As Bid Manager, you will lead the end-to-end bid and proposal process for complex and high-value opportunities, ensuring the delivery of compelling, competitive, and compliant proposals aligned with customer expectations and company objectives.
Acting as the central point of coordination between business development, engineering, program management, finance, contracts, and other key stakeholders, you will drive proposal excellence, manage risks and opportunities, and contribute to the sustainable growth of the business.
Key Responsibilities- Lead and coordinate the full bid lifecycle, from opportunity qualification through proposal submission and contract award.
- Develop bid strategies that maximize competitiveness while balancing technical, commercial, financial, and contractual considerations.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary teams involved in the proposal process, ensuring alignment, accountability, and timely delivery of all bid inputs.
- Analyze customer requirements, RFPs, and tender documentation, translating them into clear action plans and proposal deliverables.
- Ensure technical, commercial, financial, and contractual compliance throughout the proposal development process.
- Consolidate and integrate contributions from all stakeholders into a coherent, customer-focused proposal package.
- Identify, assess, and manage bid risks and opportunities, ensuring appropriate mitigation actions are implemented.
- Lead internal bid reviews and approval gates, ensuring proposals meet quality standards and governance requirements.
- Monitor and validate bid costs, pricing assumptions, and business case inputs in collaboration with finance and operational teams.
- Support customer interactions during clarification, negotiation, and contract finalization phases.
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, lessons learned activities, and proposal management best practices.
- Support business development activities by providing market insights and contributing to future growth opportunities within the space and high-technology sectors.
- Master's Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Proven experience in bid management, proposal management, business development, or project management within engineering, aerospace, defense, space, telecommunications, or other high-technology industries.
- Experience managing complex, multidisciplinary proposals in an international environment.
- Solid understanding of commercial, contractual, financial, and technical aspects of the bidding process.
- Strong knowledge of proposal and tender management processes.
- Experience with customer requirements analysis, risk management, and cost estimation methodologies.
- Knowledge of the Space industry, institutional customers, and space systems/products is highly valued.
- Fluent English (written and spoken) is mandatory.
- French is considered a strong asset.
- Stakeholder Management
- Leadership & Influence
- Strategic Thinking
- Customer Orientation
- Results-Driven Mindset
- Planning & Organization
- Analytical Problem Solving
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Adaptability & Flexibility
- Negotiation & Communication Skills
What We Offer
· Flexible and smart working model, including hybrid work arrangements and flexible working hours.
· Competitive compensation and benefits package.
· Free meals at the office.
· 28 business days of annual leave.
· Company pension plan.
· Individual learning and development programs.
· Opportunities to work on cutting-edge space technologies and international projects.
· Collaborative, innovative, and multicultural working environment.
· Career growth opportunities within a rapidly evolving industry.
At Thales Alenia Space we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales Alenia Space employing around 8,900 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US, our mobility policy enables employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth #SpaceForLife. Great journeys start here, apply now!Skills Required
- Master’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience in bid management, proposal management, business development, or project management within engineering, aerospace, defense, space, telecommunications, or another high-technology industry.
- Experience managing complex, multidisciplinary proposals in an international environment.
- Understanding of commercial, contractual, financial, and technical aspects of the bidding process.
- Knowledge of proposal and tender management processes.
- Experience with customer requirements analysis, risk management, and cost estimation methodologies.
- Fluent English, written and spoken.
- Knowledge of the space industry, institutional customers, and space systems or products.
- French language skills.
Thales Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Thales and has not been reviewed or approved by Thales.
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Retirement Support — Retirement plans with employer contributions and matches, profit sharing, and share purchase opportunities are emphasized across multiple regions. These elements are positioned as competitive components of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO that increases with tenure, paid holidays, and paid military, maternity, and paternity leave are described. This breadth supports work–life balance across locations.
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Flexible Benefits — Hybrid work options, flexible schedules, and parental supports such as childcare benefits and leave for sick children are available in several markets. Flexibility is presented as a core part of the employee experience.
Thales Insights
What We Do
Thales is a global high technology leader investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technology – to build a future we can all trust, which is vital to the development of our societies. The company provides solutions, services and products that help its customers – businesses, organisations and states – in the defence, aeronautics, space, transportation and digital identity and security markets to fulfil their critical missions, by placing humans at the heart of the decision-making process.
