Senior Bid Manager - Government & Defence

Cleared ICT; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cleared ICT is seeking a skilled Bid Manager in Sydney to lead complex government and defence proposals. You will own the end-to-end bid lifecycle, coordinating technical, commercial, finance and legal stakeholders to deliver competitive, compliant submissions.

Responsibilities include developing winning content, pricing strategies and win themes, plus facilitating reviews, capture planning and post-bid activities. Travel may be required.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years experience in Bid/Proposal management, Defence or Government sectors.
• Own end-to-end bid lifecycle from qualification to contract award.
• Strong writing, presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience with win strategies and capture activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional bid teams across technical, commercial, finance, legal and operational SMEs.
• Ensure compliance, quality and governance throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Develop proposal content including executive summaries and pricing strategies.
• Manage proposal development activities to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Support customer negotiations through to contract award.

Skills

Bid management

Capture management

Proposal writing

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Communication

Tools

Shipley framework

Job description

Help Shape the Future of Emerging Defence & Government Technologies

One of our key clients are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Bid Manager to lead complex bid pursuits across Government and Defence markets. This business-critical role will play a pivotal part in driving growth by delivering competitive, compliant and compelling proposals that secure new opportunities and expand our market presence.

Working closely with technical, commercial, finance and legal stakeholders, you will take ownership of the end-to-end bid lifecycle, from opportunity qualification and capture planning through to proposal submission, negotiations and contract award. You will also support internal business case development and work alongside international Government teams on major campaigns involving cutting-edge and emerging technologies.

Based in Sydney, this full-time position will involve occasional domestic and international travel to customer and technology sites.

Key Responsibilities

Bid Leadership & Capture Management

Lead cross-functional bid teams comprising technical, commercial, finance, legal and operational SMEs to deliver winning proposals.

Own and manage the end-to-end bid process, ensuring compliance, quality and governance throughout the bid lifecycle.

Support major capture activities and strategic growth opportunities within Government and Defence sectors.

Lead and facilitate bid reviews, win strategy workshops, black hat reviews, lessons learned sessions and customer-focused capture activities.

Proposal Development

Develop compelling proposal content, including executive summaries, value propositions, commercial responses, pricing strategies and technical submissions.

Coordinate and manage proposal development activities to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.

Create and maintain compliance matrices, stakeholder maps, competitor analyses, win themes and capture plans.

Business Growth & Stakeholder Engagement

Support the development of internal business cases, strategic presentations and executive decision-making materials.

Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to identify and pursue emerging opportunities.

Maintain visibility of the bid pipeline, market developments and evolving customer requirements.

Lead and support customer negotiations through to contract award.

5-10 years' experience in Bid Management, Capture Management or Proposal Management, ideally within Defence, Government, Space, National Security and related technologies.

Demonstrated success managing the full bid lifecycle from capture planning through to contract award.

Strong proposal writing, presentation development and stakeholder engagement capabilities.

Experience conducting win workshops, competitor assessments, black hat reviews, bid reviews and post-bid debriefs.

Working knowledge of recognised bid and capture methodologies such as Shipley or similar frameworks.

Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities and deadlines simultaneously.

Sound commercial understanding, including contracts, pricing strategies and risk management.

Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.

Highly organised, self-motivated and detail-oriented with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Why this role?

Play a key role in securing transformative Government and Defence programs.

Work with leading-edge and emerging technologies.

Collaborate with high-performing local and international teams.

Influence strategic growth initiatives and major pursuits.

Enjoy a highly visible role with significant impact on business success.