Bid Manager

Senior Bid Manager | Space & High-Technology Projects

📍 Tres Cantos, Madrid 

At Morgan Philips, we are partnering with our client Thales Alenia Space, a global leader in the space industry, to recruit a Senior Bid Manager who will lead strategic, complex and high-value proposals in an international and highly regulated environment.

This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced bid, proposal, business development or project management professional who can bring together technical excellence, commercial strategy and customer insight to help secure some of the most challenging projects in the space and high-technology sectors.

The Opportunity

As Bid Manager, you will take ownership of the end-to-end bid lifecycle, from opportunity qualification and bid strategy through proposal submission, negotiation and contract award.

You will act as the central point of coordination across Business Development, Engineering, Programme Management, Finance and Contracts, leading multidisciplinary teams and ensuring that every proposal is competitive, compelling, financially robust and fully compliant with customer and governance requirements.

This role offers significant visibility across the organisation and direct exposure to international customers, institutional stakeholders and senior decision-makers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex bids and proposals from initial qualification through submission, negotiation and contract award.
• Define winning bid strategies that balance technical feasibility, customer expectations, commercial competitiveness, financial performance and contractual risk.
• Analyse RFPs, tender documentation and customer requirements, translating them into clear workstreams, deliverables and governance milestones.
• Coordinate international and multidisciplinary bid teams, establishing responsibilities, deadlines and accountability across all contributors.
• Integrate technical, commercial, financial and contractual inputs into a coherent and persuasive proposal.
• Identify and manage bid risks and opportunities, implementing effective mitigation and value-creation actions.
• Lead internal bid reviews, decision gates and approval processes.
• Validate bid costs, pricing assumptions and business-case inputs in collaboration with Finance and operational stakeholders.
• Support customer clarifications, negotiations and contract finalisation.
• Capture lessons learned and strengthen proposal management standards and best practices.
• Contribute market insight and bid expertise to future growth opportunities in the space, defence and high-technology sectors.

Your Background

We are looking for an accomplished professional capable of operating with autonomy, credibility and influence in technically demanding environments.

• Master’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering or another relevant technical discipline.
• Proven experience in bid management, proposal management, business development or project management within space, aerospace, defence, telecommunications, engineering or another high-technology industry.
• Strong track record coordinating complex, multidisciplinary proposals in an international environment.
• Solid understanding of the technical, commercial, financial and contractual dimensions of major bids.
• Experience analysing customer requirements, managing bid risks and supporting cost estimation and pricing processes.
• Knowledge of the space industry, institutional customers, public tenders or space systems and products will be highly valued.
• Fluent English is mandatory. French would be a strong advantage.

Candidates coming from sectors such as space, defence, aeronautics, satellite communications, critical infrastructure, transportation, energy or complex industrial systems are particularly relevant when they have managed technically sophisticated and highly regulated proposals.

What Will Make You Successful

• Strategic thinking and strong business judgement.
• Leadership through influence in matrix organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder and customer management.
• Ability to challenge and align senior technical and commercial contributors.
• Strong planning, organisation and prioritisation skills.
• Confidence working under demanding deadlines and governance processes.
• Analytical problem-solving and risk-management capabilities.
• Advanced negotiation and communication skills.
• High level of ownership, resilience and results orientation.

Why Join Thales Alenia Space?

Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, with more than 40 years of experience delivering advanced solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructure.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• A flexible and smart working model, including hybrid work and flexible working hours.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.
• Free meals at the office.
• 28 business days of annual leave.
• Company pension plan.
• Individual learning and development programmes.
• Exposure to cutting-edge space technologies and international projects.
• A collaborative, innovative and multicultural working environment.
• Long-term career development opportunities within a rapidly evolving industry.

At Thales Alenia Space, space is more than a destination. It is an opportunity to connect, protect, explore and build a more sustainable future on Earth.

If you are ready to lead strategic bids at the intersection of technology, business and space, we would like to hear from you.

Great journeys start here. Apply now.

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