Bid Manager

Thales; Manor Royal; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global defence contractor in Crawley is hiring a Senior Bid Manager with a focus on delivering business-winning proposals in a hybrid working model. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in bid management, strong leadership skills, and the ability to manage diverse stakeholders. Responsibilities include overseeing bid processes and collaborating with teams to align proposals with customer needs. The company offers a competitive salary and a range of benefits including a performance-related bonus and generous leave.

Benefits

Performance-related bonus

Half day every Friday

28 days annual leave

Private healthcare

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record of managing successful bids in Defence or Heavy Engineering.
• Ability to construct solutions that meet market needs both commercially and technically.
• Experience with full business lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Ensure successful delivery of bids.
• Lead and manage preparation of high-quality bid deliverables.
• Collaborate with bid teams to develop compelling win themes.

Skills

Bid Management

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Commercial Awareness

Job description

Location: Manor Royal Crawley, United Kingdom

Job title: Senior Bid Manager

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

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems. Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

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

On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes:

• 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

• Undertake the activities that will ensure the successful delivery of bids.
• 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.

#LI-DNI

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.

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.

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!