No prior government contracting experience is required.
SkillBridge Compliance Statement
This position is conducted in accordance with the DoW SkillBridge Program. The role is non-paid, training-focused, and does not involve representing the company to government customers or performing duties that would create a conflict of interest while the participant remains on active duty.