LSG Sky Chefs is one of the world’s largest airline catering and hospitality providers, known for its outstanding reputation and dynamic approach in the industry. Voted “Airline Caterer of the Year in North America” for 2023 and 2024, we are committed to excellence and innovation, driven by the dedication and expertise of our talented employees. Our team members are the heart and soul of our success, consistently delivering exceptional culinary experiences and outstanding service to our clients and their passengers across North and Latin America.

Join a dynamic and forward-thinking culinary leader on a transformational journey! We are committed to digitalization and innovation and are seeking an innovative and passionate individual to join our dynamic team at Sky Chefs to support our value creation and growth objectives. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a company that values creativity, strategic thinking, and hands-on execution.

The Strategic Bids & Solutions Manager is responsible for managing the end-to-end bid process, ensuring timely and high-quality proposal submissions that align with client requirements and company objectives. This role involves creating innovative and competitive solutions to meet customer needs, while collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop pricing, operational, and commercial strategies. The role is critical to securing new business, driving revenue growth, and strengthening Sky Chefs Americas spanet position.  It requires strong project management skills, with the ideal candidate not just managing bids, but actively thinking about how to improve the end-to-end bid process.

• Position based onsite Sky Chefs North American Corporate Headquarters in Irving, TX 
• Relocation is not available for this specific opportunity 
• Sponsorship is not offered at this time for this specific opportunity 

Bid Management

• Lead and manage the preparation, development, and submission of bids and proposals, ensuring compliance with customer requirements and deadlines
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, including Sales, Operations, Finance, and Legal teams, to gather and validate inputs for bids
• Coordinate and review / edit proposal input from a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including involving contributions from sales, spaneting, product teams, finance, commercial, legal and operations
• Work with the Sales lead to develop a clear win strategy for each bid and ensure win themes are clear and compelling
• Understand and resolve complex technical, strategic and business issues
• Prepare and review the commercial aspects of the bid, ensuring all products / services are included in the final price to the customer
• Risk tracking and management throughout the bid process
• Serve as a key point of contact during the bid process to address client queries and provide clarifications
• Maintain a bid library with standard templates, reference materials, and case studies to streamline the proposal process
• Conduct post-bid reviews, both internally and with the customer, to identify lessons learned to support continuous improvement
• Ability to coach sales teams in persuasive writing and proposal best practice
• Collaborate with the Sales lead, Strategic Pricing and Sales Controlling to develop and validate pricing models to ensure competitiveness and profitability
• Work with Finance teams to develop bid profit & loss projections as well as analyze and assess financial risk factors associated with proposal

Solutions Design

• Produce professionally written proposal and pitch content that superbly articulates the organization’s value proposition and win themes
• Design innovative and competitive solutions that address customer needs while optimizing operational and financial outcomes
• Lead storyboard sessions with bid / proposal team members
• Analyze client requests and RFPs to support developing tailored strategies for pricing, logistics, and service offerings that supports value based selling approaches
• Collaborate with Operations and Supply Chain teams to ensure proposed solutions are feasible and align with company capabilities that complies with customer requirements
• Identify and incorporate sustainability and digitalization initiatives into solution designs
• In collaboration with the Sales lead, develop sales pitches that emphasizing value, innovation, and Sky Chefs competitive advantages
• Monitor industry trends, customer needs, and competitor activities to identify opportunities for growth

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree is a plus.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in bid management, solutions design, or a related role in a B2B environment, preferably in the aviation, logistics, and/ or hospitality industry.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); experience with bid management software is a plus
• Good understanding of financial modeling and pricing methodologies
• Familiarity with sustainability practices and digital enablement strategies
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple bids simultaneously under tight deadlines
• Analytical and strategic thinking, with a proven ability to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions
• Sound commercial understanding and profit and loss experience coupled with risk management
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with experience in creating compelling proposals and delivering impactful presentations
• Must possess strong skills in structuring clear, concise, and visually appealing content that communicates tailored key messages to diverse audiences
• Strong people management with ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and build relationships at all organizational levels
• Detail-oriented, with a focus on accuracy and quality in deliverables
• Ability to conceptualize complex ideas, strategies, and processes and effectively depict these concepts in written formats such as PowerPoint presentations, reports, and other business documentation
• Strong understanding of spanet dynamics and customer behavior
• Forensic attention to detail and meticulous proofreading skill 
• Proactive and innovative approach to problem-solving
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Bid win rate and contribution to revenue growth
• Quality and innovation of proposed solutions
• Timeliness and compliance of bid submissions
• Alignment of solutions with operational feasibility and financial goals
• Customer satisfaction