Capture & Bid Manager - Sovereign Space Programmes (West)

Viasat; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a Bid Manager to lead the end-to-end management of bids for the Sovereign Space Programmes team in London, coordinating with technical, commercial, finance and legal SMEs. Role involves content creation, bid submissions, and cross-functional collaboration.

You will drive the Shipley-based bid process, manage gate reviews and debriefs, and ensure compliant and competitive proposals while liaising with international teams and customers.

Qualifications

• Graduate level in a technical discipline.
• Proven bid management and proposal writing experience.
• Familiarity with government/space sector procurement methods.
• Experience leading end-to-end bid processes and negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end bid management for cross-functional teams.
• Develop compelling bid content with SME input.
• Implement Shipley-based bid process and governance.
• Ensure compliance with policies and regulations.

Skills

Bid management

Proposal writing

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

MS Office

Education

Graduate level in a technical discipline

Tools

Shipley process

CRM system

MS Project

SharePoint

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

The Bid Manager will be an experienced bidding professional who provides bid leadership and support for capture and bids for the Sovereign Space Programmes team globally. Activities undertaken include generation of competitive, compliant, and compelling proposals and bid submissions, taking ownership and implementation of the end-to-end company standard bid process, and assembling and managing a cross-functional bid team towards a winning bid spanning SATCOM, PNT, and emergent technologies in the space sector. The person will also lead internal business case generation with active stakeholder management and work with other members of Viasat International Government team and with the wider resources of Viasat.

This is a full-time role aligned to our London office, with office attendance typically required no more than once a week, depending on the needs of specific bids and projects. The role may also involve occasional travel to customer and technology sites worldwide.

The candidate must be able to achieve UK SC Security Clearance.

The day-to-day

• Lead bids. Independently lead the end-to-end management of highly cross-functional Viasat/Inmarsat bid teams collaborating with internal and external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across technical, commercial, finance and legal functions ensuring on-time, compliant bid submission and subsequent contract award.
• Write and manage content. Develop compelling bid content with SME input, writing clear, concise and persuasive text with a cohesive narrative. This will include executive summaries, value propositions, pricing models, technical responses, etc.
• Use corporate process. Implement the Shipley based Viasat bid process taking a disciplined approach throughout the campaign, capture and proposal preparation stages, including managing gate process, colour reviews, win workshops and debrief sessions.
• Ensure compliance. Ensure deals are structured and processed efficiently and align to company policies, and external regulations as appropriate, working closely with finance and legal.
• Support Capture / Campaigns. Support Bid / Sales Director(s) on large complex capture and bids.
• Manage stakeholders. Develop internal business case material and presentations ensuring stakeholder engagement and alignment.
• Support sales process. Handle day-to-day queries from groups including sales and account management teams utilising the company quoting tools and supporting management of the pipeline within the CRM system
• Typical bid values range from $0.5M to $500M+.

Outcomes in the next 12 months:

• High success rate for bids/capture/rebids/contract growth opportunities for the Sovereign Space Programmes (West) team.
• Champion and implement company standard bid process and bid discipline throughout the bid lifecycle for every bid/opportunity.
• Delivery of outputs (e.g. stakeholder maps, competitor landscape, emerging customer trends etc.) to support Director, Sovereign Space Programmes (East) in capture campaigns.

What you’ll need

• Graduate level in a technical discipline.
• Demonstrable background and experience in bid management, ideally working within SATCOM / Defence / PNT / space or technology sectors.
• Familiarity with Government / Agency / Prime contractor space sector customer procurement methods and formats.
• Proven experience in managing end-to-end bid process, including proposal writing, presentation development, bid collateral, win workshops, competition workshops, black hats, bid reviews and negotiations.
• Knowledge and experience of working with industry standard Bid/Capture management processes e.g. Shipley and implementation of bid discipline and governance.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional, international teams, and influence stakeholders at various levels.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines. Able to work towards solutions and manage through to completion.
• Good commercial understanding of contracts and pricing.
• Highly organised, detail oriented, self-motivated with strong interpersonal skills, plus an ability to see the wider picture and think strategically.
• Critical thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Positive attitude, flexible / resourceful approach, independent problem solver.
• Confident and articulate with senior leaders.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office packages including Word, Excel, MS Project and SharePoint.
• Native-level English proficiency, excellent written and verbal English communication skills and the ability to draft compelling text.

What will help you on the job

• Knowledge of and an interest in space sector technology e.g. spacecraft design, spacecraft operation, PNT such that they can interface confidently with SMEs.
• Broad based skills across a wide range of technologies.
• MBA qualified.

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.