Tender Operations Manager

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

About us

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

Every day, our colleagues support scientific discoveries, healthcare innovations, and life-changing therapies that improve lives around the world. With more than 125,000 employees globally, we combine innovation, collaboration, and expertise to help our customers solve some of the world's most important challenges.

Our Budapest Shared Service Center is a diverse, international workplace where talented professionals support customers and colleagues across Europe while building rewarding long-term careers.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Tender Operations Manager to lead our international Tender Operations team.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a growing team of experienced professionals across multiple European markets while helping shape the future of our Tender Operations function. You'll combine people leadership, operational excellence, stakeholder management, and strategic project work to ensure the successful delivery of public and private tenders that support business growth across Europe.

Working within a matrix organization, you'll partner closely with Commercial, Sales, Legal, Finance, Customer Care, and other cross-functional teams to drive operational excellence, continuous improvement, and outstanding customer service.

This role is ideal for an experienced people leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, navigating complex international environments, and driving operational transformation.

Why Join Our Team?

Joining this team means becoming part of a growing international organization where you'll have the opportunity to help shape a relatively new function and make a visible impact from day one.

You'll lead a diverse, multinational team, collaborate with senior stakeholders across Europe, and play a key role in improving tender operations, supporting strategic initiatives, and driving business performance.

In addition to meaningful work, the role offers excellent long-term career development, regional exposure, and opportunities to progress into more senior leadership positions.

What You'll Do

• Lead, coach, develop, and inspire an international team of Tender Specialists across multiple European countries
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Oversee the end-to-end tender lifecycle, including RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, public tenders, and contract renewals
• Ensure tender submissions are accurate, compliant, and delivered within agreed timelines
• Monitor team workload, resource planning, and operational performance
• Partner with Commercial, Sales, Legal, Finance, Pricing, Marketing, and Customer Care teams to support business growth
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex tender-related issues
• Drive process improvements, operational standardization, and transformation initiatives
• Monitor KPIs, analyse operational performance, and provide business insights to leadership
• Support strategic projects and help shape the future direction of the Tender Operations function

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 5 years of people leadership experience within a multinational, shared services, or matrix organization
• Previous experience in Tender Management is strongly preferred
• Experience in commercial operations, bid management, contract administration, procurement, customer care, or related operational environments
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple business functions
• Excellent communication, coaching, and relationship-building capabilities
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, international environment
• Strong commercial awareness and business acumen
• Fluency in English and at least one additional language—French, German, Italian, or Spanish—is required.

A Bachelor's degree is preferred; however, candidates with relevant leadership experience and a proven track record will also be considered.

Nice to Have

• Tender or Bid Management experience
• Knowledge of public procurement processes or EU procurement regulations
• Experience working with ERP systems, CRM platforms, or e-procurement tools
• Experience leading operational transformation or continuous improvement initiatives

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role?

• Strong people leadership and coaching capabilities
• The ability to motivate and engage multicultural teams
• Excellent stakeholder management across multiple countries and functions
• Strategic thinking combined with operational excellence
• A collaborative and solution-oriented mindset
• Strong ownership, accountability, and resilience
• A passion for continuous improvement and developing both people and processes

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package including annual performance bonus
• Company car with fuel included for use within Hungary (also available for personal use)
• Hybrid working model with 3 office days per week
• Flexible working hours
• Comprehensive benefits package including private healthcare, wellbeing programs, and insurance coverage
• Flexible Cafeteria package including SZÉP Card contribution and additional benefit options
• Complimentary language courses and extensive learning and development opportunities
• Career progression opportunities into Senior Manager and Director-level positions
• Exposure to international stakeholders and strategic projects across Europe
• Modern office environment on Váci út with complimentary refreshments, employee parking, and excellent public transport connections
• A supportive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace culture

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you're an experienced people leader looking for an opportunity to build and develop an international team while driving operational excellence, we'd love to hear from you.