Opportunity Development Manager

Fusion Energy Base; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority is seeking an Opportunity Development Manager to lead bids, funding proposals and related opportunities from qualification to submission. Based at Culham, with occasional domestic travel, you will coordinate multi-disciplinary teams and engage customers, partners and funding bodies to shape compelling commercial propositions.

The role requires BPSS/DBS checks and onsite work 3 days a week, with flexible working options.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex bids, funding proposals or commercial opportunities end-to-end.
• Ability to identify, qualify and develop new funding opportunities before calls.
• Proven track record coordinating teams and delivering high-quality proposals on time.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and submission of bids, funding proposals and commercial opportunities.
• Coordinate Bid Viability Assessment (BVA) and support Go/No-Go decisions.
• Build consortia and manage relationships with customers, partners and internal teams.
• Oversee the bid lifecycle from qualification to submission and compliance.
• Maintain CRM, SharePoint and proposal records to support decision-making.

Skills

Bid management

Funding opportunities

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

MS Office

Education

Degree in business development or related

Tools

CRM systems

SharePoint

Proposal tools

Job description

Opportunity Development Manager

Overview of Responsibilities

The salary for this role is £57,117 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. This role can be based at any of the following sites Culham, Oxfordshire with occasional domestic travel. This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

Type of Employment Full-time

Reference Number REF4332Y

Salary £57,117 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension.

Lead the development, coordination and submission of high-quality bids, funding proposals and commercial opportunities aligned to the Division’s strategic objectives. Coordinate the Division’s Bid Viability Assessment (BVA) process, supporting robust Go/No-Go decision making, identifying opportunities to refine bid management processes, and ensuring resources are focused on the highest-value opportunities. Build consortia and manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, acting as the lead contact for complex bids and supporting the identification and development of strategic opportunities. Oversee the bid lifecycle from opportunity qualification through to submission, ensuring proposals are robust, compliant, competitive and delivered to deadline. Monitor and report on commercial activity, opportunity pipelines, partnerships and business development data, maintaining accurate CRM, SharePoint and proposal records to support informed decision-making. Maintain proposal libraries, reusable content, lessons learned, bid processes and opportunity tracking systems to drive continuous improvement and increase bid effectiveness. Promote UKAEA’s values by fostering a culture of safety, equality, diversity and inclusion, continuous improvement and compliance with organisational policies. Contribute to the development of strategic funding and commercial opportunities, supporting opportunity assessment, planning, and proposal development. Develop relationships with customers, collaborators, funding organisations and strategic partners, helping to shape opportunities before formal funding calls are launched. Represent UKAEA at stakeholder meetings, consortium workshops, conferences and industry engagement activities.

Qualifications

Essential: Experience leading complex multidisciplinary bids, funding proposals or commercial opportunities from opportunity qualification through to successful submission. Experience identifying, qualifying and developing new funding opportunities before formal procurement or calls are launched. Demonstrable ability to identify, shape and develop strategic opportunities by bringing together customers, partners and technical teams to create compelling collaborative propositions. Able to work effectively with incomplete information to develop opportunity strategies, challenge assumptions and translate technical concepts into compelling commercial propositions. Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing competing priorities to deliver high-quality proposals within challenging timescales. Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build productive relationships with customers, collaborators, funding organisations and internal technical teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information into compelling commercial proposals, funding applications and business cases. Strong understanding of opportunity development, bid governance, opportunity qualification and proposal development processes. Experience engaging directly with customers, strategic partners or funding organisations to support opportunity development and business growth. Ability to prioritise and manage multiple concurrent opportunities in a fast-paced environment, exercising sound judgement and effective decision-making. Proactive, organised and detail-oriented, with strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to continuous improvement. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in business development, bid management, commercial management or a related discipline. Desirable: Experience working within engineering, science or technology organisations. Experience within one or more of the fusion, nuclear, defence, aerospace, advanced manufacturing or energy sectors. Experience developing collaborative proposals involving industry, academia, government and international partners. Knowledge of UK and international funding mechanisms, including Innovate UK, UKRI, EPSRC, Horizon Europe, DESNZ and DSIT. Understanding of technology commercialisation, intellectual property management and collaborative research and development. APMP qualification or another recognised bid or proposal management qualification. Experience using CRM systems, SharePoint or similar opportunity and knowledge-management tools.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/. UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information. Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.