At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage international bids and proposals for a cutting-edge defence contractor.
- Company: Join Shield AI, a rapidly scaling nontraditional defence contractor with a dynamic culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and opportunities to work on impactful projects.
- Other info: Embrace a fast-paced environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a difference in the defence industry while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: 4-6+ years in proposal development or BD operations; strong communication and leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
The primary responsibility of this role is leading and managing international and U.S. federal government and commercial Bids/Proposals and other related BD Ops deliverables (e.g., ROM pricing estimates, RFI responses, and white papers) in support of Shield AI's Europe/Africa (EURAF) Go To Market (GTM) team.
Responsibilities
- Manage competing priorities across proposal and other deliverable (WPs, RFIs, ROMs, etc.) development in the fast-paced environment of the Int'l BD Ops team.
- Lead end-to-end proposal execution from pre-RFP planning through submission and closeout.
- Drive cross-functional proposal teams to deliver compliant, high-quality submissions on schedule.
- Continuously improve proposal processes, tools, templates, and best practices.
- Mentor proposal contributors and foster high-performing, collaborative teams.
- Support EUAF GTM team with briefing and presentation development for customer engagements.
- Support customer meetings, demonstrations, and GTM events as required.
- Provide additional support to BD Ops and GTM team leadership as needed.
Qualifications
- The ideal candidate will have leadership experience and possess excellent communication (technical writing experience preferred) and coordination skills to drive cross-functional collaboration across Shield AI product lines and geographic regions.
- Strong communicator: Strong oral and written communication skills. (Technical writing experience preferred.)
- Strong presentation skills.
- Ability to communicate seamlessly at all levels of Shield AI and customer organizations.
- Attention to detail in a fast-paced environment: Be rigorous and go fast is one of Shield AI's leadership traits and, possibly, the most relevant one for BD Ops.
- Organization and time management: Strong organizational and time management skills enabling the tracking and execution of multiple workstreams with stakeholders across Shield AI.
- Extreme ownership: BD Ops serves as the primary cross-functional lead for Bids/Proposals across product lines and geographic regions.
- Team-first mentality: The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to be flexible, work hard, hold themselves and others to high standards, embrace teammates, and act with kindness.
- 4-6+ years of international government proposal development or BD operations experience.
- In lieu of direct government proposal experience, have 5+ years of experience working with U.S. Federal or International government requirements.
- Bachelor's degree in business, communication, marketing, engineering, or equivalent industry experience.
- Outstanding record of academic achievement.
- Experience with proposal methodologies (e.g. Shipley), compliance matrices, and implementing project management tools and processes.
- Proven record of leadership in a professional setting.
- Ability to communicate complex, technical ideas effectively - both orally and in writing.
- Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a team, embrace the startup environment.
- Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of an organization.
- Demonstrated record of hard work, trustworthiness, holding oneself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.
- Experience managing Foreign Military Sale and Direct Commercial Sale bids/proposals.
- Strong technical background especially with unmanned/uncrewed systems and/or autonomy software.
- Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of military operations and Europe / Africa defence acquisition processes.
- Understanding of international markets/geopolitical trends in aerospace / defense industry.
Bid Manager employer: Lever
At Shield AI, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and collaborative work culture. As a Bid Manager, you will have the opportunity to lead high-stakes proposals in a fast-paced environment while benefiting from our commitment to employee growth through mentorship and continuous improvement initiatives. Located in a vibrant region, we offer a unique chance to contribute to meaningful projects in the defence sector, all while working alongside a team that values excellence, innovation, and kindness.
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We think this is how you could land Bid Manager
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We think you need these skills to ace Bid Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Lever, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Lever
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Lever’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
