PURPOSE
To support the Marshall Land Systems (MLS) Head of Growth, Sales and Bids in growing the
business globally through the development and implementation of campaign plans including but
not limited to; win themes and win strategies, teaming and partnering, competition and market analysis, SWOT’s and position/price to win analysis.
Marshall Land Systems is committed to delivering innovative engineering and support solutions that enable military customers to operate effectively in the most demanding environments. The Senior Campaign Lead plays a critical role in shaping and securing the programmes that underpin future growth and operational success.
The Senior Capture and Campaign Lead is responsible for leading the pursuit and capture of strategically important business opportunities across the UK and international defence markets. Working closely with Business Development, Programme Delivery, Engineering, Commercial, Finance, and Supply Chain teams, the role will develop and execute winning capture strategies that secure sustainable growth for Marshall Land Systems.
The post holder will lead complex, high-value opportunities from qualification through bid submission and contract award, ensuring alignment with customer requirements, corporate strategy, and business objectives.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Capture and Campaign Leadership
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Lead the capture planning and execution of major defence opportunities as directed, typically valued in excess of £20M.
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Develop, communicate and maintain comprehensive capture plans for priority pursuits.
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Establish opportunity win strategies based on customer insight, competitive analysis, and market intelligence.
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Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure alignment around capture objectives, win themes and milestones.
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Drive opportunity qualification and lead gate reviews throughout the capture lifecycle.
Customer Engagement
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Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across the UK Ministry of Defence, NATO organisations, prime contractors, and international defence customers.
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Identify customer needs, priorities, and future capability requirements.
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Represent Marshall Land Systems at customer meetings, industry events, and trade exhibitions as required.
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Support strategic account management activities to position the business for future opportunities.
Opportunity Development
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Shape opportunities at an early stage to maximise competitive advantage.
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Lead competitor assessments, SWOT analyses, and win theme development.
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Identify partnering, teaming, and subcontracting opportunities that strengthen market positioning.
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Support market entry and growth strategies in selected defence and security sectors.
Bid and Proposal Support
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Provide leadership during bid development and proposal preparation.
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Ensure bid solutions are aligned with capture strategy and customer expectations.
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Chair capture reviews and support executive decision-making.
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Work closely with Bid Managers to ensure seamless transition from capture to proposal phases.
Strategic Planning
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Contribute to long-term business growth plans and pipeline development.
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Monitor market trends, government spending priorities, and emerging defence programmes.
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Provide recommendations on investment priorities and business development strategies.
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Support annual strategic planning and forecasting activities.
Governance and Compliance
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Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with company policies, export control regulations, and applicable procurement legislation.
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Maintain accurate opportunity records and reporting within the opportunity pipeline/CRM systems.
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Support risk identification and mitigation throughout the capture process
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
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Experience managing complex multi-disciplinary teams without direct line authority.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Strong commercial, strategic, and analytical capability.
- Experience developing capture plans, win strategies, and customer engagement plans.
- Ability to operate effectively at senior executive and customer levels.
- Strong presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.
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Eligible to obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (SC) or higher.
TECHNICAL SKILLS/EDUCATION
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Significant experience leading capture activities within the defence, aerospace, or government sectors.
- Demonstrable track record of winning major competitive contracts and framework agreements.
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Strong understanding of UK Ministry of Defence procurement processes.
ADDITIONAL LOCAL NEEDS
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Eligible to obtain SC Clearance
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Hybrid working with fortnightly visits to Cambridge until Dec 2026. Place of work to switch to Wales before Dec 2026.
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Occasional UK and International travel
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
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Head of Growth, Sales and Bids
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Managing Director
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Executive Leadership Team
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Business Unit Directors
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MoD/Prime Defence Contractors
BENEFITS
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Strategic influence - Opportunity to shape major defence pursuits and contribute directly to long-term business growth and market strategy
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Senior stakeholder exposure - Regular engagement with executive leadership, government customers, and industry partners across the UK and international defence sectors
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Commercial and business development growth - Develop expertise in capture management, win strategies, pricing, competitive positioning, and customer engagement
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Cross-functional leadership - Lead and influence multidisciplinary teams across engineering, commercial, finance, supply chain, and programme delivery without direct authority
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Clear progression pathway - Strong foundation for future roles in Capture Management, Business Development Leadership, Growth Strategy, or Director-level positions within the defence industry
OUR VALUES
We own our actions and their impact. We empower each other to do our best and never excuse poor behaviour.
We build trust through honesty, transparency and consistency. We create respectful relationships and every level.
We succeed together. We listen, support, and adapt as one team, helping each other achieve shared goals with positive intent.
We stay curious, creative and open to challenge. We think differently, learn continuously, and turn ideas into better ways of working.
