Crane Aerospace and Electronics has an exciting opportunity for a Manager of Inside Sales and Bids & Proposals at our Chandler, AZ site.
About Crane:
Crane Aerospace & Electronics supplies critical systems and components to the aerospace and defense markets. You’ll find Crane Aerospace & Electronics in some of the toughest environments: from engines to landing gear; from satellites to medical implants and from missiles to unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
From supplying microwave products for GPS satellites to integrated assemblies for the latest innovative defense platforms, come join an industry-leading aerospace & defense manufacturer based in beautiful, sunny Chandler, Arizona. You’ll join a first-class, dynamic organization steeped in rich culture and an established track record of delivering customers premier, quality products. You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with prime OEMs and help us develop state-of-the art solutions – all in a family-first community with top-rated schools and an abundance of recreational activities. Start the next chapter of your career with Crane Aerospace & Electronics!
Job Summary:
The Manager of Inside Sales and Bids & Proposals (ISBP Manager) is responsible for leading the coordination and execution of sales support, bid, proposal, and tender activities across the opportunity lifecycle. Acting as the central operational hub for all customer response processes, the ISBP Manager works closely with the Regional Sales Managers (RSM) and is responsible for driving cross-functional alignment, manages internal deliverables, and ensures high-quality, compliant, and timely customer submissions.
The position owns the end-to-end coordination of proposal development and bid management activities, maintaining visibility across stakeholders, managing governance requirements, and ensuring execution excellence from opportunity identification through submission.
The Regional Sales Manager (RSM) retains ownership of account strategy, customer relationships, opportunity qualification, and definition of the win strategy, while the ISBP Manager owns the internal coordination, process management, and execution required to support successful outcomes.
Manager of Inside Sales and Bids & Proposals Essential Functions:
- Own and manage the end-to-end bid, proposal, and tender coordination process, ensuring completeness, consistency, compliance, and on-time delivery of all customer submissions.
- Serve as the primary internal coordinator for sales opportunities, driving alignment across engineering, finance, operations, legal, compliance, and other stakeholders.
- Screen and coordinate incoming customer requests, supporting early opportunity assessment and routing while ensuring timely engagement of appropriate stakeholders.
- Lead the collection, consolidation, and management of all inputs required for customer responses, proposals, and business cases.
- Coordinate customer information requests and requirements gathering activities necessary for bid and proposal development.
- Own the preparation, coordination, and submission of TINA proposals, ensuring adherence to internal governance and approval requirements.
- Coordinate and manage proposal development schedules, deliverables, review cycles, and approval workflows.
- Prepare required Business Case Review (BCR) decks: gather inputs needed and align on deck content with each functional owners (Sales, Engineering, Program, Operation, Supply chain and Finance) to ensure completion of management-ready materials.
- Works with executive assistants to schedule management BCR reviews in a timely manner.
- Maintain full visibility of proposal, bid, and approval status, proactively communicating progress, actions, and deadlines to stakeholders.
- Identify risks, gaps, resource constraints, and schedule impacts, driving mitigation actions and escalating where necessary.
- Ensure accurate documentation, reporting, and maintenance of opportunity, bid, and proposal records within CRM and internal systems.
- Continuously improve bid management processes, tools, and coordination practices to enhance efficiency and submission quality.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Experience: 7+ years’ related experience. Demonstrated experience in at least three of the following areas: Business/Strategic Planning, Technical Sales, Aerospace/Defense Contract Management, Marketing Communications. Advanced knowledge of the Defense/Aerospace business as demonstrated through at least 2-5 years of previous work experience in a sales, marketing or contract administration capacity. 2 years’ supervisory experience. Demonstrated experience with relevant standards and practices. Demonstrated strong customer orientation.
- Knowledge: Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures.
- Skills/Abilities: Demonstrated ability to plan and accomplish goals based on extensive experience and judgment. Demonstrated ADVANCED skills in all of the following responsibilities: employee development, team building, business acumen, continuous improvement, systems and tools, project management and Communication (written and verbal).
- Education/Certification: BSEE or related field.
- Eligibility Requirement: This position may require access to Controlled Data or Information. Where the position requires such access only US Persons will be considered. As a US Department of Defense contractor, we are bound by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants selected could be subject to a Government security investigation and must meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Working Conditions:
- Standard office environment
- Work requires substantial visual concentration on detail
- Working conditions are normal for a manufacturing environment
- Manufacturing operations may require the use of safety equipment to include but not limited to: eye safety glasses, gowning, masks, hearing protectors, heel/wrist straps and any other required PPE
- May be exposed to unusual environmental conditions such as loud noises, cold temperatures, confined spaces, dust or fumes
Standing: 10% *percentage is approximate and may vary depending on work
Sitting: 90% *percentage is approximate and may vary depending on work
Lifting (in pounds): up to 20 pounds
Pushing (in pounds): up to 20 pounds
Mental/Visual: Use of computer, calculator, etc.
Workspace (line, cube, etc): Office
Crane Co. reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position. The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of accountability and responsibility. These descriptions should not be considered to be all-inclusive listings of work requirements.
Crane Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity characteristics or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, or U.S. military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or applicable local law, in recruiting, hiring, training and promoting.
#LI-DA1 #CAE
This description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work being performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
Crane Company. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, general identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.
Skills Required
- 7+ years of related experience
- Experience in at least three areas: business or strategic planning, technical sales, aerospace or defense contract management, and marketing communications
- 2-5 years of prior sales, marketing, or contract administration experience in the aerospace or defense business
- 2 years of supervisory experience
- Experience with relevant standards and practices
- Strong customer orientation
- Advanced skills in employee development, team building, business acumen, continuous improvement, systems and tools, project management, and written and verbal communication
- BSEE or related field
- Eligibility for access to controlled or classified information, including ITAR-controlled data; US Persons may be required
What We Do
Crane employees share a proud 150-year-plus history of doing business the right way—treating people fairly, dealing honestly and ethically with customers, suppliers, and shareholders, and working hard to meet or exceed the expectations of customers. They also share a fascinating history of innovation dating from the early years of the Industrial Revolution to the current era of technology-driven product development and improvement. Crane is committed to the highest standards of business conduct. We strive to create value for all our stakeholders with a highly disciplined approach to materially strengthening our businesses through successful implementation of the Crane Business System, through strategic linkages among our businesses, and through utilization of strong free cash flow for strategic acquisitions.
