What are the responsibilities and job description for the Proposal Capture Internship position at ASCENDING?
Proposal Capture Internship
ASCENDING Inc. | 100% Remote (Onsite Option: Fairfax, VA)
Commitment: Part-Time (~15 hours per week), Academic credit available; strong potential for conversion to a paid part-time role.
ASCENDING Inc. is a dynamic, fast-growing consulting and solutions provider dedicated to delivering innovative services to our clients. We specialize in navigating complex acquisition processes to secure high-impact government and commercial projects. We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented intern to join our Business Development (BD) and Proposals team. This unique role focuses on the critical Opportunity Identification and Qualification stage of our bid process.
Key Responsibilities
The Proposal Capture Intern will work directly with the Proposal Manager and BD team, focusing primarily on finding, tracking, and assessing potential bid opportunities:
- Opportunity Identification & Tracking: Daily monitoring of Federal and State procurement portals (e.g., SAM.gov) and subscription services (e.g., GovWin) to identify potential RFPs (Requests for Proposals), RFIs, and RFQs.
- Initial Qualification & Summarization: Create concise Executive Summaries for new opportunities, detailing the client, scope, budget range, and key deadlines to assist leadership in making preliminary "Go/No-Go" decisions.
- Document Management: Download, organize, and distribute all relevant solicitation documents and amendments, ensuring the bid team has access to the most current and compliant information.
- Compliance Documentation Support: Assist in building the initial compliance matrix, verifying that all mandatory requirements within the solicitation have been captured for the writing team.
- Content Readiness: Assist the Content Manager in identifying, tagging, and organizing standard content (e.g., Past Performance records, résumés, and company templates) necessary for immediate proposal assembly.
Required Skills & Experience
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English, with a strong emphasis on precision and clarity.
- High level of organization and meticulous attention to detail—essential for compliance.
- Strong proficiency in research and data organization (Word, Excel, Google Drive, OneDrive).
- Experience with Slack, Confluence and Jira.
- Experience with Generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
What We Offer
- Career Pathway: This is an unpaid internship designed as a direct path to employment. Successful interns who consistently demonstrate high performance, initiative, and dedication will be strongly considered for a transition to a paid part-time role at the conclusion of the internship term.
- Lunch Budget: When you choose to work in the office.
- Flexible Work Schedule: This position is 100% Remote, offering flexibility to accommodate your academic schedule. Onsite work in our Fairfax, VA office is available but optional.
- Invaluable Experience: Gain direct, hands-on experience with competitive opportunity identification and bid strategy—skills foundational to any career in Business Development or Proposal Management.
- Mentorship: Receive direct guidance and mentorship from the Proposal Manager and senior leadership team.
- Academic Credit: We will gladly work with your institution to fulfill any requirements for academic credit.