Bid and Project Manager: Thales

Bid and Project Manager

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales people architect solutions at the heart of the defence-security continuum. Interoperable and secure information and telecommunications systems for defence, security, and civil operators, are based upon innovative use of radiocommunications, networks, and cybersecurity. We are ground breaking new digital technologies such as 4G mobile communications, cryptography, cloud computing and big data for use in physical protection systems, and critical information systems.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across five major industries; Aerospace, Defence, Ground Transportation, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Bid and Project Manager

Location: Crawley hybrid working (3 days per week in the office)

Security clearance requirements: UK Eyes Only (sole British nationals)

Thales SIX provides world leading tactical radio and electronic countermeasure (ECM) solutions to Customers around the globe. We are looking for a Bid and Project Manager to join our expanding team. This is an exciting opportunity to work across the whole spectrum of Bid and Project management. You will provide over-arching bid and project management leadership, specifically the project management of Land projects (from contract award to final delivery) as well as supporting bid activities to generate organic growth.

You will be responsible for complex, high value projects, delivering to Internal and external customers, both UK and international. The role will require you to ensure effective liaison happens across a range of stakeholders, that best practice is being applied and that project management capability strengths and weaknesses are identified and managed. You will also be providing coaching and direct support to less experienced project managers.

You will also get excellent support and continuous development from an extensive team of specialists and experts in the Land Communication business, as well as the Bid & Project Management function.

What can we offer you?
On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;

• Performance related bonus
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• Pension Scheme
• 28 days annual leave (Plus Bank Holidays)
• Life Cover
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts
• 24 hours paid volunteering
• Private healthcare (grade dependent)

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

Undertake the activities that will ensure the successful delivery of complex projects. This will typically include (but is not limited to) the following:

• Deliver key results and performance metrics within projects, including order intake, sales, gross margin and cash
• Creation of the initial Project Plan during the bid or “Demand” phase of the lifecycle through requirement capture, work definition, estimating and scheduling that will include all Milestones, activities, resources and any other feature that will require to be delivered.
• Supporting bid management activities to achieve organic growth; Shaping solutions, estimates and offers, managing the bid process and generating proposals.
• Project Governance (the Gate and Stage Processes) over the bid and project delivery activities to ensure project, technical, procurement and support processes are applied and are effective in controlling risks
• Ensure all business planning and reporting is published in accordance with Business directives e.g. Project Management reviews (PMR), Business Operations Report (BOR) and On Time Delivery (OTD)
• Drive Quality, Cost & Delivery performance through close working with other functions
• Manage all project stakeholders; ensuring strong communications are established and maintained
• Ensure that members of the project team are actively managing Risk and Opportunities, and have a robust Project Management Plan
• Ensure data integrity of all project information including financials and schedule. Use the Oracle and Primavera toolset to hold all financial, schedule and resource information
• Ensure “Lessons Learned Management” is applied to all projects, entailing application of lessons from other projects, and capturing lessons learned on specific projects under your control.
• The role will also involve occasional ad-hoc duties that are not listed above but are necessary to respond to the needs of the business. These ad-hoc duties will be consistent with the nature of a management position within Thales

Skills and Experience required:

• You will have experience of successfully managing high value projects (circa £50m+) in a complex, multidisciplinary, multi-site organisation, within the defence sector.
• The ability to successfully manage project teams (including coaching project managers)
• Full business lifecycle management, including capture, qualification, developing capture plans, and winning strategies.
• Comprehensive understanding of generic processes and techniques used to schedule project activities (for example; WBS, OBS, milestones, dependencies, EVM).
• Comprehensive experience and understanding of the Project Management process (including Change Control, Risk Management and Information Management).
• Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to deal with customers, partners, suppliers and other parts of the business (stakeholder management skills).

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

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