Bid & Proposal Manager in Salisbury

Vacancy Reference: CLA-425

Position: 18-month Fixed Term Maternity Cover

Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK

Salary: Competitive DOE

At Callen-Lenz, we are expanding the limits of what is possible. We specialise in crewed and uncrewed aircraft operations and technology and having recently received investment into the business we are going through a period of rapid growth and development and are looking for key roles to assist with these changes. Callen-Lenz offers innovative and customer-focused UAS solutions through our 4 key business strands: technical services, products, platforms and operational services. We are looking for individuals to help drive forward our expansion, placing you at forefront of UAS development in the UK.

Our Values

• Innovation
• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence

Why Work for Us

Based in the heart of rural Wiltshire, close to the Historic city of Salisbury you will join our rapidly growing, friendly and multi-disciplined team, working on a range of diverse and interesting projects, leading the way in this exciting field and witnessing the full lifecycle of our products. The Callen-Lenz team are passionate about what we do, and we are searching for individuals to grow with us as we expand into the aerospace industry.

Our benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave per year (plus bank holidays)
• Buy/Sell holiday policy up to 5 days either way
• Pension Scheme via Royal London
• Company contributed Share Incentive Plan
• Green Car Scheme
• Life assurance scheme (6x basic salary)
• Income protection policy (75% of basic salary)
• Private Health Insurance via Bupa
• Private Dental insurance via Bupa
• Enhanced Maternity and paternity
• 1 Professional membership reimbursed per year
• 1 paid volunteering day per year
• Access to an independent financial advisor year round
• Training & development opportunities

About the role

In this fixed term maternity cover role, you will be responsible for managing Callen-Lenz’s Business Winning Process, bringing structure and governance to bids and proposals across the business. You will work closely with teams across technical, commercial, finance, programmes and business development to ensure all proposals are compliant and aligned to customer requirements across UK and international opportunities.

You will use market insight, stakeholder engagement and opportunity research to identify, assess and coordinate relevant opportunities, helping to shape a strong and well-managed pipeline for the business. This is an opportunity to lead and influence bids while working with a multi-disciplined team at the forefront of uncrewed aircraft operations and technology.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, management and delivery of bids and proposals in accordance with Callen-Lenz’s Business Winning Process, including proposal gates, coloured reviews, deadlines, documentation control and access to bid data.
• Line manages and mentors the bid team, including bid writers and business development coordination support, ensuring effective workload allocation, development and performance management.
• Analyse and monitor market trends, opportunity portals and sector activity to identify appropriate and relevant bid opportunities.
• Review tender documentation, determine required next actions and distribute key information to relevant stakeholders and teams.
• Provide structure and governance to bid activities, ensuring they adhere to the established process, checks and controls.
• Coordinate and lead multifunctional bid teams, driving collaboration to develop compelling, compliant and competitive submissions.
• Support commercial activity through pricing inputs, reviews and submission checks.
• Work closely with the Project Management team to capture dependencies, exclusions, assumptions and risks for proposals.
• Ensure that the opportunities and leads pipeline is aligned to wider business goals.
• Support other members of the Business Development team’s endeavours to secure opportunities.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports for senior management, including proposal KPIs, pipeline status and sales lead data.
• Develop and present an up-to-date view of opportunities and proposals relevant to the UAS and aerospace sector for consideration by senior management.
• Represent Callen-Lenz at events, providing Business Development support and increasing awareness of the company and the business’ activities.
• Perform other duties as required to support the continued growth and success of the Business Development function.

Health & Safety

• Demonstrate in daily activities a commitment to health and safety in the workplace by always ensuring tasks are performed in the safest possible manner.
• Report all hazards and incidents that the individual is party to, or observes, in the correct manner.
• When required or directed, participate in any health and safety training.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or a related field, or significant experience in a bid management, proposal management or business development role.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Strong knowledge of bid management processes, proposal development, such as Shipley.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor content for different audiences.
• Creative and strategic thinker, able to turn complex information into clear, compelling proposal content.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Confident leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate and coordinate teams.
• Good understanding of business development pipelines, opportunity qualification and bid governance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and communicate with stakeholders at all levels across a multi-disciplined business.
• Comfortable working under pressure while maintaining accuracy, quality and momentum.
• Excellent planning and organisation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify risks, dependencies and practical solutions.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in bid writing, proposal management or a structured business winning environment.
• Experience in a similar role within aerospace, defence, technology or another complex technical sector.
• Knowledge and understanding of JIRA or similar workflow and project tracking tools.
• Good understanding of opportunity research techniques, data analysis and reporting methods.
• Have, or be working towards, Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), or similar – Practitioner level or higher.

Personal Attributes

• Able to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve shared goals while contributing to a positive, supportive, and enjoyable working environment.
• Demonstrates dedication, accountability, and professionalism.
• Proactively identifies opportunities for improvement, taking ownership and applying innovative thinking to solve challenges.
• Adapts quickly to changing priorities and embraces new ways of working to succeed in a fast-paced environment.

Must be a British Citizen or have an existing right to work in the UK. Ability to commit to occasional national and international travel. A full valid UK driving license. Ability to hold Security Clearance – 5 years residence in the UK.

Callen-Lenz is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. It is essential that the successful candidate must, by the start of their employment have permission to work in the UK. Proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK will be required prior to commencement of employment.

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.