Reporting into the Senior Bid Manager t he purpose of this position is to lead and manage bids within the Sales & Marketing team. The key objective of the role is to ensure that Chess submits timely, high-quality winning bids into new and existing customers. Key Responsibilities: Responsibility for the timely submission of high-quality bids and commercial offers to new and existing customers Ensure due diligence and process is applied to all aspect of the bid submission – ownership of the entire bid Contribute to the overall Win Strategy, working with the Sales lead Ensure a robust top-level capture of the customer requirements Understand the customer’s ‘hot buttons’ and develop strong win themes that are captured in the bid, maximising customer satisfaction Understand how the bid aligns with the company strategy and balance that with customer satisfaction and priorities Generate and manage a robust bid plan Lead and manage individual bid teams and work together with other functions to gather correct and accurate inputs to the bid. Proposal management - ensure generation of professional, high quality and visually-appealing proposal documents compliant with any specific customer guidelines Editorial supervision of proposals Copywriting for proposals Ensure a clean and efficient hand over during contract acceptance to the delivery team (briefing, context, traceability of estimates) Contribute ideas for continuous improvement opportunities for the company bid management process Maintain some awareness of the company’s competitors and their products Apply an international mindset and perspective to all export bids Use and contribute to a Knowledge Base including a database of pre-prepared content that can be tailored to the specific requirements of each bid Operate in compliance with UK export compliance controls and procedures Operate in compliance with Chess Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policies, including with all partners and company representatives. Skills & Experience Essential Track record of successfully leading winning bids in previous bid management roles in the defence industry Experienced and confident in leading and motivating multi-disciplinary teams Experience in managing bids of value >£1M Demonstrably strong team player with a collaborative mindset Financial literacy and awareness Experience in copywriting Experienced in generating bid plans and schedules Ability to work well under pressure and on simultaneous bids and opportunities Experience working with customer and understanding and interpreting their challenges. Ability to maintain and operate with high ethical standards at all times. Desirable Knowledge of the UK, European and international defence markets Shipley bid management training and certification Experience using Microsoft Project Personal Attributes Results-driven Strong organisational skills Strongly self-motivated with the ability to sustain the passion and desire to win even in long bid/sales processes. Collaborative team player Competitive nature with a desire to develop winning bids Dynamic and inspirational Ability to impact and influence. Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbally and written. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. The ability to embrace the company values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Courage Work life balance: 37.5 hour working week Lunchtime finishes on a Friday Hybrid / flexible working arrangements 28 days annual leave Christmas closure Holiday purchasing scheme Benefits: Group pension plan – matched contributions up to 5%. Income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme. Employee Assistance Programme gives you and your family access to 4 key services including remote GP service, second opinion, mental health pathway service and physiotherapy consultations. Life assurance policy, including bereavement counselling and probate helpline. Company shares incentive plan and save as you earn scheme. Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme. Wellbeing initiatives, including access to wellbeing app and the addition of mental health support for all employees. Plus, regular activities across our sites to support and promote wellbeing. Regular sports and social activities. Gym membership discounts. Reward platform (high street discounts, employee benefits, health, and wellbeing offerings). Recruitment referral bonus scheme. Excellent learning & development opportunities. Great working environment with free, onsite car parking across all our locations. Security Clearance Requirements: Due to the nature of our business, our staff need to be able to obtain UK Security Clearance as a mandated requirement. Therefore, if successful, you will need to provide proof of identity, employment history and right to work in the UK, along with proof of UK residency for at least five years.