Bid Manager

Thales; Templecombe; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology and defense company is seeking a Bid Manager to join their team in Templecombe, Cheadle, or remotely. This role involves leading major bids, managing multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring compliance with bidding processes. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in bid and project management, stakeholder relationships, and must have or achieve Security Clearance. The position offers a hybrid working model and competitive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Bonus and benefits

28 days annual leave + bank holidays

Pension

Wellbeing resources

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering successful Bids.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Security Clearance (SC) required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams.
• Manage customer, supplier, and partner relationships.
• Create and control bid schedules and resource plans.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk mitigation

Bid and project management

Proposal construction

Job description

Overview

Location: Crawley (West Sussex), or Templecombe (Somerset), or Cheadle (Greater Manchester) with hybrid working (3 days in the office per week).

Are you a Bid Manager looking for an exciting challenge and the opportunity to lead major bids critical to the long-term strategy of a company? Thales UK is seeking a Bid Manager to join the Under Water Systems (UWS) UK team, based in Templecombe, Cheadle, or remotely working with in-office days in one of these locations. UWS is growing, with a portfolio of world-leading products across the sonar domain and a significant number of strategic bids.

What the role has to offer: you will join an established team in one of the most exciting areas of the business and work with a highly regarded team that will support your learning and development. Hybrid working: 3 days in the office / 2 days from home.

Key responsibilities

• Embedding a strong sense of delivery accountability and a proactive risk and opportunity management culture (for both ‘winability’ and ‘deliverability’) at all levels of the Bid team.
• Creating and controlling the bid schedule and resource plan; leading and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams to achieve key milestones.
• Establishing and controlling the requirements baseline (technical and non-technical), including compliance traceability, allocation to Work Packages and the end-to-end estimating process.
• Ensuring the creation of robust Initial Project Baselines for delivery post-contract award.
• Managing customer, supplier and partner relationships – building trust and confidence through open dialogue.
• Tailoring and applying Bid Governance as appropriate (Bid Stage Gates, Bid Reviews, Project Characterisation).
• Coordinating and controlling Master Assumptions, Dependencies and Exclusions List to ensure alignment across all Bid artefacts including the Project execution baseline, estimates and proposal/commercial terms.
• Coordinating proposal development, including colour/peer reviews as appropriate.
• Focusing on cash management and achieving a positive net cash profile for the Initial Project baseline.
• Leading and coordinating PQQ responses with reviews, governance and final sign-off.
• Identifying customer hot buttons/win strategy and aligning Bid activities accordingly.
• Creating initial Project plans for the execution of the contract as required for the proposal.
• Managing and controlling Bid Budgets (status and forecast) for all Bids within the working perimeter and liaising with PMO to reflect in relevant tools (e.g., Oracle, P6).
• In some large or complex Bids, a PM-designate and/or Proposal Manager may be appointed to support the Bid Manager with activities listed above.

About you

• Strong leadership, professional Bid and Project management expertise, excellent stakeholder management, commercial awareness, and a proactive approach to risk mitigation.
• A proven track record of delivering successful Bids on framework contracts.
• Experience leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams to meet challenging timelines with a proactive focus on risk and opportunity management.
• Internal stakeholder and customer/supplier/partner relationship management experience.
• Ability to construct compelling proposals and/or solutions that meet customer needs.
• Experience of Gate Bid Lifecycle processes; adept at applying reviews and managing business risk.
• Security Clearance: This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held; otherwise, the successful applicant must undergo, achieve, and maintain SC clearance prior to commencing employment. See UK Government guidance on clearance.

What we can offer

• Flexible working and a commitment to training, development, and mentoring within a diverse, global organisation.
• Work pattern: hybrid with options for part-time or flexible hours where possible.
• Work environment: Thales supports SMART working with a mix of remote and office-based collaboration.
• Benefits: competitive base salary plus bonus and benefits including pension, 28 days annual leave + bank holidays, life cover, progression opportunities, 24/7 Employee Assistance Program, wellbeing resources, and branded employee discounts.

Security and recruitment notes

Thales Baseline Security requirements apply. Evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, and employment/education history may be requested for up to three years. Some roles may require full Security Clearance. Additional information is available from the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting Agency. Thales is an equal opportunities employer and supports inclusive recruitment; reasonable adjustments are available on request during the recruitment process.

Location details

Locations: Crawley (West Sussex), Templecombe (Somerset), or Cheadle (Greater Manchester). Hybrid working arrangement: 3 days in office / 2 days at home.