Head of Bids

Unleash the Power of Multi-Mission Excellence: Safeguarding the Seas for the World's Navies.
Step into a world where cutting-edge technology meets unparalleled expertise. Ultra Maritime pioneers delivering multi-mission solutions that protect and empower the naval forces worldwide. With our extensive portfolio of capabilities, our innovations are utilised on naval fleets across our allied navies around the globe.
As the maritime and underwater battlespace evolves, we tirelessly push the boundaries to develop advanced specialist systems that provide our 'five-eyes' Defence customers with an unbeatable warfighting edge. From surface vessels to sub-surface operations and unmanned platforms, we are revolutionizing the way naval missions are executed.
We thrive on collaboration and partnering with our customers to ensure mission success. Our expert solutions encompass an array of game-changing technologies, including state-of-the-art sonar, radar, expendables, signature management, and naval power systems.
Join us in shaping the future of naval warfare and together, we will safeguard the seas and empower navies worldwide!
Flexible Working
At Ultra Maritime, we understand that your personal life is just as important as your professional one. That's why we support and promote flexible working arrangements where possible. Whether you prefer a hybrid model, working remotely, or the structure of being on-site, we will support you as best as we can. Embrace the freedom to shape your work hours according to your needs, whether it's part-time, compressed hours, or a unique arrangement that suits your lifestyle.
Rugeley embraces flexibility by offering adaptable start and finish times, empowering you to find the perfect balance between your professional and personal commitments. Bid farewell to rigid schedules and embrace the freedom to design your workday around your unique needs.
It's the 'innovating' and 'empowering' values that we ASPIRE to be. We welcome the challenge to work in new ways and have trust in you when getting the job done because we recognise, our business is our people.
Job Description
Ultra Maritime SMaP UK based in Rugeley, Staffordshire is looking to recruit for a Head of Bids. The role will be responsible for leading, planning, scheduling, and overseeing the timely development and delivery of high-quality responses to the most complex, strategic proposal efforts across the enterprise. This position will work collaboratively across the SMaP LoB to provide guidance, thought leadership, hands-on proposal management, and industry best practice training for proposal teams. The successful candidate will meet their objectives through direct action, and cross-functional engagement with other teams.
This critical position is responsible for directly managing and overseeing the largest, most strategic bid opportunities across Ultra Maritime SMaP. This position should specialise in creating and preparing proposals, ensuring timeliness and accuracy of submissions, as well ensuring the highest quality, most compelling proposals possible. Responsibilities revolve around producing proposal management plans, resource estimation and staffing, developing and translating solutions and strategies into compliant proposal structures.
Key Responsibilities:

• Leading the planning and execution of the overall proposal development effort, including all deliverables to customer.
• Understanding the strengths and skills gap of proposal team and leading the training and skills development in win theme and discriminator development, proposal outlining, writing, etc.
• Collaborating and coordinating with organic proposal teams within SMaP.
• Assuring quality of deliverables (RFI response, proposal response, clarifications, demos etc.) to customer and full compliance with customer requirements or as otherwise agreed.
• Developing and maintaining the proposal management plan as the roadmap for proposal development.
• Determining staffing needs and priorities of capture team, focused on proposal development.
• Providing inputs to capture budget with focus on proposal development and adjusting budget request over time as circumstances change.
• Leading development of storyboards, RFP outline and compliance matrix, questions/comments on RFP.
• Conducting and presenting PTW analysis.
• Ensuring strategy and win themes are embodied in proposal and other key deliverables.
• Planning for, participating in, or leading colour team reviews - Shipley process.
• Managing activities of section leads, writers/editors, and proposal coordinator, working in partnership with the capture manager and/or operations lead.
• Provide proposal development training in industry best practices including proposal management, proposal writing, graphics and action captions, colour team reviews, outlining, storyboarding and mockups, theme statements and discriminators, and other related topics.
• Responsible for creating industry-leading proposal infrastructure utilizing MS Teams and SharePoint infrastructure.
• Overseeing proposal production and editing.
• Arranging and leading gate reviews at the appropriate levels within UM

Required Skills:

• Degree qualified - Engineering or Technical Degree (distinct advantage) or equivalent competency and experience.
• Occasion travel may be required.
• Experience of managing complex high value bids and proposals.

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics.
• Knowledge of relevant customer base including NCHQ and DE&S / SDA / DNO
• Advanced degree or MBA.
• Ability to understand, communicate and market technology and product capability / offerings.
• Track record of managing successful technical bids through to order placement.
• Excellent technical report/proposal writing.
• Willing to work out of normal business hours and time zone.
• Proven track record of managing successful marketing campaigns for complex systems to government, navy and prime contractors.
• Experience in the Signature Management and/or Naval Power Systems is a distinct advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and develop effective relationships with partners and suppliers.

The successful candidate must be able to obtain relevant security requirements for the role.
Relocation Support
Attracting high-level talent and people that can add value and expertise, is vital to our success. Attracting and retaining brilliant people is imperative so that's why we search across the UK for talent. We offer financial support to candidates that are considering relocating; this is considered on a case-by-case basis per role and subject to HMRC guidelines.
Nationality Requirements
Candidates must be eligible to obtain the relevant security clearance required for the role, due to the nature of the programmes we deliver for our customers.
Diverse & Inclusive Employer
Ultra Maritime is an equal opportunities employer that values diversity, inclusion, equity and equality. Underpinned by our values, behaviours, and policies, we want you to feel empowered to be your best and authentic self.
We promote a workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds and cultures; believing that this will increase our diversity of thinking, and ultimately ensure we continue delivering on our commitments to our customers.
We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and welcome applications from all candidates.