Capture Manager

Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space—for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units: Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms). Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed. 

About the Team

Space Systems – The Components
Space Systems is where Umbra turns hardware and software designs into on-orbit realities; developing, implementing and iterating mission-ready core technology, while simultaneously advancing the next generation of our own satellite constellation. Space Systems is vertically integrated across the satellite architecture, thus the team designs, builds, and tests an array of critical components and subsystems, including power systems, communications, control systems, deployment hardware, avionics, and payloads, as well as the flight software, firmware and digital design solutions to support the entire hardware stack. Our focus is on first principles engineering, and our mandate is simple: it has to work when it counts. Every bolt, board, and binary is proven on our own SAR constellation, ensuring flight-proven reliability where failure is not an option.

If you want to work on cutting edge space technology while maintaining the highest standard for innovation and mission ready performance, you belong here at Umbra.

About the Job

We are looking for a Capture Manager to join Umbra’s Space Systems team. In this role, you will support business development efforts for commercial and government customers by helping keep opportunities organized, building clear capture plans, and coordinating the internal work needed to respond to customer requests.

You will help gather customer needs, track actions and deadlines, and pull together inputs from engineering, product, contracts, and finance to create strong RFI/RFQ and proposal responses. You’ll partner closely with the BD Director and technical teams to make sure our offers are accurate, consistent, and easy for customers to understand.

Strong communication and follow-through are essential. This role works with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, provides clear updates to leadership, and helps maintain long-term customer relationships by being responsive and dependable. As you learn about Umbra’s products and customers, you’ll contribute to improving our proposal content, capturing lessons learned, and building better insight into target accounts and competitors.

The role also includes market research and trade show support—researching target customers and competitors, helping prepare for events, capturing notes and follow-ups, and summarizing customer and competitive takeaways that improve future pursuits.

This position is based on-site in our Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA office.

Key Responsibilities

• Opportunity Management: Keep each opportunity organized—draft and maintain the capture plan, track actions and deadlines, and ensure follow-ups happen.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Pull together inputs from engineering, product, contracts, finance, and supply chain to keep everyone aligned on scope, schedule, pricing, and risks.
• Proposal Execution: Drive the proposal workflow—build the requirements checklist, manage outlines and reviews, coordinate edits, and support on-time final submission for RFI/RFQ and proposals.
• Pipeline & Reporting: Keep the pipeline and CRM current—log next steps, dates, and risks, and provide a short weekly status summary to support forecasting and leadership updates.
• Market & Customer Research: Build and maintain account-level understanding—research target customers and buying paths, track competitors and alternatives, and support trade shows/events to gather intel, build relationships, and turn conversations into actionable follow-ups.
• All other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with a STEM or business concentration.
• 3-5+ years of relevant professional business development experience, with at least one year of experience working in capture or program management supporting government contracts or the aerospace and defense domain.
• Proven ability to define and manage technical development and/or R&D scope and technical teams.
• Experience working with business development and leading captures and/or proposals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to travel domestically or internationally up to 10% of the time.

Desired Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant professional experience in the space industry, with 2+ years of professional experience working in capture or program management supporting government contracts or the aerospace and defense domain.
• Proactive, emotionally intelligent leader who takes initiative, navigates ambiguity with confidence, and advocates for critical issues while building strong cross-functional relationships.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced development environment.
• Experience leading and executing complex space or defense programs, including planning, team building, and delivery with clear ownership with minimal oversight.
• Background working with government, defense, intelligence, or civil space customers, including experience as a subcontractor providing capability to a prime, systems-level contractor.
• Experience supporting competitive captures and program execution for satellite components.
• Understanding of systems engineering processes and system architectures.

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options
• Free parking
• Free lunch daily in office

Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Employment Eligibility Verification

In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable. 

Pay Transparency
This job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range for this role is $135,000 - $175,000 DOE.