Senior Bid Manager (m/f/d) – Space & Defence [26177]
At a glance
Senior Revenue & Sales Operations role at Sopra Steria. Darmstadt · full-time.
Pay not stated
growthroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Take each opportunity from qualification to contract award, shaping a win plan around customer needs and your organisation’s strengths
- Set bid timetables, reviews and staffing, while keeping parallel submissions compliant, polished and on schedule
- Interpret tender documents and evaluation rules, then bring technical, finance, legal and delivery teams together to build proposals
- Contribute to pricing, business cases and risk reviews, and assist with capture work, negotiations and customer briefings
- Refine bid processes, capture lessons for future proposals and guide junior bid managers and coordinators
What you bring
- A bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, business administration or another listed discipline
- At least eight years in bid, proposal, capture or business development work, including successful bids in a listed sector
- Fluent spoken and written German and English, with the ability to prepare proposals and customer materials in both
- Expertise in European government purchasing and competitive tender procedures
Who this fits
This senior role suits you if you can direct complex bids, coordinate international, multidisciplinary teams and handle competing deadlines. You can work from Darmstadt, Bremen or Munich, Germany. The application requires a CV in English.
From the employer
CS GROUP, together with HE Space and Sopra Steria, has been successfully providing digital end-to-end systems and engineering services for more than 40 years.
With over 2000 employees worldwide, we combine advanced and unique skills in both information technology and space data engineering. We combine entrepreneurial agility with cutting-edge technological expertise.
CS GROUP is a leading provider of operational systems and an important and trusted long-term partner for space and defence organisations.
At CS GROUP, we are driven by innovation and we value our most important asset: our people.
Bid Leadership & Management
- Lead and manage the complete bid lifecycle from opportunity qualification through proposal submission and contract award;
- Develop and implement win strategies that align customer requirements with company capabilities and competitive strengths;
- Establish bid governance, schedules, review plans, and resource allocation for major opportunities;
- Manage multiple simultaneous bids while ensuring quality, compliance, and timely delivery.
Proposal Development
- Analyse customer requirements, tender documentation, evaluation criteria, and contractual condition;
- Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including engineering, operations, finance, legal, procurement, and programme management;
- Develop proposal structures, compliance matrices, executive summaries, and customer-focused value propositions;
- Ensure all submissions meet technical, commercial, legal, and quality requirements.
Commercial & Strategic Support
- Support pricing strategy, business case development, and risk management activities;
- Contribute to capture planning and pre-sales activities alongside business development teams;
- Assess competitor positioning and identify differentiators and win themes;
- Support contract negotiations, clarification processes, customer presentations, and best-and-final offer submissions.
Continuous Improvement
- Drive proposal excellence and bid management best practices;
- Contribute to process improvements, lessons learned activities, and proposal knowledge management;
- Mentor junior bid managers and proposal coordinators.
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Aerospace, Defence Studies, Project Management, or a related discipline;
- Minimum 8 years of experience in bid management, proposal management, capture management, or business development;
- Proven experience delivering successful bids within the space, defence, aerospace, security, IT, or engineering sectors;
- Strong knowledge of European public procurement and competitive tendering processes;
- Demonstrated experience working with customers such as:
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- EUMETSAT
- European Commission and EU Agencies
- NATO Organisations
- German Federal Ministries and Defence Authorities
- Major aerospace and defence primes
Languages
- Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken;
- Ability to prepare professional proposals, reports, presentations, and customer communications in both German and English.
Technical & Professional Skills
- Excellent proposal writing and editing capabilities;
- Strong project management and stakeholder management skills;
- Experience managing cross-functional and international teams;
- Strong commercial awareness and risk management capabilities;
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, CRM systems, and proposal management tools.
Desirable Qualifications
- APMP Certification (Foundation, Practitioner, or Professional);
- Knowledge of defence procurement regulations and security frameworks;
- Experience with large framework agreements, service contracts, and system integration programmes;
- Familiarity with space systems, satellite operations, mission planning, command and control systems, cybersecurity, or defence digitalisation projects;
- Eligibility to obtain national or European security clearance.
Personal Attributes
- A strategic thinker with a strong customer focus;
- Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities;
- Comfortable engaging with senior executives and technical subject matter experts;
- Results-oriented and capable of delivering under tight deadlines;
- A strong communicator who can build consensus and motivate multidisciplinary teams.
This job can be located in Darmstadt, Bremen or Munich, Germany.
If you think you have what it takes for this job, please send your CV (in English) by clicking on the button “Apply for this job” and quoting job DE-HP-26177.
An exciting and dynamic international working environment awaits you!
An inclusive and committed employer, our company works every day to combat all forms of discrimination and promote a respectful working environment. That's why, committed to gender diversity and overall inclusivity, we encourage all applications and profiles.
Last apply date: 31/10/2026!
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