Bid & Commercial (Pricing) Manager

Fortinet; Kelsterbach; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortinet is seeking a Bid & Commercial Manager for their Frankfurt Data Center based in Kelsterbach. The successful candidate will manage complex bids and commercial proposals, ensuring compliance and competitiveness throughout the process.

Applicants should have a Master’s degree, at least 8 years of relevant experience, and proficiency in German. The role involves collaboration with various internal stakeholders and requires strong analytical and communication skills.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in bid management or commercial/contract management.
• Experience in project-based or contract-driven industries is advantageous.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end–to–end bid process for Enterprise and public tenders.
• Analyze RFPs, RFQs, and contract requirements.
• Prepare and lead internal bid review meetings.
• Support commercial and contractual negotiations with customers.

Skills

Bid management

Commercial management

Financial analysis

German language proficiency

Analytical skills

Education

Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Finance or equivalent

Job description

Bid & Commercial Manager

Department: Finance – International Sales Deals Desk – Frankfurt Data Center based (Kelsterbach)

Position Overview

The Bid & Commercial Manager is responsible for managing complex bids and commercial proposals from opportunity qualification through contract signature. The role combines bid orchestration and pricing shaping while ensuring that offers are competitive, compliant, commercially sound, and aligned with company strategy and corporate policies. This involves close collaboration and interactions with Sales, Technical teams, Support & Services teams, InfoSec, Finance, Legal, Supply Chain, Product, and any other required stakeholders.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage the end‑to‑end bid process for Enterprise and public tenders
• Analyze RFPs, RFQs, and contract requirements (commercial, financial, and legal)
• Support bid/no‑bid decisions through risk and opportunity assessment
• Contribute to the commercial strategy and win themes in collaboration with sales
• Coordinate inputs from internal/external stakeholders to deliver high‑quality proposals
• Ensure bids are submitted on time and fully compliant with customer requirements
• Prepare and lead internal bid review meetings
• Build business cases ensuring a financially compelling offer while protecting company margin
• Develop pricing models, cost structures, and margin analyses
• Build and validate commercial assumptions and financial scenarios
• Ensure compliance with internal commercial governance and approval processes
• Identify contractual, financial, and operational risks and propose mitigation actions
• Support commercial and contractual negotiations with customers along with sales
• Contribute to contract finalization and handover to relevant post‑sales teams
• Maintain bid documentation, templates, and commercial standards
• Capture lessons learned from won and lost bids to improve future performance
• Track and report bid KPIs (win rate, margins, compliance, deadlines)

Profile Requirements

• Master’s degree (Business, Engineering, Finance, or equivalent)
• Proven experience (typically 8+ years) in bid management, commercial/contract management
• German speaker mandatory, any other foreign language is a plus
• Experience in project‑based or contract‑driven industries is an advantage
• Strong understanding of bid and tender processes
• Solid financial and commercial acumen (pricing, margins, cost modelling)
• Good knowledge of contract terms and commercial risk management
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to influence without authority
• Results‑driven mindset with strong commercial awareness