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- Tasks: Lead manufacturing bids and shape complex programmes for the UK Ministry of Defence.
- Company: Long-standing partner to the UK military with a strong reputation in defence engineering.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, collaborative environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team at a leading manufacturing site with great amenities.
- Why this job: Make a direct impact on major defence programmes and influence industrial strategy.
- Qualifications: Experience in manufacturing bidding and strong understanding of end-to-end processes.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
Our client, a long-standing partner to the UK Ministry of Defence, is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Bid Manager to play a key role in winning and shaping complex manufacturing programmes. This is a high-impact role sitting at the interface of manufacturing, commercial, and business winning, with direct influence over cost strategy, industrial assumptions, and bid success across major defence programmes.
What you'll be responsible for:
- Manufacturing Leadership in Bids: Lead manufacturing input into bids from early opportunity through submission. Define scope, assumptions, and industrial strategy within the Bid Directive. Position manufacturing as a value-adding contributor to business winning.
- Costing & Commercial Input: Build and validate manufacturing cost models (direct, indirect, materials, overheads). Develop evidence-based 3-point estimates using Excel and historical data. Ensure cost assumptions are robust, auditable, and aligned to policy.
- Bid Development & Stakeholder Engagement: Produce clear, compliant and competitive bid material (PowerPoint). Assess manufacturing risk, capacity and deliverability across programmes. Work closely with New Business, Commercial, Engineering and Operations teams. Provide forward visibility of upcoming bids and market intelligence.
- Continuous Improvement & Strategy: Apply lessons learned to improve future bids and cost competitiveness. Support functional and strategic change within Manufacturing. Raise the profile and impact of the Manufacturing Bid Team across programmes.
What we're looking for:
- Proven experience in manufacturing/operations-led bidding within a complex or regulated environment.
- Strong understanding of end-to-end manufacturing (procurement to delivery).
- Commercially astute, with hands-on experience building manufacturing cost models.
- Confident producing and presenting bid packs to senior stakeholders.
- Able to articulate costing logic clearly and support audit requirements.
- Comfortable working across multiple bids to tight deadlines.
- Proactive, structured, and resilient in a fast-paced bidding environment.
- Backgrounds from defence, aerospace, automotive, rail, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments are particularly relevant.
Why consider this role:
- Direct impact on major UK defence programmes.
- High visibility role influencing industrial strategy and cost credibility.
- Work at the heart of business winning, not just delivery.
- Collaborative, senior-stakeholder-facing position.
What happens now?
Upon submission of your application, should it meet our selection criteria, you will be contacted via e-mail by one of our talent acquisition specialists to arrange a screening call. This telephone chat is structured to explore a series of questions aimed at matching your competencies and capabilities to the specific demands of the position. Please note, this screening is contingent upon the initial success of your application.
Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by our client's Security Team.
More about the role: For more than 70 years, our client has been in a strong partnership with the UK military. They have accomplished numerous milestones in defence engineering and have provided essential defence capabilities to meet the requirements of the armed forces across land, sea, and air. This job is at our client's site in Bolton facility, one of the North West's leading manufacturing sites for at least 25 years. The facility offers showers and bike racks and is near the motorway, with a petrol station outside. Amenities like an onsite canteen.
Manufacturing Bid Manager in Westhoughton employer: Guidant Global
Contact Detail:
Guidant Global Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Manufacturing Bid Manager in Westhoughton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the defence and manufacturing sectors on LinkedIn. Join relevant groups, attend industry events, and don’t be shy about asking for informational interviews. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by practising your pitch. Make sure you can clearly articulate your experience in manufacturing and how it relates to the role of a Bid Manager. Use examples from your past work to demonstrate your skills in cost modelling and stakeholder engagement.
✨Tip Number 3
Stay organised! Keep track of the bids you’re interested in and their deadlines. Use a simple spreadsheet to monitor your applications and follow up with contacts. This will help you stay on top of things and show your proactive side.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to connect with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Manufacturing Bid Manager in Westhoughton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in manufacturing and bidding. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing relevant projects or achievements!
Showcase Your Costing Skills: Since this role involves building manufacturing cost models, be sure to include any hands-on experience you have with costing and commercial input. We love seeing evidence-based estimates, so if you've got examples, share them!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, clarity is key! Use straightforward language and structure your points well. We appreciate a well-organised bid pack, so think of your application as your first chance to impress us.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Guidant Global
✨Know Your Manufacturing Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of end-to-end manufacturing processes. Understand how procurement, production, and delivery work together, especially in a regulated environment like defence. This will help you articulate your experience and show that you can lead manufacturing input into bids effectively.
✨Master the Costing Models
Get comfortable with building and validating manufacturing cost models. Be prepared to discuss your experience with direct, indirect, materials, and overhead costs. Practise explaining your costing logic clearly, as this will be crucial when presenting bid packs to senior stakeholders.
✨Engage Stakeholders Early
Show that you can collaborate across teams by discussing how you've worked with New Business, Commercial, Engineering, and Operations in the past. Prepare examples of how you’ve produced clear and compliant bid material, and be ready to demonstrate your proactive approach to stakeholder engagement.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Be ready to talk about how you've applied lessons learned from previous bids to improve future submissions. Highlight any strategies you've implemented for enhancing cost competitiveness and how you've raised the profile of your team within the organisation. This shows you're not just focused on winning bids but also on long-term success.