Bid Manager

Bid Solutions; Hanslope; Hybrid; GBP 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A government services provider is seeking a Bid Manager to oversee proposal management focused on crown bodies and government customers. This role involves understanding customer requirements, managing bids, and collaborating with strategic teams to ensure accurate pricing and delivery. Candidates should have recent experience in sales or commercial management, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to handle complex proposal writing. The position offers a competitive salary along with extensive benefits to support professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Civil Service Pension

On-site gym and nursery

Interest-free loans on season tickets and bikes

Qualifications

• Recent, relevant experience in sales or commercial management covering tenders, pricing, and contracts.
• Track record of direct customer interaction and securing organizational buy-in.
• Ability to write technical and complex proposal elements.

Responsibilities

• Manage proposals and translate customer requirements into final briefs.
• Engage with Strategic Relationship Managers to establish pricing.
• Monitor progress and effectively manage contributors to meet milestones.

Skills

Sales or commercial management experience

Understanding customer needs

Effective problem-solving

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Degree or Level 6 qualification

Job description

Bid Manager, FCDO Services

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 4th January 2026

Reference number: (phone number removed)

Salary: £38,332 - £38,332

Plus location allowance £1,725

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Location: Hanslope, South East England, MK19 7BH

Job summary

At FCDO Services, we protect the UK's interests at home and overseas. We design and construct secure government buildings, courier diplomatic packages worldwide, safeguard government tech, and a whole lot more.

Our work is as varied and vital as it gets, but we never lose sight of our people. Their skills, aspirations and growth mean as much as the global mission we're on. In our world, it all matters.

Job description

Balancing quality and value is a real skill, and it's one shared by our Commercial team, who make sure we meet the needs of government customers. They're the specialists who shape services with expert insights, win work through expert bid management, and help us reach new customers each day. Now, you've got the opportunity to join them.

• Understanding customer needs.
• Winning exciting bids.
• Knowing the impact of your work.
• It all matters.

Manage proposals, shape futures

Working as a Bid Manager is a little different at FCDO Services than it is elsewhere. Rather than traditional tenders, your focus will be more on managing proposals. Predominantly, your customer will be crown bodies or the Five Eyes nation governments. You'll bring together what the customer wants, their requirements, the available opportunities and potential risks, balanced with the protection of FCDO Service's interests, translating this into a final brief. Our bid managers are multi-skilled and adaptable, moving from working on an infrastructure project to one in digital technology to logistics. So, you'll also work with subject matter experts to ascertain accurate product/service costings and delivery lead-times. Plus, you'll engage with Strategic Relationship Managers to establish pricing, ensuring it is calculated in accordance with any relevant policies, strategies or existing customer agreements. From there, you'll monitor progress and effectively manage all contributors to ensure key milestones are met.

What you'll bring to the role

You have recent, relevant experience in sales or commercial management. This covered tenders, proposals, pricing and contracts. First-hand insight into new business delivery and customer management has led to a track record of direct customer interaction. You're successful at securing understanding and organisational buy-in, even when there's resistance. An effective problem-solver, you can effectively deal with customer questions.

You've complied customer commercial documentation, and as a result, are comfortable writing the technical and complex elements of proposals. Plus, you're confident in analysing, interrogating and evaluating information. Excellent written and verbal communication skills will be key. You can translate, summarise and present complex information and arguments in a simple, succinct, engaging way. Highly organised and detail oriented, you know how to adapt to competing priorities, reaching deadlines and results successfully.

As it is increasingly cropping up for us, experience in digital/tech proposals is a plus. As would experience of product, project or service delivery across a variety of sectors, ideally construction, estates, logistics, professional services. We'd like someone who has both insight into private sector best practice and understands the requirements of operating within and supplying the public sector. Project and risk management would be pluses too. It would advantageous if you had knowledge of FCDO Services, NEC4 principles and contracts. A degree or Level 6 qualification is desirable.

Discover the support you need to grow your career further

But we're always looking to improve - just like you. That's why when you join us, expect to receive a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and a Civil Service Pension. Along with this, you'll also have access to training and other development opportunities to help grow your career with us. Our offices have an on-site gym, nursery, café, and restaurant, and we offer interest-free loans on season tickets and bikes to help you get there. It's a great set of benefits made to support all you do, and all you need.

Security

Every single colleague must be security cleared before joining us. If you're successful in your application, we'll ask you to undergo our vetting process to achieve Security Clearance (SC) clearance.

Secure: Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

It takes a diverse team to protect a diverse world

The vital work we do takes an incredible community of colleagues, with different skills, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We support every individual, so that you always know you're welcome and valued. It's what makes us a Disability Confident employer. And why we're recognised as a 'Carer Confident' workplace. And it's how you know you're joining an inspiring, inclusive organisation.