Assistant Manager - Tenders and Bidding (Specialized Vehicles)

About the Role

We are seeking a detail-oriented and commercially astute Tender & Bidding Assistant Manager to support the growth of RMA Special Vehicles. The role will manage the end-to-end tender and bidding process for specialised vehicle solutions across government, defense, corporate and institutional customers, ensuring submissions are technically compliant, commercially competitive and delivered on time.
The successful candidate will be a proactive bid owner, not simply a document coordinator: capable of interpreting complex requirements, challenging assumptions, driving cross-functional inputs and supporting disciplined bid/no-bid decisions. The role will help improve bid quality, conversion and profitability across our international Special Vehicles business.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and identify relevant RFPs, RFQs and tenders from government, public-sector, defense, corporate and institutional customers.
• Review tender requirements, eligibility, evaluation criteria, contractual terms, submission procedures and key deadlines.
• Coordinate structured bid/no-bid reviews, assessing strategic fit, technical feasibility, commercial attractiveness, capacity and execution risks.
• Own the tender timetable and coordinate end-to-end preparation of technical, commercial and administrative submissions.
• Work with sales, engineering, costing, procurement, production and finance to develop accurate, compelling and fully compliant proposals.
• Prepare compliance matrices, clarification requests, bid documents and submission checklists; ensure timely and complete submissions.
• Maintain an accurate tender pipeline, bid tracker, document repository and relevant CRM/Salesforce records.
• Coordinate costing and pricing inputs, including vehicle costs, modifications, freight, duties, taxes, warranties, guarantees and delivery obligations where applicable.
• Support pricing reviews to balance competitiveness with target contribution margins and project profitability.
• Identify tender exceptions and commercial, contractual, regulatory and delivery risks; escalate material issues before submission.
• Liaise with tendering authorities, customers, consultants and partners on clarifications, pre-bid meetings and post-submission follow-up.
• Coordinate with internal functions and external suppliers to validate technical scope, lead times, compliance and execution readiness.
• Track bid outcomes, maintain lessons learned and competitor intelligence, and improve tender templates, processes and bid conversion performance.
• Support the handover of successful bids to project execution teams, ensuring key commitments and assumptions are documented.

Background and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Commerce or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in tender management, bid preparation or proposal coordination, ideally for automotive, specialised vehicles, engineering, industrial equipment or complex B2B projects.
• Working knowledge of government/public-sector procurement procedures, tender documentation, compliance matrices and electronic tendering platforms.
• Strong commercial acumen, including the ability to interpret cost estimates, pricing structures, margins and contractual risks.
• Ability to understand technical specifications and coordinate effectively with engineering, production, procurement and finance teams.
• Excellent planning, analytical, documentation and stakeholder-management skills, with exceptional attention to detail and deadlines.
• Strong written and spoken English;
• Experience with international tenders is an advantage.
• High standards of integrity, accountability and teamwork, with a proactive, solution-oriented approach.