Senior Bid Manager

BAE Systems (New); Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an established industry player as a Senior Bid Manager, where you'll lead complex bidding processes and manage a dedicated team. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape bid strategies and implement best practices in a collaborative environment. You'll be part of a forward-thinking organization that values diversity and innovation, ensuring that your contributions make a real impact in the public and commercial sectors. If you're passionate about bidding excellence and ready to take on new challenges, this position is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in competitive tendering.
• APMP certification and knowledge of best practice bidding processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the entire bid process for complex bids from EoI to submission.
• Manage a small team of Bid Managers and oversee bid strategy.

Skills

Bid Management

Team Leadership

Strategic Planning

Communication Skills

Project Management

Problem Solving

Negotiation Skills

Education

Degree in Business, Sales, Engineering, or Project Management

Tools

MS Office

MS SharePoint

Proposal Management Software

Job description

Location(s): UK, Europe & Africa : UK : Guildford

Job Title: Senior Bid Manager

Location: Frimley, Guildford, London and Christchurch – Hybrid min 2 dpw in the office

A hybrid working arrangement based out of the listed Digital Intelligence sites. There will be a minimum requirement to attend the office on at least a twice-weekly basis, as well as other regular travel to DI sites in line with the business needs, depending on the bid(s) you are running.

We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

What you'll be doing

As the Senior Bid Manager, you'll spearhead the entire bid process for our larger and more complex bids from initial EoI/PQQ activity to tender submission and closure. You will oversee a small team of Bid managers and working under minimal supervision, you'll manage and tailor bid processes for the bids that you’ll lead. You will be responsible for:

• Line Managing a team of 3 -4 direct reports, ensuring that they are led effectively, communicated with pro-actively and are treated with respect;
• Defining and implementing the bid strategy, to ensure to understand how to maximise P(win);
• Leading the bid team and orchestrating the governance process and compliance, including the production of the associated internal bid deliverables in-line with corporate process;
• Leading the development of a quality, coherent, compelling proposals in-line with internal processes and Shipley best practice;
• Prioritising own workload according to demand, deadlines and business priorities;
• Providing “Thought Leadership” and vision around how to make improvements to bidding within the context of our organisation.
• Owning and delivering process improvements to bid related tools, systems and processes within our overall Business Winning approach.
• Supporting training of Bidding best practice across our organisation.

Common activities undertaken by our Bid Manager’s for specific opportunities include:

• Manage all bid activities including planning, resourcing, all internal assurance reviews of the proposal submission.
• Manage communications with senior management (incl. Leadership Team) on proposal updates and key review meetings.
• Prepare and coach the bid team members and reviewers in the bidding process to ensure understanding and adherence to the process.
• Actively promote and support activities and processes that support better quality qualification of bids (for example Shipley colour reviews and Miller-Heiman).
• Lead the planning and execution of the overall proposal development effort, direct the development of the proposal and associated deliverables and facilitate reviews of all submission material.
• Leading all aspects of the planning and execution of the overall bid cycle/governance plan throughout the lifecycle including RFIs, PQQs and main bid responses ITT/ITN/RFP/RFQs, applying corporate assurance and business winning best practices (e.g. Shipley and Miller-Heiman).
• Managing the bid development in a timely and efficient manner, scheduling and overseeing key reviews.
• Defining, tailoring and implementing a suitable Bid process to fit the Opportunity including coaching around ROMs and Firm Price tailoring (building on process mandates and best practices available).
• Owning, Editing and formatting of the customer proposal or formal response, including providing the response structure.
• Generating and gaining approval for implementing a realistic Bid Plan and Bid Schedule (including resources, budgets, responsibilities and task allocation), and then tracking and managing, and taking action where these deviate from agreed budget or agreed task contingency.
• Establishing the bidding environment, including Project Share and other tools.
• Managing the business approval process at all required delegated authority levels, supports any security and export approvals, if required.
• Leading the multi-disciplined Bid team and ensuring the entire team is kept appraised of developments in requirements and bid status, on a day-to-day basis.
• Managing virtual bid teams and inputs from a variety of stakeholders, typically involving contributions from sales, HR, Projects, Finance, Commercial and Legal.
• Coordinating the Costing and Pricing activity, including acting as an independent challenger to keep the team focused on meeting the Price to Win.
• Supports the development and deployment of functional learning and development including coaching other bid managers in bid management techniques.

Skills/Experience At least two of (or equivalent)

Qualified to Degree Level (or equivalent), preferably in a Business, Sales, Engineering, or Project Management related course.

Possesses c.10 years + of experience in competitive tendering within the public / commercial sectors.

Holds a current APMP certification.

Knowledge and practical application of best practice bidding processes (e.g. Shipley).

A good understanding of the buying processes within the UK Public Sector / Defence environment.

Knowledge, experience and understanding of UK Government Frameworks and other buying mechanisms to sell our services.

A track record of working on high-value and technically complex bids, including frameworks.

An understanding of the Shipley and/or Miller-Heiman methodologies is highly desirable.

Technical Skills

MS Office

MS SharePoint

Proposal management software

Our Bid Team, who were the recipients of the 2023 APMP Collaborative Teamwork Award are seeking someone with a track record of excellence and success of bidding within Public Sector and Commercial environments to join us and help continue this high standard.

As part of this highly regarded, central Business Winning team, you will be responsible for running competed bids from across our business areas encompassing Defence, NS&G and Space.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We also want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.