Bid Manager

Thales; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plan

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Travel insurance

Employee assistance

RRSP/DCPP match

Paid holidays & vacation

Well-being program

Employee discounts

Job summary

Thales in Ottawa, Canada, is seeking a Bid Manager to coordinate multi-disciplinary teams for bid development and submission. You will ensure compliance, manage schedules, and support negotiation strategies with Capture, Sales, and Account teams.

The role requires 3+ years in bid/proposal roles, strong writing and English communication, and the ability to work in a hybrid environment. Security clearances may apply, with a target compensation range outlined below.

Qualifications

• University degree or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years in bid/proposal development or related coordination roles.
• Experience identifying customer requirements and compliance strategy.
• Bid governance, scope, schedule and resource management experience.
• Bid production of cost estimate pack and planning.
• Strong writing of professional, legal documents.
• Excellent English communication.
• Ability to collaborate and adapt to shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate activities of a multi-disciplinary team to support timely development and submission of bids and proposals.
• Assist the Capture Lead and Business Leads in developing bid strategies and communicating them to contributing teams.
• Collect and organize required inputs from functional teams; review for completeness.
• Support adherence to company bid processes and help prepare materials for internal approvals.
• Assist with scheduling and preparation for Gate 1 and Gate 2 reviews.
• Maintain positive working relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Identify risks or gaps and escalate to senior Bid Managers.
• Participate in process-improvement working groups as assigned.
• Support departmental special projects as directed.

Skills

English fluency

Organization

Executive communication

Collaboration

Adaptability

Proposal writing

Risk & opportunity management

Bid governance

Schedule & planning

Requirements gathering

Education

University degree or equivalent

STEM degree preferred

Job description

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow’s possible. For decades, Ottawa has been a global technology leader. Today, Canada’s capital holds one of the brightest and most diverse technological ecosystems in North America. Voted as Canada’s best place to live 2017 by Maclean’s, Ottawa offers a low cost of living with a high quality of life. The Thales Ottawa office has been a major supplier and long‑term trusted partner to DND, enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard to achieve mission success.

Bid Manager

Ottawa, ON – Hybrid

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the ITAR or the EAR.
• Requires a positive Controlled Goods assessment as you will have direct access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Controlled Goods Program.
• Required to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance at the NATO Secret Level.

Position Summary

We have a current vacancy Bid Manager who supports the development of high‑quality bids and proposals for prospective customers. In this role, the Bid Manager coordinates inputs from functional teams and assists in organizing bid activities throughout the development process. Under the guidance of senior Bid or Capture leadership, the Bid Manager ensures that bid documents comply with internal processes and are prepared for required reviews and approvals.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Contributes and ensures the coordination of all Work Package Manager (WPM) activities for the preparation of the bid and the initial project baseline which will be transferred to the Project Manager:
  • Source data for the future project (Proposal, Contract, …)
  • Requirements baseline for the future project (Technical and Non‑Technical Requirements…)
  • Execution baseline for the future project (WBS, OBS, PBS, RAM, master schedule, resource planning, estimate pack and cash profile, risks and opportunities register, initial plan(s)…)
  • Justification for the future project (Compliance matrix, solution justification)
• In support of the Capture Leader and with Sales Manager and Account Manager if relevant:
  • Participates in the implementation of cash mandate decided at Gate 1 and in the negotiations with the customer.
  • Contributes analysis to and supports the offer/contract terms of all necessary conditions (including requirements relating to the payment plan – deliverables, cash in/out, partial payment terms…).
  • Finalizes the best contract possible in accordance with the cash and negotiation mandates decided by Senior Management respectively at Gate 1 and Gate 2.

Essential Functions

• Coordinate activities of a multi‑disciplinary team to support timely development and submission of bids and proposals.
• Assist the Capture Lead and Business Leads in developing bid strategies and communicating them to contributing teams.
• Collect and organize required inputs from functional teams; review for completeness.
• Support adherence to company bid processes and help prepare materials for internal approvals.
• Assist with scheduling and preparation for Gate 1 and Gate 2 reviews.
• Maintain positive working relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Identify risks or gaps and escalate to senior Bid Managers.
• Participate in process‑improvement working groups as assigned.
• Support departmental special projects as directed.

Minimum Qualifications

• University degree and/or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in bid/proposal development or related coordination roles including the following:
  • Customer requirements identification and compliance strategy – Experienced
  • Bids and projects governance – Intermediate
  • Bid scope, schedule and resource management – Intermediate
  • Bid production of the cost estimate pack – Intermediate
  • Bid organization and planning – Intermediate
  • Risk and opportunity management – Intermediate
  • Proposal content development – Expert
• Prior experience presenting technical and non‑technical information to senior leadership on a regular basis.
• Strong organizational skills with a detail‑oriented outlook.
• Demonstrated experience writing professional documents that are legal and accurate.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and adapt to shifting priorities.
• Excellent communication skills / Fluent in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in complex, global matrixed organizations.
• Exposure to engineering environments.
• Demonstrated contract management experience.
• University degree in a STEM field.
• Experience supporting Government of Canada RFP responses.
• Experience drafting or coordinating technical proposals.
• French proficiency.

Special Position Requirements

• Schedule: 40 hours per week.
• Physical Environment: Hybrid position – mix of working from home and 3 days onsite (in office, at customer site or on‑board ships alongside in harbour).
• Travel: Occasional domestic or international travel may be required.

Compensation

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) $100,000 - $125,000 CAD Annual.

Benefits

• Company paid extended health, dental, HSA, life, AD&D, short‑term disability, cancer care program, travel insurance, employee assistance plan and well‑being program.
• Retirement savings plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary life, AD&D, critical illness, long‑term disability.
• Employee discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

Security and Export Controls

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.