NPI & Bid Manager in Cheltenham

Ultra Precision Control Systems (PCS) is a leading developer of mission and safety critical equipment in the defence and aerospace industry. Our team of experts are at the heart of our success, which is why we are dedicated to fostering a safe working environment and a positive culture where every staff member feels valued and respected.

We solve our customers' problems, providing engineering solutions to safety and mission critical challenges in the air and on the ground. Our solutions can be found in the latest military aircraft and vehicles, in civil aircraft, and in unmanned vehicles. We help to ensure our customers get to where they need to be safely, achieve their objectives and keep on going back.

Flexible Working

Wherever possible, we will consider a variety of working options to suit your lifestyle, whether that be hybrid home/office working, flexible working and part or full time employment. It's the 'innovating' and 'empowering' values that we aspire to be. We welcome the challenge to work in new ways and have trust in you when getting the job done because we recognise, our business is our people.

Job Description

Ultra Precision Control Systems (PCS) are looking for a NPI & Bid Manager to join the Supply Chain Function to lead and manage the Projects & Bid category. In this role you will lead a Project Procurement team delivering world-class procurement capabilities, partnering with internal stakeholders to ensure they receive maximum value for all money spent with suppliers. This is accomplished by executing effective strategies, which include supplier engaged DFM activity, supplier management and sourcing decisions. Adding value by aligning ourselves with the best suppliers, and driving compliance with our intellectual property and privacy requirements. Continuously striving to obtain the right price and quality for the right product or service. Contribute to effective design of new product with consideration of manufacturability and product life cycle management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead & develop the project & bid team.
• Provide status updates on projects and ensure that business priorities are met.
• Ensure that parameters and agreements are in place for new product being transferred to production.
• Identify & establish long term supplier partners focusing on the “total cost” of supply, thus establishing mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Align with category managers to reduce supplier base and ensure suppliers are of the correct size and exhibit the expected behaviours and product output (to quality and on time).
• Ensure the team are agile & continually evaluate and monitor market conditions and adjust sourcing strategies accordingly.
• Ensure, through production readiness reviews and capacity plans, that each supplier in the product categories has the ability to meet their commitments and deliver production volumes.
• Identify, present and influence Technology Enablement solutions to drive efficiency.
• Ensure the NPI & Bid team are supporting and influencing future new designs with Engineering, utilising intelligence and capabilities from our supply chain.
• Maximising the DFM & DFT opportunities to reduce the design cycle, remove costs and thus deliver efficient designs.
• Collaborate & Influence with the equivalent leads in operations, quality, engineering, PM and other functions to meet the business objectives.
• Implement make buy strategies, resulting in “turnkey” supplier solutions, reducing lead times & cost caused by internal processing.
• Continuously identify & deliver efficiency & cost savings.
• Report monthly to Head of Sourcing & Resilience on initiatives, opportunities, risks, objective.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Leadership & Management: Proven experience leading and developing multi-disciplinary procurement or project sourcing teams within a complex engineering or manufacturing environment. Strong leadership capability with a track record of driving high performance, developing talent, and aligning team objectives to business strategy. Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively across functions including Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Programme Management.
• Procurement & Commercial Expertise: Extensive experience in strategic sourcing, supplier management, and category strategy development, ideally within Aerospace, Defence, or other highly regulated sectors. Strong commercial acumen with a focus on total cost of ownership, value optimisation, and supplier performance management. Proven ability to deliver measurable cost reduction targets and identify long-term value creation opportunities. Experience establishing and managing long-term supplier partnerships, including negotiation of complex agreements and intellectual property considerations.
• Technical & Project Delivery: Deep understanding of New Product Introduction (NPI) and Bid processes, with experience supporting design-for-manufacture (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) activities. Strong understanding of end-to-end product lifecycle management, from concept through to production and sustainment. Experience leading production readiness reviews, capacity planning, and make/buy decisions to ensure supply readiness and resilience. Proven ability to apply technology enablement and digital procurement tools to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Analytical & Strategic Capability: Highly analytical with the ability to interpret market trends, risk factors, and supplier performance data to inform sourcing strategies. Demonstrated capability in identifying and delivering process improvements and operational efficiencies. Strategic thinker with the ability to balance short-term business priorities with long-term supply chain resilience.

Other Requirements:

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to present confidently to senior leadership.
• Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline (MCIPS qualification or equivalent preferred).
• Strong understanding of compliance, governance, and intellectual property requirements within a defence or aerospace context.

Benefits:

Every employee is critical to our success and as such we offer a range of flexible employee benefits along with career development opportunities. Flexible working within core working hours, 25 days holiday (185 hrs) with the option to buy/sell 5 days (37 hrs) plus bank holidays, 4 times your annual salary in life assurance, flexible benefits package, pension scheme - less than 5 years' service up to 5.5% employer contributions, 5 years' service + up to 7.5% employer contributions, sports and social club, supportive and friendly working environment with regular team events.

You couldn’t be joining the team and Ultra at a more exciting time. Therefore if this sounds of interest, please follow the application process.

Nationality Requirements: Candidates must be able to work in the UK without restrictions in accordance with UK National Law and be prepared to successfully undertake an appropriate level of UK National Security Vetting according to UK Government National Security Vetting criteria.

Diverse & Inclusive Employer: Ultra PCS is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity, inclusion, equity and equality. Underpinned by our values, behaviours, and policies, we want you to feel empowered to be your best and authentic self. We promote a workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds and cultures; believing that this will increase our diversity of thinking, and ultimately ensure we continue delivering on our commitments to our customers. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and welcome applications from all candidates.