Thales

Bid Manager

Thales

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Cheadle • United Kingdom

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About the role

  • Lead end-to-end ownership of complex, high-value bids, ensuring clear delivery focus, strong governance and proactive risk/opportunity management.
  • Drive bid planning, creating and managing schedules, resource plans and baselines to keep multidisciplinary teams aligned and on track.
  • Manage requirements and compliance, ensuring full traceability, accurate estimating and consistent assumptions across all bid artefacts.
  • Shape high-quality proposals, coordinating content development, colour reviews and compelling responses that align with customer priorities.
  • Build trusted relationships with customers, partners and suppliers, representing the bid with confidence and maintaining open communication.
  • Ensure financial robustness, controlling bid budgets and supporting a positive cash profile through strong initial project planning.

Requirements

  • Proven success in delivering complex bids, ideally within defence or heavy engineering/manufacturing environments.
  • Strong experience leading multidisciplinary teams to meet challenging deadlines, with a proactive approach to managing risks and opportunities.
  • Skilled in building effective relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, suppliers and partners.
  • Ability to develop clear, compelling proposals and solutions that align with customer needs.
  • Familiarity with bid governance and stage-gate lifecycle processes, ensuring reviews are applied effectively and business risks are well managed.
  • Security Clearance (SC) required, with eligibility for full SC needing minimum residency in the UK in the last 5 years.
Benefits
  • Performance-related bonus
  • Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
  • 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
  • 24 hours volunteering paid for
  • Private healthcare (grade dependent)
  • Pension scheme
  • Life cover
  • 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
  • Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
  • Gym membership discounts
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
bid planningrisk managementrequirements managementcompliance managementproposal developmentfinancial managementproject planningestimatingschedulingresource planning
Soft Skills
leadershipcommunicationrelationship buildingteam managementproactive approachstakeholder engagementcollaborationproblem-solvingnegotiationgovernance
Certifications
Security Clearance (SC)