Senior Programme & Bid Manager
Location: Enfield, North London
Working Pattern: Monday–Friday, core office hours
Salary: Up to £70,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
Hybrid: 2 days at home per week after initial settling in period
Outsource UK are recruiting a Senior Programme & Bid Manager to join a leading defence/manufacturing-led organisation operating within complex, regulated environments. This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for the successful delivery of a portfolio of major programmes and bids, based from the Enfield site.
The Role As Senior Programme & Bid Manager, you will provide strategic leadership across programmes and bids, ensuring robust governance, effective resourcing, and successful delivery from opportunity capture through contract award and into in‑life programme execution.
You’ll lead and develop a high-performing team of Programme Managers, Project Managers, and Bid Managers, while acting as a key interface with senior stakeholders and customers.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead, inspire, and manage a team of Programme Managers and Bid Managers, driving a high-performance delivery culture
* Own the overall health of the programme and bid portfolio, ensuring alignment to business strategy and customer priorities
* Provide senior oversight of complex programmes and concurrent bids
* Establish and maintain robust programme governance, controls, and reporting (schedule, cost, risk, change, benefits)
* Own and implement the bid operating model across the business
* Oversee bid strategy, governance, resourcing, and approval processes
* Ensure effective handover from bid phase into mobilisation and in-life delivery
* Identify, manage, and mitigate programme and bid risks, issues, and opportunities
* Prepare and present monthly programme status reports to senior leadership
* Support financial forecasting, budgeting, and revenue planning
* Drive continuous improvement and lessons learned across programmes and bids
* Provide project management support to internal development projects where required
* Engage with customers and subcontractors to refine requirements and deliver successful outcomes
Skills & Experience Required
* Proven senior leadership experience in programme and bid management
* Demonstrable track record of delivering complex programmes and major bids end to end
* Experience working within matrix organisations and multi‑disciplinary teams
* Strong commercial, contractual, and risk management capability
* Excellent stakeholder management skills, including senior customer and executive engagement
* Confident decision-maker with the ability to lead under pressure
* Experience within defence or similarly regulated engineering environments (highly desirable)
* Experience with international customers and export contracts
* Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control
Apply Now If you’re an experienced Programme & Bid leader looking for your next strategic role, apply today or contact Outsource UK for a confidential discussion.