Sales/Bid Manager

At Ascendance we are building tomorrow's hybrid-electric aviation with ATEA, a unique Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by STERNA, our in-house hybrid-electric propulsion system. We focus our efforts in designing an innovative, safe, silent, clean and affordable aircraft that will be able to blend into existing infrastructures and regulations to ease its deployment and maximise social acceptance.

If you are looking for a place where you will have a direct impact on very ambitious products, where you will work close to the hardware and where you can witness the result of your hard work quickly, board ATEA and come fly with us toward the future of aviation

Your role :

The Aviation Equipment Sales Bid Manager is responsible for securing high-value contracts for our STERNA products - most notably on our Hybrid Pack product - within the hybrid-electric aircraft market. Customers will range from eVTOL manufacturers, General Aviation turboprop aircraft manufacturers, Regional aircraft manufacturers, Commercial aircraft manufacturers.

Based in Toulouse, you will serve as the core commercial link between our engineering capacity and customer needs (OEMs, integrators, and airlines). This role requires applying your technical understanding of hybrid-electric & battery technology and your contract expertise to structure profitable proposals. You report directly to the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and execute a critical function within the company's growth strategy.

Your core responsibilities range from:

• Strategizing and delivering all sales proposals from Qualification to Contract Signature.
• Ensuring technical compliance, commercial viability, and legal accuracy of every bid.
• Managing the bid lifecycle and collaborating actively with the Engineering, Finance, and Production teams.

Your main missions will be :

YOU DEVELOP AND NURTURE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

• You are fully in charge of customer accounts and you handle them from A to Z to make sure to detect any commercial opportunity and then transform it

YOU ARE THE BID ARCHITECT

• You own the bid qualification process, defining the clear win strategies, competitive positioning, and all offer pricing structures in collaboration with the CCO.
• You develop detailed bid project plans, managing internal resources, timelines, and budgets to ensure the timely submission of fully compliant proposals.

YOU CRAFT WINNING PROPOSALS & DRIVE INTERNAL ALIGNMENT

• You structure, write, and coordinate all aspects of the commercial and technical proposals, ensuring strict alignment with the customer's Request for Proposal (RFP/RFI) and company objectives.
• You act as the main point of contact for customer clarifications during the bid process, managing Q&A sessions and site visits.
• You chair internal "Gate Reviews" to secure executive approval at key decision points, articulating all bid risks, mitigation plans, and market potential.
• You review and negotiate all contract terms and conditions (T&Cs) and legal caveats, acting as the primary liaison with the legal department and CCO throughout the negotiation phase.

YOU SECURE THE DEAL PROFITABILITY

• You develop cost models and profitability analyses (P&L) for each bid, ensuring proposals are commercially sound and achieve defined margin targets.

YOU SIGN DEALS

• That's always the goal isn't it?

Where do we stand?

Founded on Ascendance's strong values, the whole team is involved in creating both innovative products to decarbonize aviation and an accurate company structure to support its fast development.

Our hybrid pack technology is already commercialized with development contracts already signed and ongoing.

Sky's our limit, we are looking forward to the first flight of ATEA and delivering our first STERNA hybrid-electric propulsion systems as part of our contracts

The job has been made for you if you have:

• A Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Aviation Management, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in B2B sales or bid management within the Aerospace/Aviation or Defence sectors
• Aerospace Knowledge: Demonstrated understanding of the aerospace procurement cycle, regulatory frameworks (EASA, FAA), and certification processes (DO-160, DO-311, etc.).
• Technical Domain Expertise: Functional knowledge of aerospace equipment, hybrid electric propulsion systems, battery technology (Li-ion, solid-state), or critical avionics equipment.
• Contractual Acumen: Proven experience structuring and negotiating multi-year supply contracts (e.g., long-term agreements, non-recurring engineering costs, warranty terms).
• Language Proficiency: Fluent command of both English (mandatory) and French (preferred).

Behaviour / Soft Skills

• Commercial Leadership: You possess the ability to command cross-functional bid teams (technical, legal, finance) and drive consensus under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Negotiation & Influence: You demonstrate strong negotiation skills with the ability to manage commercial discussions and maintain customer relationships.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: You are comfortable and effective in a startup environment; you are proactive, resourceful, and operate with significant autonomy.
• Communication: You have effective written and verbal communication skills across both technical and executive audiences.

We are meant to work together if you :

You are willing to contribute to the development of the company

• You want to impact the future of aviation and lead the transition
• You want to face complex but thrilling challenges
• You like to work in a dynamic environment
• You are a real team player who wants to build a big success story with us
• You are curious and eager to learn.

What we offer :

• Career booster: versatility, training opportunities, internal mobility
• Health insurance
• Restaurant tickets
• Holiday pay bonus
• Public transportation allowance
• Teleworking policy
• A flexible working environment
• Company events.

Recruitment process :

• Application evaluations (CVs….)
• Talent Interview
• Technical Interview
• Meet others Ascenders
• Reference check

Non-discrimination and diversity are our priorities. Ascendance is open to hire personalities with their own differences.