Bid Manager

Thales; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global organisation located in Crawley is seeking a Senior Bid Manager to drive bid management activities and ensure high-quality proposals. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of bid delivery while engaging stakeholders effectively. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in bid management within Defence or Heavy Engineering sectors. This position offers a hybrid work model and various benefits including competitive salary, annual leave, and health care provisions.

Benefits

Competitive salary and performance-related bonus

Half day every Friday

28 days annual leave

Volunteering time off

Private healthcare

Pension scheme

Life cover

Employee Assistance Program

Employee discounts

Gym membership discounts

Qualifications

• Proven track record of managing successful bids.
• Ability to construct commercially and technically viable solutions.
• Experience in client and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Provide governance to bid management activities.
• Lead preparation and submission of high-quality bid deliverables.
• Collaborate with Capture Leaders on win themes.

Skills

Bid management

Stakeholder management

Solution construction

Job description

Job title: Senior Bid Manager

Location: Crawley – hybrid working arrangement – 3 days per week on site

Overview

Are you an experienced Bid Manager looking to take on a dynamic and pivotal role within a leading global organisation? Thales DMS ISR UK is seeking a talented professional to join our team and lead a variety of new and existing UK and international contract growth opportunities. You will play a key role in managing all aspects of bid delivery, bringing structure, clarity, and governance to the bid process while ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and high-quality business‑winning proposals. This is a unique opportunity to apply your commercial awareness, business acumen, and multi‑disciplinary leadership skills to maximise Thales' position and secure exciting new business.

Core Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance‑related bonus
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Private healthcare
• Pension scheme
• Life cover
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts

Key responsibilities

• Provide structure, clarity, and governance to all bid management activities, ensuring rigorous processes and discipline.
• Lead and manage the preparation, review, and submission of high‑quality bid deliverables and proposals.
• Collaborate closely with Capture Leaders and bid teams to develop compelling win themes aligned with customer needs and Thales’ strengths.
• Oversee cost estimation and budgeting processes with relevant stakeholders to ensure competitive and winning pricing.
• Support the Sales/Capture Lead the preparation of business cases, customer presentations, and negotiations.

About you

• A proven track record of managing successful bids in contexts relevant to Thales (Defence, Heavy Engineering, Manufacturing), ideally in a complex, multidisciplinary, multi‑site organisation.
• Can demonstrate the ability to construct solutions that meet the markets need both commercially and technically.
• Full business lifecycle management, including capture, qualification and developing capture plans and winning strategies.
• Extensive client and stakeholder management.
• Comprehensive understanding of generic processes and techniques used to schedule bid management activities.
• Comprehensive experience and understanding of the Bid Management process (including Change Control, Risk Management and Information Management).
• Comprehensive experience and knowledge of the bid life cycle.
• Experience of working across boundaries, including knowledge of commercial management, finance functions.
• Has as a minimum a working knowledge of industry standard approaches to bid management (such as Shipley Capture Bench).

Security Clearance statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a Non‑ITAR country may be considered. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

Career Development

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Inclusive Recruitment

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro‑diverse applicants or those with a disability or long‑term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!