Assistant Bid Manager

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom

Thales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Location: Belfast - hybrid working arrangement – 3 days per week on site

Do you have an interest in Bid Management? Are you looking for a step into a role where you will work in a highly regarded team who will support your learning and development? Then look no further…

We are looking for someone who either has pre-existing experience of working as an Assistant Bid/Project Manager, or someone who has worked in a Bid/Project Management environment as an Assistant (or similar), who is looking for a step into becoming an Assistant Bid Manager.

What the role has to offer:

• Exposure to a diverse array of Bid Management activities, designed to enhance your experience and knowledge.
• Collaboration with a highly esteemed team dedicated to supporting your learning and development.
• Defined opportunities for career advancement and professional growth.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements (3 days on-site and 2 days remote).

Core Benefits:

• Competitive salary and benefits package, which includes:
• Performance-related bonus
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Healthcare cash plan
• 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

Key responsibilities:

• The purpose of this role is to provide support to the delivery of Bids within the IAS (Integrated Airspace-Protection Systems) UK domain, involving bid management activities across all sectors.
• Assistance with creating and controlling the bid schedule and resource plan; coordinating multi-disciplinary teams to achieve key milestones.
• Develop compelling and persuasive bid content, including executive summaries, value propositions, pricing models and technical responses.
• Coordinate and facilitate bid review meetings, ensuring key stakeholders provide input and address concerns or issues.
• Work with pricing teams to develop competitive pricing strategies that align with bid requirements and profitability targets.
• Monitor and track bid performance metrics, analysing win/loss data to identify trends and areas for improvement.

About you:

• Basic knowledge of bid/project management skills, ideally from working in a complex, multidisciplinary, multi-site organisation.
• The ability to adapt personal style to achieve the desired results.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills with written presentation and report writing skills.
• Organisation and analytical skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite (particularly Excel, PowerPoint & Word).
• Good English grammar skills, for writing presentations and proposals.

Security Clearance statement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!