Capture & Bid Manager - Government

Viasat; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a Capture & Bid Manager to lead capture and bid management across strategic opportunities in the International Government business. You will shape pursuit strategy, governance, and proposal execution from qualification through award, working with commercial, engineering, finance and leadership.

Reporting to the Director of Commercial Management and Operations, you will coordinate cross-functional teams, develop win themes, and ensure timely, compliant proposals that align with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business, Engineering, Defence Studies, Project Management, or related discipline.
• 2-5 years experience in capture management, bid management, proposal management, business development, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex and high-value pursuits through qualification, capture, proposal, and award phases.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and complex opportunity portfolios in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the capture management process for complex and strategically significant opportunities across international government and defence markets.
• Develop capture strategies, pursuit roadmaps, win themes, stakeholder engagement plans, and competitive positioning approaches.
• Establish opportunity-specific capture plans and coordinate cross-functional activities required to advance pursuits through qualification and approval gates.
• Provide independent assessment of opportunity risks, investment requirements, competitive threats, and probability of success.
• Facilitate customer-focused pursuit activities that shape requirements, influence solution development, and improve competitive positioning.
• Ensure pursuit activities align with corporate growth objectives, business priorities, and investment strategies.
• Lead the bid management process from opportunity qualification through proposal submission.
• Develop proposal schedules, governance structures, review plans, compliance frameworks, and submission strategies.
• Coordinate contributions from commercial, engineering, finance, operations, legal, and programme teams to ensure timely and compliant proposals.
• Drive proposal reviews and decision gates, ensuring executive stakeholders are provided with clear recommendations, risks, actions, and decisions.
• Ensure proposals are aligned to customer requirements, capture strategies, and defined win themes.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve capture and bid management methodologies across the business.
• Establish standard tools, templates, governance frameworks, and best practices aligned to recognised industry methodologies such as Shipley.
• Drive adoption of disciplined capture and proposal management processes across pursuit teams.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and subject matter expertise to stakeholders involved in pursuit and proposal activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve pursuit effectiveness, bid quality, resource utilisation, and win rates.
• Lead cross-functional pursuit teams without direct authority, influencing stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
• Prepare and present pursuit strategies, capture plans, bid status updates, and investment recommendations to senior leadership.
• Secure executive alignment and sponsorship for pursuit activities, capture investments, and bid decisions.
• Act as a focal point for capture and bid management expertise across the International Government business.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Cross-functional Teams

Stakeholder Engagement

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Shipley

Job description

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

Reporting to the Director of Commercial Management t& Operations, the Capture & Bid Manager is responsible for leading the capture and bid management processes across strategic opportunities within Viasat's International Government business. The role develops and drives structured capture and proposal methodologies, ensuring pursuits are qualified, planned, governed, and executed effectively from opportunity identification through proposal submission and contract award.

Working across business development, commercial, engineering, operations, finance, and executive leadership teams, the role provides leadership for pursuit strategy, capture planning, bid governance, and proposal execution, positioning the business for sustainable growth across international defence and government markets.

The day-to-day

Capture Strategy & Pursuit Leadership

• Lead the capture management process for complex and strategically significant opportunities across international government and defence markets.
• Develop and maintain capture strategies, pursuit roadmaps, win themes, stakeholder engagement plans, and competitive positioning approaches.
• Establish opportunity‑specific capture plans and coordinate cross‑functional activities required to advance pursuits through qualification and approval gates.
• Provide independent assessment of opportunity risks, investment requirements, competitive threats, and probability of success.
• Facilitate customer‑focused pursuit activities that shape requirements, influence solution development, and improve competitive positioning.
• Ensure pursuit activities align with corporate growth objectives, business priorities, and investment strategies.

Bid Management & Proposal Leadership

• Lead the bid management process from opportunity qualification through proposal submission.
• Develop proposal schedules, governance structures, review plans, compliance frameworks, and submission strategies.
• Coordinate contributions from commercial, engineering, finance, operations, legal, and programme teams to ensure timely and compliant proposals.
• Drive proposal reviews and decision gates, ensuring executive stakeholders are provided with clear recommendations, risks, actions, and decisions.
• Ensure proposals are aligned to customer requirements, capture strategies, and defined win themes.

Process, Methodology & Governance

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve capture and bid management methodologies across the business.
• Establish standard tools, templates, governance frameworks, and best practices aligned to recognised industry methodologies such as Shipley.
• Drive adoption of disciplined capture and proposal management processes across pursuit teams.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and subject matter expertise to stakeholders involved in pursuit and proposal activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve pursuit effectiveness, bid quality, resource utilisation, and win rates.

Stakeholder & Leadership Engagement

• Lead cross‑functional pursuit teams without direct authority, influencing stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
• Prepare and present pursuit strategies, capture plans, bid status updates, and investment recommendations to senior leadership.
• Secure executive alignment and sponsorship for pursuit activities, capture investments, and bid decisions.
• Act as a focal point for capture and bid management expertise across the International Government business.

What you'll need

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Engineering, Defence Studies, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• 2-5 years experience in capture management, bid management, proposal management, business development, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex and high‑value pursuits through qualification, capture, proposal, and award phases.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and complex opportunity portfolios in a dynamic environment.

What will help you on the job

• Experience implementing or operating structured capture and proposal methodologies such as Shipley.
• Knowledge of defence, government, telecommunications, satellite communications, or technology sectors.
• Understanding of government procurement processes, acquisition frameworks, and contracting models in international markets.
• Experience leading large‑scale competitive proposal efforts.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.

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EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on‑line application, please click here.