Business Development and Bid Manager

SLR Recruitment; Southampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shareholder equity opportunity

Private health insurance

Incentivisation scheme

Flexible working hours

Job summary

SLR Recruitment is seeking a Business Development and Bid Manager for our Southampton operation. This on-site role focuses on identifying opportunities, building relationships, and driving bids through to contract award in a fast-growing UK defence and shipbuilding market.

You will own the opportunity lifecycle, engage with customers and partners, and collaborate with engineering, finance, operations and legal teams to shape compelling proposals and terms.

Qualifications

• Experience in sales, marketing, business development, bid management or contract management.
• Knowledge of bid lifecycle and contract negotiations.
• Experience with defence/government contracts desirable.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new sales and business opportunities.
• Build relationships with customers and partners.
• Lead bid lifecycle from enquiry to contract award.
• Develop commercially strong proposals and presentations.
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop competitive solutions.
• Manage negotiations with customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Ensure compliance with terms and contractual requirements.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Defence/shipbuilding experience

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

IT literacy

Organisational skills

Security clearance (SC)

Willing to travel

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Business Development and Bid Manager — Advanced Shipbuilding

Client interviews commencing ASAP!

Southampton | Full-time, On-site | £40k–£60k + Incentives

We’re looking for someone who can spot an opportunity, build the relationship and turn it into a contract.

We’re the UK arm of a global shipbuilding group known for high-performance vessels built for defence, government and commercial clients around the world. Backed by serious international scale and a growing order book, we’re building our UK presence from the ground up — moving quickly, building relationships and developing new opportunities across the UK and international markets.

This is a commercially focused Sales, Marketing and Bid role, ideal for someone who understands how to develop opportunities, engage with customers and partners, and ultimately convert them into successful contracts.

You’ll have genuine ownership, direct exposure to senior stakeholders and the opportunity to help shape how we grow our presence within the UK defence and shipbuilding market.

The Role

This is primarily a sales and marketing position, with a strong bid and contract management element.

You’ll be responsible for identifying and developing new commercial opportunities, building relationships with customers and partners, supporting the marketing strategy and leading opportunities through the bid and contracting process.

You’ll work closely with internal teams across engineering, finance, operations and legal, as well as external suppliers, advisors and government partners. You’ll help shape compelling and commercially viable proposals, negotiate contractual terms and ensure opportunities progress from initial engagement through to contract award.

The ideal candidate will have a background in sales, marketing, business development, bid management or contract management, ideally gained within shipbuilding, defence, engineering or government contracting.

This is a high-visibility role reporting into the Head of the Defence Business Unit, with real scope to influence how the UK business develops.

What you’ll be doing

• Identifying, developing and progressing new sales and business development opportunities
• Building and maintaining relationships with customers, government organisations, partners and key stakeholders
• Managing opportunities through the full bid lifecycle, from initial enquiry and tender review through to submission and contract award
• Developing commercially strong proposals and presentations that meet customer requirements
• Working with internal technical, engineering, finance and operational teams to develop competitive solutions
• Managing commercial negotiations with customers, suppliers and subcontractors
• Reviewing, negotiating and supporting the drafting of contractual terms and clauses
• Assessing commercial risks and ensuring opportunities remain aligned with the company’s risk appetite
• Managing bid schedules, opportunity pipelines, risk registers and supporting documentation
• Ensuring compliance with relevant export control, security and government contracting requirements
• Maintaining market awareness and identifying potential customers, partners and future opportunities
• Feeding market intelligence and lessons learned back into the wider business

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with a strong commercial background who is ready to take on significant responsibility within a growing international business.

You may come from a Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Bid Management or Contract Management background, but you’ll need to demonstrate strong commercial awareness and the ability to develop opportunities and turn them into successful contracts.

Ideally, you’ll have: Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Bid or Contract Management experience

• Experience within defence, shipbuilding, marine or government contracts highly desirable
• Strong commercial and contractual understanding
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills
• IT literate, with strong Microsoft Office skills and confidence picking up new systems quickly
• Strong organisational and analytical skills
• Comfortable working across technical, commercial and operational teams
• Eligible for UK security clearance (SC minimum)
• Willing to travel internationally when required

Most importantly, we want someone commercially minded, ambitious and proactive.. Someone who enjoys developing relationships, spotting opportunities and taking ownership of getting them over the line.

Why join us?

• Shareholder opportunity. Build equity in a business that’s going somewhere, not just draw a salary
• A genuine growth story. Join early, grow with us and help shape the future of the UK business
• Direct exposure to senior leadership and major defence and government opportunities
• The opportunity to work within a global shipbuilding group while helping build its UK presence
• Private health insurance
• Incentivisation scheme
• Flexible working

The Package

• £40,000–£60,000 depending on experience
• Shareholder / equity opportunity
• Private health insurance
• Incentivisation scheme
• Flexible working hours