Senior Project Manager – Bids (12 Month FTC)

Bristol, Somerset
La Fosse Associates Limited

Project Manager – Bids (Defence Sector)
12-Month Fixed Term Contract
Hybrid – 2-3 days onsite in Hook or Bristol (TBC)

A Leading Consultancy supporting Major UK Defence programmes] is seeking an experienced Project Manager with Bids experience to join their team on a 12-month fixed term contract. This role will play a key part in supporting a major MOD logistics bid covering warehousing, transport and supply chain services.

This is an opportunity for a Project Manager with experience in complex bid environments who can bring structure, planning rigour and governance to large multi-stream proposals. You will work alongside senior transition and solution teams to coordinate planning across workstreams and ensure the bid programme is deliverable and robust.

THE ROLE

Reporting to the Head of Transition Management, you will be responsible for developing and coordinating the programme planning for a large defence bid during the sales life cycle.

This role focuses on planning and orchestration rather than delivery, ensuring all bid workstreams align into a coherent, deliverable programme plan.

You will collaborate with subject matter experts, solution architects and partners to build integrated workstream plans, manage dependencies and ensure governance and assurance standards are met.

Key Responsibilities:

Bid/Sales Lifecycle

• Develop and coordinate programme and workstream plans across the bid team
• Define scope and planning standards for projects and workstreams within the bid
• Work with SMEs and solution teams to develop detailed workstream plans aligned to the overall WBS
• Ensure alignment between internal plans and partner/supplier delivery plans
• Identify and manage risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies (RAID)
• Produce a comprehensive set of bid programme artefacts and planning documentation
• Support deliverability and assurance reviews to ensure the programme can be successfully mobilised
• Provide governance insight and high-quality reporting to senior stakeholders

Programme & Function

• Monitor programme planning progress and recommend corrective actions
• Drive high-quality governance through accurate planning data and reporting
• Support continuous improvement of planning methods, standards and knowledge assets

YOU

The Project Manager for Bids will have prior experience of:

• 5+ years’ experience in programme or project environments
• Experience as a Project Manager within complex bid or sales life cycle programmes
• Proven ability to develop and manage plans across multiple workstreams
• Experience coordinating planning across large multi-stakeholder environments
• Strong background managing RAID and programme governance
• Experience working in high-pressure, deadline-driven bid environments
• Ability to bring clarity and structure to ambiguous situations
• Experience within outsourcing, defence or large service contracts is highly desirable.

Technical Skills

• Strong planning and scheduling capability using MS Project or Smartsheet
• Advanced MS Office skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Visio)
• Familiarity with SharePoint and Power BI is advantageous
• Understanding of programme governance and assurance frameworks

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional experience
• PRINCE2 Practitioner or APMP Practitioner
• Knowledge of MSP desirable

For more information please reach out to Lauren Stutz at La Fosse.