Bid Finance Manager

Thales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning, to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems, to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

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 the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, 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.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. 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.

Thales is committed to delivering excellent services in the fields of Space, Aerospace, Defence, Security, and Ground Transportation. Did you know that 40% of the world’s airspace is supported by our systems, or that we’re trusted to protect the data of 19/20 of the world’s largest banks?

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a BID Finance Manager to join the Integrated Airspace Protection Systems (IAS). This exciting role will be responsible for deal architecting and financial analysis on major UK and Export bid campaigns within a diverse industrial portfolio. The role is based in the UK with travel throughout the UK.

Primary Purpose of the Role:

This role will work in support of corporate governance, ensuring the highest integrity of estimating, costing, pricing and financial modelling of bids and projects. You will have experience of, and be comfortable working within, a bidding environment. You will be responsible for the collation and analysis of large volumes of financial data, and will be required to confidently and objectively advise senior management on the best course of action for the business based upon your findings.

You will support the delivery of an effective and efficient estimating, costing, pricing and financial modelling service through engagement with a wide variety of different stakeholders from across both our internal business areas and our customer organisations. Building and maintaining productive relationships across all stakeholders is critical to success in this role and as such, you will require excellent customer-focused inter-personnel, and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Responsible for coordination, creation, review and presentation of estimating, costing & pricing information to inform the Thales ‘Manage Bid & Manage Project Processes’.
• Prepare and present estimating and financial data at Gates, Estimate Reviews and Commitment Control Reviews.
• Modelling of estimated costs, overheads, funding, cashflow, margin, profitability etc.
• Support the continued development and implementation of estimating, costing, pricing, and financial modelling methodologies, processes, and tools, seeking to maximise the value of corporately held knowledge and data.
• Requirement to work out of normal office hours as required, possibly at short notice.
• Requirement to travel within the UK to work as required, possibly at short notice.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications:

Essential

• Experience of working within a bidding environment.
• Proficient in numerical analysis and pragmatically solving complex problems.
• Effective communicator, able to articulate ideas and information in a clear and persuasive manner.
• Self-motivated and excellent organisation skills, delivering to agreed timescales with attention to detail.
• Open, positive attitude to new ideas, practices & methods.

Desirable

• Experience within the Aerospace, Defence, Services or Technical Operations industries.
• Experience of developing, planning and implementing cost and price modelling strategies during the early bid stage.
• Proven background in conducting cost and price analysis, and using findings to advise senior management in support of bid decisions.
• Experience of risk and opportunity analysis and modelling.
• Conversant in use of recognised estimating, pricing and project control methodologies and tools, e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, ProPricer, PRICE TruePlanning, Primavera, etc.
• Experience of UK MOD procurement and cost assurance processes.
• Experience of pricing associated with international trade.

Core Benefits: Competitive Salary plus bonus, private healthcare, 27 days holiday and pension plus other great benefits such as excellent maternity/ paternity leave

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.

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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