Senior Bid Lead

James Fisher and Sons plc; Aberdeen City; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering services company is looking for a Senior Bid Lead to oversee important bids from receipt to contract award. This role involves strong leadership, managing tenders, and mentoring the Bids Team to ensure quality submissions. Candidates must have prior bid management experience and excellent communication skills. The position is hybrid, based in either Inchinnan, Glasgow or Westhill, Aberdeen, and offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package

Early finish on Fridays

Private Medical Insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Company Pension

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Demonstrated bid management experience with large scale tenders.
• Ability to work to own initiative and strict deadlines.
• Experience mentoring junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead bids ensuring high-quality submissions for commercial opportunities.
• Mentor and develop team members, reviewing their contributions.
• Ensure all bid requirements are managed and acted upon.

Skills

Bid/Tender Management experience

Previous MOD or government tendering experience

Mentoring personnel

Estimating experience

Bid/Tender writing experience

IT Literacy

Excellent communication skills

Teamwork

Risk analysis

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM packages (Salesforce)

Job description

Senior Bid Lead

Full-time, Permanent

Inchinnan, Glasgow or Westhill, Aberdeen - Hybrid

Please note that this role requires security checks.

The Role

As a key member of our Bids Team, the Senior Bid Lead will take ownership of strategically important bids from initial receipt through to contract award, driving success across our Defence and Commercial & Hyperbaric product lines. This pivotal role demands strong leadership and attention to detail, ensuring high-quality submissions that win business. This role will see you dealing with complex large scale tender opportunities. Occasional UK travel may be required, and candidates should be able to achieve SC clearance.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead Bids in line with the JFD Global Bids Process. Following a bid/no bid process, you will be allocated resources or allocate yourself to write, manage, coordinate, and produce high quality submissions from kick-off to final submission and handover.
• Mentoring and developing other members of the Bids Team and act as first reviewer for the Head of Bids.
• Ensure that all the bid requirements are well managed, maintained and acted upon.
• Write sections of bids and produce quality content plans for the wider business departments to aid them with their written requirements. Coordinate and review their responses to ensure all the client’s key points are addressed.
• Act as a catalyst of the bid team in the challenge of working cohesively and positively towards project objectives.
• Work with the estimating lead and relevant support functions to ensure accurate cost estimates that safeguard competitiveness and winning pricing.
• Ensure presentation of Bids to internal/external stakeholders is succinct, coherent and achieve overall objectives.
• Interaction with the JFD Senior Leadership Team and JFS Investment Committee for Bid Approval in line with Global Bids Process.

What we’re looking for

• Demonstrated Bid/ Tender Management experience.
• Previous MOD or government tendering experience desirable.
• Experience mentoring personnel.
• Highly numerate – estimating experience desirable.
• Bid / Tender writing experience essential.
• IT Literate, experienced in using Microsoft office packages, particularly Excel.
• Ability to work to own initiative and strict deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience with CRM package (Salesforce etc.)
• Teamwork and relationships.
• Risk analysis.

Why join us?

• Early finish on Fridays
• Competitive salary and benefits package aligned with experience (Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance, Cycle to work scheme, Company Pension, etc.)
• Clear pathways for career development and organisational visibility
• Inclusive and supportive culture that values individual contributions
• Meaningful work with impact across safety, innovation, and global operations

About Us

James Fisher is a global engineering services company operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport. With a strong heritage in maritime operations, we now deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. Our One James Fisher strategy is focused on building a unified, sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving progress through technology, expertise, and collaboration.

Visit our website at: Home | James Fisher and Sons plc

For more information about our values and behaviours, follow the link: About us | James Fisher and Sons plc

James Fisher Defence (JFD), part of the James Fisher Group, is a global leader in underwater capability, delivering cutting‑edge diving, submarine rescue, and hyperbaric solutions to both commercial and defence markets. Operating worldwide, JFD is the foremost provider of submarine rescue services and a trusted name in submarine escape training. We’re also at the forefront of hyperbaric rescue innovation and a leading supplier of advanced diving equipment and saturation systems across the industry. Explore more about JFD

If this sounds like the ideal next step in your career, then click ‘apply’ now!

Due to the volume of applications, we receive for our vacancies, on occasion applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

James Fisher and Sons are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications for candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success depends on our talented and diverse workforce.