Bid Manager (m/f/d)

HyImpulse - Career; Köln; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Spendit Card

Christmas bonus

Job bike leasing

Gift for special occasions

Mobility allowance

Team events

30 days vacation

Flexible working hours

Remote work 1 day per week

Coffee, tea & water

Feedback culture

Personal development trainings

Buddy program

Diverse startup environment

Hands-on involvement in development

Job summary

HyImpulse is a fast-growing New Space startup in NRW seeking a seasoned Bid & Capture Manager to lead end-to-end pursuit of institutional and commercial bids. You will coordinate input from BD, engineering, legal, and finance to craft coherent submissions and drive win themes.

Fluency in German and English, plus several years of bid-management experience in aerospace or government contracting, will help steer complex proposals on tight deadlines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in business, engineering, or similar.
• Several years of capture/bid/proposal management, ideally in aerospace/defence.
• Proven track record managing complex multi-stakeholder proposals from qualification through submission.
• Strong project-management skills to run parallel bid schedules against fixed deadlines.
• Comfortable in a fast-moving startup with multi-hat responsibilities.
• Fluent in both German and English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end capture and bid/no-bid decisions with Institutional BD Manager and Head of BD.
• Own proposal management for every live bid: schedules, compliance, and win-theme development.
• Coordinate cross-functional input from BD, engineering, legal, and finance for integrated submissions.
• Develop and maintain a capture plan and pipeline tracker; brief leadership on status and risk.
• Support pricing strategy and cost-volume development with finance.
• Build and manage relationships with capture partners, subcontractors, and teaming partners in NRW.
• Contribute to lessons-learned reviews after bid submissions, awards, and losses.
• Site leadership duties, such as leading branch setup.

Skills

Capture management

Bid management

Proposal management

Project management

German language

English language

Startup environment

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end capture and bid/no-bid decision process for institutional and commercial opportunities, working closely with the Institutional BD Manager and Head of BD to prioritize pursuits
• Own proposal management for every live bid: building schedules, tracking compliance against RFP/RFI requirements, and driving win-theme development across contributing teams
• Coordinate cross-functional input from BD, engineering, legal, and finance on active bids, ensuring technical, commercial, and legal sections are integrated into a single coherent submission
• Develop and maintain a capture plan and pipeline tracker, briefing leadership regularly on status, risk, and resourcing needs
• Support pricing strategy and cost-volume development in coordination with finance, ensuring bids are commercially sound and competitively positioned
• Build and manage relationships with capture partners, subcontractors, and teaming partners relevant to NRW-based defence and institutional bids
• Contribute to lessons-learned reviews after bid submissions, awards, and losses, feeding improvements back into HyImpulse's capture process
• Site leadership duties, such as leading branch setup

Basic Qualification

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field (business, engineering, or similar)
• Several years of demonstrable experience in capture management, bid management, or proposal management, ideally within aerospace, defence, or another B2G/B2B environment
• Proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder proposals from qualification through submission
• Strong project-management skills, with the ability to run parallel bid schedules against fixed external deadlines
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment with limited support structure, wearing multiple hats as needed
• Fluent in both German and English, written and spoken, sufficient to lead proposal writing and client-facing communication in both languages

Desired Experience

• Prior experience bidding into German or European institutional/government customers (e.g., DLR, BMVg, ESA, primes)
• Familiarity with the space, launch services, or broader aerospace/defence sector
• Experience setting up or growing a regional office or business unit from an early stage
• Existing network within the aerospace/defence ecosystem (DLR, BMVg, RWTH Aachen, primes and suppliers)
• Exposure to public-procurement processes and compliance requirements typical of German federal contracts

Benefits

• €50 monthly Spendit Card – because it’s the little extras that make a difference
• Christmas bonus on top
• Job bike leasing for a sporty and sustainable commute
• €60 gift for special occasions (birthday, wedding, birth of a child)
• Mobility allowance – because a good workday starts on the way there
• Regular team events – from Christmas parties to adventure offsites
• 30 days of vacation to fully recharge
• Flexible working hours (flextime) to match your personal rhythm
• 1 day of remote work per week
• Free coffee, tea & water – fuel for big ideas
• Open, respectful feedback culture at eye level
• Personal development opportunities through trainings, coaching & language courses
• Buddy program with structured onboarding, including a welcome package
• A diverse and inspiring startup environment, where talented people from over 16 nations collaborate to build something extraordinary
  Hands-on involvement across end-to-end development processes in a fast-growing New Space startup

Equal Employment Opportunity

HyImpulse is committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment. As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age or disability.