Head of Finance - #2083717

Hybrid working arrangement: 3 days per week on site

This is a senior leadership opportunity to shape and lead Bid Finance capability within a complex and high-growth business environment. As Head of Bid Finance, you will play a critical role in ensuring the integrity of estimating, costing, and pricing across major and strategic bids. You will lead a high-performing team while working closely with senior stakeholders to influence business outcomes, drive profitability, and enable successful programme delivery from bid through to execution.

What this role has to offer

• A strategic leadership role with direct impact on business growth, profitability, and governance
• The opportunity to lead and develop a specialist Bid Finance team and capability
• Exposure to complex, high-value bids and major business opportunities
• Close collaboration with senior stakeholders across finance, commercial, engineering, and operations
• The ability to shape and improve estimating processes, tools, and best practice across the business

Core Benefits:

On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;

• Performance-related bonus
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) plus opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Private healthcare
• Pension scheme
• Life cover
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts
• You can read about some of our other benefits here: UK benefits | Thales Group

Optronics & Missile Electronics (OME)

We help forces to find the right information at the right time to make the right decision. For over 130 years we’ve proudly led the development of Optronics for military, scientific and commercial use. We cover three sectors: Air, Land and Sea.

Main Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Bid Finance team, ensuring high-quality delivery and effective utilisation of capability
• Oversee the development, review, and presentation of estimating, costing, and pricing for complex bids and projects
• Provide financial leadership and assurance across the bid lifecycle, including risk, cost, and pricing decisions
• Drive the development and continuous improvement of estimating processes, tools, and methodologies
• Partner with senior stakeholders to influence bid outcomes and support the transition from bid to project delivery

Ideal Experience & Skills:

• Extensive experience in bid finance, cost engineering, or financial modelling within complex project environments
• Strong leadership capability, with experience managing and developing high-performing teams
• Deep understanding of estimating, costing, pricing, and financial governance across the bid lifecycle
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior levels in a matrix organisation
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to analyse risk and drive profitable outcomes

Security Clearance Requirement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.