TalentTrade Recruitment

Proposal Manager Bid Manager/Tender Manager Cheltenham | Hybrid (3-4 days on-site, remainder remote) £55,000 - £65,000 + excellent benefits, including optional 9-day fortnight UK Citizenship & eligibility for SC clearance required Are you a skilled Proposal Manager looking for your next challenge in the defence and cyber domain? Our client, a leading provider of advanced defence, security and military technology solutions, is expanding their bids function and seeking an experienced professional to help deliver high-impact, high-value tender submissions. Working across a diverse portfolio of UK customers, you'll lead proposals spanning next-generation Air Force programmes, cyber security, ISR, communications, radar systems and Command & Control. Projects range from early-stage research studies to multi-million-pound, multi-year strategic campaigns. You'll join an established, energised and highly collaborative business development team that takes pride in delivering innovative solutions, professional excellence and continual improvement. What You'll Be Doing Own the proposal development process from pre-proposal planning through to post-submission review Define proposal structure, timelines and SME contributions in line with RFP requirements Lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary proposal teams to deliver competitive, compelling submissions Monitor content quality, ensuring responses are compliant, coherent and strategically positioned Gather cost, schedule and performance data from functional departments Manage stakeholder engagement throughout each submission life cycle Research historical data and lessons learned to strengthen future bids Ensure adherence to internal governance, processes and acquisition frameworks Implement tools and best practice methodologies to continually improve bid quality Coordinate and run proposal reviews, ensuring independent challenge and quality assurance Produce clear, timely status reporting for leadership and internal stakeholders Build strong collaborations with industrial partners, ensuring their contributions are aligned and integrated What You'll Bring Essential Experience using procurement portals (eg, Award, Bravo, Jaggaer, or similar) Demonstrated capability delivering complex product/service proposal documentation Strong reporting and communication skills, including senior-level progress updates People management or team leadership experience Desired Previous experience supporting government or commercial competitive tender processes Familiarity with online tender submission tools Line management experience with proven ability to coach and grow high-performing teams Experience leading multi-discipline teams (up to 20 people) Additional Requirements Ability to obtain and maintain UK Security Check (SC) clearance Willingness to travel within the UK for meetings, team activities and occasional international visits Flexibility to work overtime or weekends when required during peak submission phases Valid UK driving licence and passport