Senior Bid Manager

Hitachi Rail Limited; East Staffordshire; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Job summary

Hitachi Rail Limited is seeking an experienced Senior Bid Manager to lead the full bid lifecycle from opportunity qualification through to handover, across multi-unit and international contexts.

The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on bid delivery in a hybrid working environment, coordinating with Capture Leaders, Bid Managers and multidisciplinary teams to craft compelling, compliant proposals for customers.

Qualifications

• Significant practical experience of developing and delivering complex bids throughout the full bid lifecycle.
• Knowledge and practical application of Shipley and/or APMP Capture and Bid Management processes.
• Strong bid strategy and planning capabilities.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams across units, countries or organisations.
• Excellent proposal planning, writing and peer-review skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and customer relationship skills.
• Financial management including budgeting, forecasting, estimating and cost-benefit analysis.
• Knowledge of project and change management techniques.
• Experience identifying, mitigating and managing risks and opportunities.
• Strong resource planning and organisational skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Strategic and analytical thinking to understand customer requirements and values.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of bid strategies and detailed bid plans.
• Support Capture Leaders to develop compelling win themes aligned with customer requirements and values.
• Develop and maintain networks to shape winning solutions.
• Lead multidisciplinary bid teams across units and countries.
• Set objectives, responsibilities, milestones and deadlines for bid delivery.
• Ensure bids comply with processes, governance and timelines.
• Manage both competitive and single-source bids.
• Develop, secure and manage bid budgets and forecasting.
• Lead bid governance activities and reviews.
• Contribute to proposal development and writing.
• Develop concepts for graphics and visual content to strengthen proposals.
• Provide expert support during bid reviews and with variation offers.

Skills

Bid management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Cost-benefit analysis

Risk management

Proposal writing

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Coaching

Tools

Shipley/APMP Capture

Bid management processes

Job description

Description

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Bid Manager to lead the successful delivery of complex bids, from the identification and qualification of an opportunity through the full bid lifecycle and into project handover.

This role offers hybrid working, providing a balance of office-based and remote working while supporting effective collaboration with colleagues, customers and key stakeholders.

You’ll work closely with Capture Leaders, Bid Managers and multidisciplinary teams, using your commercial expertise, leadership and influencing skills to develop compelling and competitive solutions that meet customer requirements and are delivered on time and within budget.

As a senior member of the team, you’ll also act as a subject matter expert, coaching and supporting other Bid Managers and helping to drive continuous improvement and best practice across the business.

What you’ll be doing

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and execution of bid strategies and detailed bid plans.
• Supporting Capture Leaders to develop compelling win themes and benefits aligned with business strategy and customer requirements and values.
• Supporting the development and maintenance of strong customer, industry and business networks, using this knowledge to help shape winning solutions.
• Leading multidisciplinary bid teams, including multi-unit, multi-country and Joint Venture/Consortium environments.
• Setting clear objectives, responsibilities, milestones and deadlines to ensure successful bid delivery.
• Taking accountability for bids being delivered in line with business processes, governance requirements, allocated budgets and agreed timescales.
• Ensuring full compliance with customer tender instructions and submission requirements.
• Managing both competitive and single-source bids.
• Developing, securing and managing bid budgets, including forecasting and managing change.
• Leading bid governance activities and associated reviews.
• Planning and contributing directly to proposal development and writing.
• Developing concepts for graphics and visual content that strengthen written proposals.
• Providing expertise during bid reviews and peer reviews.
• Managing estimating activities, including cost-benefit analysis, cost estimates and the challenge and validation of assumptions using relevant experience and data.
• Managing portal-based tender activities and submissions.
• Using bid libraries, data, previous submissions and performance metrics to make informed decisions and improve bid performance.
• Identifying and managing risks and opportunities throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Leading effective resource planning across bid activities.
• Acting as a Baseline Authority, helping to ensure bids and future projects are appropriately established.
• Providing expert support and guidance to project teams managing variation offers or claims.
• Coaching and providing expert guidance to Bid Managers and wider Bid Teams.
• Promoting continuous improvement and best practice, using lessons learned and feedback to strengthen future offers and proposal submissions.

About you

You’ll be an established bid professional with strong leadership skills and demonstrable experience of successfully managing the full bid lifecycle.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Significant practical experience of developing and delivering complex bids throughout the full bid lifecycle.
• Knowledge and practical application of Shipley and/or APMP Capture and Bid Management processes.
• Strong bid strategy and planning capabilities.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams, ideally across multiple business units, countries or organisations.
• Excellent proposal planning, writing and peer-review skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and customer relationship skills.
• Highly developed networking, influencing and negotiation abilities.
• Strong commercial and contractual acumen.
• Financial management experience, including budgeting, forecasting, estimating and cost-benefit analysis.
• Knowledge and application of project and change management techniques.
• Experience identifying, mitigating and managing risks and opportunities.
• Strong resource planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to research and understand customer requirements and values.
• The flexibility to manage multiple priorities and coordinate complex activities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Strong collaboration and conflict-resolution skills.
• Confident problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• A positive and proactive approach, with the ability to embrace and encourage change.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and motivational skills.

What will help you succeed

You’ll be someone who can operate at both a strategic and hands-on level, providing leadership when bids are complex or intense while maintaining focus on quality, compliance, cost and customer requirements.

You’ll be confident challenging assumptions, influencing senior stakeholders and bringing together different teams and organisations around a common objective. Just as importantly, you’ll enjoy sharing your expertise, coaching others and identifying ways to continuously improve how future bids are developed and delivered.

The role may also involve occasional ad-hoc duties necessary to respond to the needs of the business. These duties will be consistent with the nature and level of responsibility of a senior management position within Hitachi Rail.

Closing date for applications is 25th October 2026.

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At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.