The posting
About McChrystal Group
McChrystal Group is an elite advisory services and leadership development firm composed of a diverse mix of professionals from the military, academic, business, and intelligence sectors who specialize in preparing clients for success in a complex environment by transforming organizations into cohesive, adaptable “teams of teams.”
Our capabilities span three primary areas:
- Management Consulting: Organizational transformation, strategy execution, operating model design, and organizational effectiveness, leveraging McChrystal Group’s Team of Teams® framework.
- Organizational and Talent Analytics & Data Services: Workforce and talent intelligence, organizational diagnostics, network analytics, and data-driven solutions.
- Leader Development: Leadership development, executive advisory, and programs that strengthen individual and team performance.
With a team of 90 and a portfolio of public sector engagements across defense, homeland security, and other governmental agencies, McChrystal Group is investing in the capabilities needed to significantly expand its federal business.
Our work is differentiated by proprietary methodologies, specialized expertise, and innovative analytical capabilities. We deliver fixed-price, outcome-oriented engagements rather than staff augmentation or labor-based services.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Director of Federal Growth & Acquisition Strategy to help our leaders and Partners in building and scaling our federal practice.
This individual will develop acquisition strategies, establish contracting pathways and strategic partnerships, proactively identify opportunities, and lead capture efforts that translate MG's differentiated capabilities into federal contract awards.
A central focus will be identifying efficient acquisition approaches for proprietary, fixed-price professional services, including justified sole-source opportunities, alternative acquisition mechanisms, and strategic teaming arrangements.
Working directly with senior Partners and existing finance and contracts teams, the Director will bridge federal acquisition strategy, business development, and capture management. This is a highly hands-on role that combines strategic leadership with substantial individual execution. A successful candidate must be equally comfortable developing federal growth strategies, building external relationships, and personally drafting proposals, acquisition materials, and other written deliverables. As an early leader in a growing federal practice, this individual will be expected to build and execute, rather than primarily delegate or oversee the work of others.
The Director will work with and in support of leadership and senior Partners to help build the infrastructure and set the conditions for growth of McChrystal Group’s federal business. The Director does not lead the federal practice nor are they accountable for its overall performance – rather, they are accountable for the enablement of the avenues and mechanisms by the federal practice can grow.
This role supports federal clients and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. An active clearance is a plus but not required. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and willing to undergo a federal background investigation.
Federal Acquisition Strategy & Partnerships
- Develop and execute federal acquisition strategies that leverage MG's proprietary capabilities, differentiated solutions, and fixed-price delivery model.
- Identify and pursue efficient contracting pathways, including justified sole-source and limited-competition opportunities, CSOs, OTAs, GSA acquisition programs, Department-specific vehicles such as Tradewinds, and other relevant mechanisms.
- Assess opportunities to position MG as a prime contractor, subcontractor, or strategic teaming partner.
- Build relationships with federal acquisition professionals, prime contractors, vehicle holders, and potential partners.
- Advise leadership on acquisition feasibility, procurement requirements, intellectual property considerations, and strategies for positioning differentiated solutions.
Business Development & Capture
- Proactively identify and qualify federal opportunities aligned with MG's analytics, management consulting, and leader development capabilities.
- Engage government stakeholders alongside senior Partners to understand emerging needs, position MG's solutions, and develop opportunities ahead of formal solicitations.
- Translate proprietary methodologies and specialized capabilities into compelling, outcome-based value propositions and acquisition strategies.
- Develop capture plans, competitive positioning, teaming strategies, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
- Coordinate and help develop and write federal proposals, RFIs, RFP responses, CSO submissions, capability statements, white papers, and other acquisition and business development materials.
- Lead end-to-end capture and proposal efforts, including developing win themes, structuring responses, coordinating subject matter expert input, and producing polished, compliant submissions with limited dedicated proposal support.
- Translate MG's proprietary methodologies, technical capabilities, and differentiated solutions into compelling written narratives that clearly articulate mission relevance, value, outcomes, and competitive advantages.
Federal Growth Infrastructure
- Establish scalable processes for opportunity qualification, acquisition planning, capture management, and proposal development.
- Build reusable acquisition and proposal assets, including capability statements, past-performance documentation, and differentiated solution descriptions.
- Develop and maintain a qualified opportunity pipeline and track acquisition progress, partnerships, and capture outcomes.
- Advise leadership on federal market opportunities, procurement trends, and investments needed to support continued growth.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant experience in federal business development, acquisition strategy, capture management, or government contracting.
- Demonstrated success positioning, pursuing, and winning fixed-price, deliverable-based solutions contracts, rather than primarily labor-based or staff augmentation engagements.
- Experience developing acquisition strategies for differentiated, proprietary, or innovative capabilities, including identifying and navigating noncompetitive or alternative procurement pathways.
- Strong understanding of federal acquisition processes, contracting mechanisms, and the regulatory requirements governing competitive and noncompetitive awards.
- Experience developing capture strategies, coordinating proposals, and engaging government acquisition stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience personally writing and developing successful federal proposals, acquisition submissions, white papers, and related capture materials, with the ability to independently produce high-quality, persuasive technical and business narratives.
- Demonstrated ability to establish and leverage strategic teaming relationships and federal contractor partnerships.
- Strong commercial judgment, communication skills, and ability to independently execute in a lean, entrepreneurial environment.
- Existing relationships across the federal contracting and acquisition ecosystem.
- Willing and able to travel ~10%.
- Willing and able to work out of our headquarters in Alexandria, VA.
- Experience building or expanding the federal business of a small or mid-sized consulting or professional services firm.
- Experience with Department of War and Department of Homeland Security contracting, including GSA programs, CSOs, OTAs, and other alternative acquisition approaches.
- Familiarity with management consulting, organizational transformation, workforce analytics, talent intelligence, or leadership development services.
- Experience commercializing proprietary methodologies, data products, or intellectual property for government customers.
What Success Looks Like
- Established and begun executing a prioritized federal acquisition and growth strategy.
- Expanded MG's contracting pathways and strategic teaming relationships.
- Built a qualified pipeline of proactively developed federal opportunities.
- Advanced acquisition approaches that support MG's proprietary, fixed-price business model.
- Implemented repeatable capture and proposal processes.
- Contributed to new contract opportunities and awards while reducing dependence on existing acquisition channels.
