Senior Bid Manager (m/f/d) – Space & Defence [26177]

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Darmstadt; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

CS GROUP, a leading space and defence solutions provider, seeks a Senior Bid Manager to lead the preparation and delivery of high-value proposals for institutional and industrial customers across space, defence, security, and aerospace sectors in Germany.

You will coordinate engineering, commercial, and governance teams to craft compliant, compelling bids and will mentor junior bid professionals as part of a growing international organisation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field such as Engineering, Business Administration or Aerospace.
• Proven track record in bid or proposal management for complex defence/space projects.
• Experience with European public procurement and tendering processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the complete bid lifecycle from qualification to submission and award.
• Develop win strategies aligned with customer needs and company strengths.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across engineering, operations, finance, legal, and procurement.
• Support pricing, risk management, and contract negotiations; mentor junior staff.

Skills

Bid management

Proposal writing

Stakeholder management

Project coordination

Cross-functional teamwork

German language

English language

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering/Business

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

CRM systems

APMP tools

Job description

Senior Bid Manager (m/f/d) – Space & Defence [26177]

• Full-time

CS GROUP, together with HE Space and Sopra Steria, has been successfully providing digital end-to-end systems and engineering services for more than 40 years. With over 2000 employees worldwide, we combine advanced and unique skills in both information technology and space data engineering. We combine entrepreneurial agility with cutting-edge technological expertise. CS GROUP is a leading provider of operational systems and an important and trusted long-term partner for space and defence organisations. At CS GROUP, we are driven by innovation and we value our most important asset: our people.

Shape Europe's Next Generation of Space and Defence Programmes

We are looking for an experienced and driven Senior Bid Manager to join our growing Space & Defence business in Germany.

In this strategic role, you will lead the preparation and delivery of high-value, complex proposals for institutional, governmental, and industrial customers across the space, defence, security, and aerospace sectors. You will work closely with technical experts, project managers, commercial teams, and senior leadership to deliver compelling and compliant bids that secure critical business opportunities.

This position offers the opportunity to contribute to some of Europe's most prestigious programmes involving satellite systems, mission operations, command and control systems, Earth observation, cybersecurity, defence digitalisation, and space domain awareness.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the complete bid lifecycle from opportunity qualification through proposal submission and contract award;
• Develop and implement win strategies that align customer requirements with company capabilities and competitive strengths;
• Establish bid governance, schedules, review plans, and resource allocation for major opportunities;
• Manage multiple simultaneous bids while ensuring quality, compliance, and timely delivery.

Proposal Development

• Analyse customer requirements, tender documentation, evaluation criteria, and contractual condition;
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including engineering, operations, finance, legal, procurement, and programme management;

• Develop proposal structures, compliance matrices, executive summaries, and customer-focused value propositions;
• Ensure all submissions meet technical, commercial, legal, and quality requirements.

Commercial & Strategic Support

• Support pricing strategy, business case development, and risk management activities;

• Contribute to capture planning and pre-sales activities alongside business development teams;
• Assess competitor positioning and identify differentiators and win themes;
• Support contract negotiations, clarification processes, customer presentations, and best-and-final offer submissions.

Drive proposal excellence and bid management best practices;

• Contribute to process improvements, lessons learned activities, and proposal knowledge management;
• Mentor junior bid managers and proposal coordinators.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Aerospace, Defence Studies, Project Management, or a related discipline;

• Minimum 8 years of experience in bid management, proposal management, capture management, or business development;
• Proven experience delivering successful bids within the space, defence, aerospace, security, IT, or engineering sectors;
• Strong knowledge of European public procurement and competitive tendering processes;
• Demonstrated experience working with customers such as:

• European Space Agency (ESA)
• EUMETSAT
• European Commission and EU Agencies
• NATO organisations
• German Federal Ministries and Defence Authorities
• Major aerospace and defence primes

Languages

Fluent German language skills (C2), both written and spoken;

Fluent English language skills (C2), both written and spoken;

• Ability to prepare professional proposals, reports, presentations, and customer communications in both German and English.

Technical & Professional Skills

Excellent proposal writing and editing capabilities;

• Strong project management and stakeholder management skills;
• Experience managing cross-functional and international teams;
• Strong commercial awareness and risk management capabilities;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, CRM systems, and proposal management tools.

Desirable Qualifications

APMP Certification (Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional);

• Knowledge of defence procurement regulations and security frameworks;
• Experience with large framework agreements, service contracts, and system integration programmes;
• Familiarity with space systems, satellite operations, mission planning, command and control systems, cybersecurity, or defence digitalisation projects;
• Eligibility to obtain national or European security clearance.

Personal Attributes

You are:

• A strategic thinker with a strong customer focus;
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities;
• Comfortable engaging with senior executives and technical subject matter experts;
• Results-oriented and capable of delivering under tight deadlines;
• A strong communicator who can build consensus and motivate multidisciplinary teams.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on some of Europe's most challenging and innovative space and defence programmes;
• International and multicultural working environment;
• Close collaboration with leading European institutions and industrial partners;
• Competitive salary and attractive benefits package;
• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid work options;
• Professional development and certification support, including APMP training;
• Clear career progression opportunities within a growing international organisation;
• A purpose-driven role contributing to Europe's technological sovereignty and security.

This job can be located in Darmstadt, Bremen or Munich, Germany.

Inclusive and committed employer, our company works every day to combat all forms of discrimination and promote a respectful working environment. That's why, committed to gender diversity and overall inclusivity, we encourage all applications and profiles.

Inclusive and committed employer, our company works every day to combat all forms of discrimination and promote a respectful working environment. That's why, committed to gender diversity and overall inclusivity, we encourage all applications and profiles.

Last apply date: 31/10/2026!