Bid Manager

About the Role

Airbus Defence & Space’s Public Safety and Security (PSS) line works on advanced critical communications and collaborative solutions for mission- and business-critical customers. Its offerings help organizations collect, process, and act on intelligence, with solutions designed for Public Safety, Transport, Utility, and Industry customers. The portfolio spans infrastructure, devices, applications, and services built on TETRA, TETRAPOL, and 3GPP broadband technologies. PSS operates as a major international player with customers in more than 80 countries and a workforce of about 1,200 people across 16 countries.

The Bid Manager will take full ownership of the bid project, including the necessary documentation and review cycles. This role is accountable for preparing and submitting a committed bid on time, aligned with customer expectations, internal requirements, and company processes. The position also requires the ability to present the full PSS portfolio effectively by understanding end-user priorities, operating methods, use cases, and how customer missions are evolving.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the complete bid lifecycle, starting from early opportunity spotting through to contract award.
• Create the bid approach and ensure all internal activities, gate reviews, and external milestones are completed successfully, with the expected quality and deadlines.
• Work with Sales, Product Line, Operations, and the regional head of bid to build a compelling proposal that addresses customer expectations and key decision drivers.
• Coordinate internal contributors from engineering, product line, logistics, finance, tax, sales, legal, compliance, and quality functions.
• Organize and lead review sessions as needed between phase-gate checkpoints.
• Make sure profitability and cash-related internal controls are followed, and escalate appropriately if deviations arise.
• Assess risks to evaluate financial exposure and define response plans.
• Join customer meetings and negotiations alongside the Sales team.
• Support the execution of PSS bid management transformation initiatives.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Work closely with Key Account Managers to shape the sales strategy.
• Gather and interpret customer and end-user needs.
• Present and position the PSS portfolio, customer service value, and unique strengths against leading competitors.
• Adjust presentation materials to suit the audience, customer expectations, and PSS strategic direction.
• Offer solution alternatives through technical white papers, presentations, and workshops; run product demos to show solution benefits and help win customer and partner preference.
• Help shape upcoming RFPs so they align with PSS portfolio strengths, USPs, and service capabilities.

General Expectations

• Contribute actively to the PSS bid community, teamwork, active listening, and overall performance and development.
• Keep knowledge current on emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, cloud computing, and mobile apps, as well as new business models like SaaS and MVNO.
• Communicate openly and respectfully, and consistently follow Airbus’ Code of Conduct along with ethics and compliance standards.

Skills and Background

• English and Arabic fluency is required; French is an advantage.
• Strong customer focus and solid relationship-management skills.
• Collaborative team player with strong business, technical, and analytical capability.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and strong verbal and written communication skills.
• At least 5 years of experience in bid management; PMP and APMP certifications are desirable.
• Background in Telco/IT engineering with international technical pre-sales experience is an advantage.
• Experience with 3GPP-based solutions is beneficial.
• M.Sc. in Engineering, IT, or Telecommunications; an additional business qualification such as an MBA is a plus.

Additional Information

This role is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and is a full-time onsite position. No salary, vacancy count, start date, or application deadline was specified in the source information.