Thales in Switzerland is part of a globally leading technology group in the fields of digital identity and security, aerospace, defense and security, as well as training and simulation. In a world full of uncertainty, we ensure that our customers, partners, and employees can move forward with confidence and security. For a future we can all trust.
We say HI* – welcome to the Thales team! *Human Intelligence
Say HI* – to your career as
Bid & Project Controller (m/f/d)
Location: Bern #LI-HYBRID
In Bern, you can expect training and simulation solutions for armed forces on land, at sea, and in the air, as well as for police authorities and helicopter operators worldwide. This is the right place for you if you want to help us further develop and shape live and virtual training systems together. Become part of the Thales expert team at one of Europe’s leading providers of training and simulation.
Your Mission
Oversee all financial aspects of bids/projects, ensuring risk management and shareholder value growth through accurate, timely financial direction.
Act as financial business partner to bid/project teams, validating Bid Commitment/ Gate Reviews per Thales Financial Control Manual, and preparing Gate Packs, Price & Cash Sheets (PCS), and financial memos.
Drive cost estimation, revenue recognition (Point-in-Time/Over-Time), and Contract Status Reports (CSR) with Estimate-at-Completion (EAC) trend analysis via monthly updates.
Ensure financial governance by coordinating with Legal, Commercial, and Sales to validate order booking conditions and contract enforcement.
Lead project financial oversight: monitor sales, gross margin, VoP (Variation of Price) claims, inventory management, and end-of-month margin validation with PMO/operations.
Perform financial compliance & reporting: post-completion evaluations, audit/risk assessments, ERP sales posting, trial balance reconciliations, and debtors’ report distribution to leadership.
Analyze cost variances (actuals vs. forecasts/budgets), propose corrective actions for revenue/cash flow recovery, and reassess financial positions at project closure.
What We Are Looking For
Bachelor of Commerce/Accounting (or equivalent) with professional accounting certification (or comparable experience).
Strong financial acumen with bid/project controlling experience, preferably in defense/aerospace/tech industries.
Proficiency in Excel, SAP/ERP systems, and financial reporting tools; quick learner for new IT/software.
Analytical mindset to assess financial risks/opportunities with attention to detail for multi-project management.
Cross-functional collaboration skills to work with project teams, finance, operations, and commercial functions.
Stakeholder management expertise with clear communication for senior leadership and operational teams.
Fluent in English, with German or French as an asset.
What You Can Expect
Flexible, part-time models to support work-life balance
Flexible vacation options, including the possibility to purchase additional leave
Paid premiums for accident and daily sickness insurance
Optional savings plans for occupational pension schemes
Employee share program “Sharing Thales”
Corporate health management with regular initiatives
Extensive training opportunities via the Thales Learning Hub
Benefits platform with employee discounts
Say HI* – Your Way to Us
For our 83,000 employees in 68 countries, we open up forward-looking perspectives, enable individual career paths, and provide creative freedom. We achieve this through courage, diversity, and a strong commitment to making the challenges of our time safer and more inclusive. With our sustainable and values-driven leadership culture, we actively promote diversity.
When the signs point to change, our international teams are ready to meet today’s complexity with tomorrow’s industry-leading technologies. Are you in?
Camilla Christovam
Talent Acquisition Partner #LI-CC1
Skills Required
- Bachelor of Commerce/Accounting or equivalent with professional accounting certification (or comparable experience).
- Bid and project controlling experience.
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or technology industries.
- Proficiency in Excel.
- Experience with SAP/ERP systems.
- Experience with financial reporting tools.
- Analytical skills to assess financial risks and perform multi-project management.
- Cross-functional collaboration skills with project teams, finance, operations, and commercial functions.
- Stakeholder management and clear communication for senior leadership and operational teams.
- Fluent in English.
- German or 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.
