Bid Manager

DTC | A Codan Company; Whiteley; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension plan

Bonus scheme

Training & development

Employee assistance

Job summary

DTC | A Codan Company, based in Whiteley, Hampshire, is seeking a Bid Manager to lead end-to-end bid management across defence and security sectors. You will coordinate multi-disciplinary teams to craft compliant, compelling proposals that meet customer requirements and corporate objectives.

The role emphasizes strong written communication, rigorous governance, and the ability to drive win themes across opportunities with sales, engineering, and legal teams. Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Bid Management, Proposal Management or Capture Management within Defence or Government sectors.
• Experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary bids for military or government customers.
• Strong understanding of defence procurement processes and government contracting.
• Excellent written communication to produce compliant and persuasive proposals.
• Strong project management and organisational skills under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end bid and proposal management from opportunity qualification to contract award.
• Coordinate cross-functional bid teams to deliver timely, compliant proposals.
• Manage bid schedules, governance reviews, milestones and deliverables.
• Review RFIs, RFPs, ITTs and framework agreements for compliance and strategy.
• Develop proposal plans, compliance matrices and bid documentation.
• Work with Sales and Business Development on win strategies and differentiators.
• Ensure proposals clearly articulate USPs and win themes.

Skills

Bid management

Proposal writing

Cross-functional coordination

Defence sector knowledge

Tools

Proposal management tools

Job description

Title: Bid Manager
Date: 13 Aug 2026
Location: United Kingdom, Whiteley, Hampshire, GB

About DTC | A Codan Company

DTC, part of the Codan Group, operates in high-growth, mission-critical markets delivering advanced wireless communications, tactical datalinks, IP network devices and C4I solutions.

Our technology is deployed by our customers to give them an unrivalled ability to wirelessly transmit data over long ranges with high reliability and security. We are well established across multiple markets such as military and defence, uncrewed vehicles such as drones, police and government, and broadcast technology.

The Opportunity

The Bid Manager is a key member of the Sales organization and is responsible for leading and coordinating the end-to-end bid management process across strategic opportunities within the Defence, Government, Public Safety, and Critical Communications sectors. The role ensures the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and compelling proposals that align with customer requirements and DTC's business objectives. Working closely with Sales, Business Development, Engineering, Product Management, Finance, Legal, and Operations, the Bid Manager will drive successful capture and proposal activities to maximise win rates for DTC's tactical communications and wireless datalink solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end bid and proposal management process from opportunity qualification through to contract award.
• Coordinate cross-functional bid teams to ensure timely delivery of compliant, competitive, and high-quality proposals.
• Manage bid schedules, governance reviews, milestones, and deliverables to ensure deadlines are consistently achieved.
• Review customer requirements, Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposal (RFPs), Invitations to Tender (ITTs), and framework agreements to determine compliance and bid strategy.
• Develop proposal plans, compliance matrices, and bid documentation, ensuring all customer requirements are addressed.
• Work closely with Business Development and Sales teams to develop win strategies, value propositions, and differentiators for each opportunity.
• Ensure proposals are professionally written, clearly articulate DTC's unique selling propositions (USPs), and present compelling win themes.
• Manage proposal reviews, including Pink, Red, Gold, and Executive Review processes where appropriate.
• Maintain bid libraries, proposal templates, lessons learned, and best practice documentation to support continuous improvement.
• Participate in weekly sales and opportunity review meetings to align bid priorities with business objectives.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience in Bid Management, Proposal Management, Capture Management, or Sales Operations within the Defence, Tactical Communications, Aerospace, Security, or Government sectors.
• Experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary bids for military, government, or critical communications customers.
• Strong understanding of defence procurement processes, competitive tendering, and government contracting.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive, and compliant technical and commercial proposals.
• Strong project management and organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent bids under demanding deadlines.
• Ability to influence and coordinate cross-functional teams without direct management responsibility.
• Commercially aware with a strong understanding of pricing strategies, contract risk, and business governance.
• High attention to detail with excellent analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience using proposal management, document collaboration, and project management tools.
• Strong understanding of bid lifecycle management and recognised capture management methodologies.
• Ability to interpret technical specifications and translate complex engineering concepts into customer-focused proposals.
• Knowledge of defence procurement regulations and international tendering processes is highly desirable.
• Experience working within the Defence, Military, Government, or Critical Communications sectors is highly desirable.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills with the ability to engage at all organisational levels.
• Willing to travel occasionally to support customer meetings, capture activities, and bid reviews.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Eligible to obtain any required security clearances where applicable.

Benefits And Culture

Our culture is supportive and collaborative. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team where we share our ideas and innovation is strongly encouraged. We are looking for someone with genuine passion for the job and a 'can-do' attitude.

Our Employees Receive

• 25 days annual leave plus Bank holidays
• A generous pension plan, company match up to 9%.
• Company bonus scheme
• Annual pay reviews (discretional)
• A personal approach to training and development
• Employee Assistance Program
• Income protection
• Life assurance
• Flexible core working hours.
• Open plan, modern office environment
• Onsite subsidized café
• Enjoy working as part of a global organisation with teams in Whiteley, Hampshire; USA; Denmark, Singapore; Dubai and Australia.
• DTC | A Codan Company is committed to promoting a culture that supports personal development and embraces a diverse mix of employees throughout all levels of the organisation.

Interested in a career with us?