Head Proposals & Business Development (Nuclear Projects)

Head Proposals & Business Development (Nuclear)
Department: Business Development / Proposals & Tendering
Location: Hyderabad
Role Purpose
The Head Proposals (Nuclear) will be responsible for leading and managing the end-to-end techno-commercial proposal function for Nuclear Power Projects. The role involves interaction with clients, driving the eligibility of tenders, forming consortium partnerships, developing winning proposal strategies, coordinating cross-functional teams, managing commercial and contractual risks, and ensuring the submission of compliant, competitive, and technically robust proposals in alignment with client requirements and organizational objectives.
The incumbent will be a key contributor to business growth by driving bid excellence, maximizing bid-win ratios, and ensuring adherence to nuclear industry standards, regulatory requirements, and quality expectations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Proposal Strategy & Leadership

• Lead the complete proposal lifecycle from opportunity assessment to bid submission and post-bid clarifications.
• Develop bid strategies aligned with business goals and nuclear market requirements.
• Identify eligible consortium partners and form JV/Partnerships
• Establish proposal governance, review mechanisms, and approval processes.
• Build and lead a high-performing proposal management team.
• Drive continuous improvement in proposal processes, templates, and knowledge management.
• Opportunity Identification: Tracking long-range capital expansion plans, reactor refurbishment cycles, and national atomic energy roadmaps.
• Market Intelligence: Performing real-time SWOT analyses, tracking competitor positioning, and forecasting win-rates
1. Regulatory & Licensing Insight
• Navigating nuclear regulatory frameworks, safety cases, environmental clearances, and QA/QC compliance (e.g., ASME, IAEA standards).

1. Key Account Management

Building enduring relationships with state utilities, nuclear regulators, Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and global reactor vendors.

1. Strategic Partnering

Forging joint ventures, consortia, and global OEM partnerships for large-scale nuclear fleets or emerging technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

1. Techno-Commercial Bid Management

• Analyze RFQs, RFPs, tenders, and bid invitations from utilities, EPC contractors, government agencies, and nuclear operators.
• Coordinate preparation of techno-commercial offers for EPC, equipment supply, engineering services, construction, commissioning, O&M, and modernization projects.
• Ensure proposals meet customer specifications, scope requirements, regulatory requirements, and tender conditions.
• Develop competitive pricing strategies while maintaining profitability targets.
• Lead cost estimation, resource planning, risk assessment, and commercial evaluation.

6. Technical Coordination

• Liaise with engineering, project management, procurement, quality, manufacturing, licensing, and regulatory teams.
• Ensure technical compliance with:
• Nuclear safety requirements
• Regulatory codes and standards
• Customer-specific technical specifications
• Review engineering assumptions, scope boundaries, and technical deviations.
• Validate technical risk factors and execution feasibility.

7. Commercial & Contract Management

• Review and negotiate commercial terms and conditions.
• Identify contractual, financial, legal, and operational risks.
• Develop commercial qualifications, exclusions, and assumptions.
• Support contract negotiations with customers and consortium partners.
• Coordinate with legal and finance teams for bid securities, performance guarantees, insurance, taxation, and payment terms.

8. Costing & Estimation

• Lead the development of detailed cost estimates including:
• Engineering
• Procurement
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Testing & Commissioning
• Logistics
• Warranty obligations
• Review margins and profitability models.
• Conduct sensitivity analysis and risk-based pricing assessments.
• Benchmark costs against historical projects and market intelligence.

9. Stakeholder Management

• Interface with clients, consultants, consortium partners, licensors, and government agencies.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, technical discussions, and commercial negotiations.
• Support business development teams in opportunity qualification and pursuit strategy.
• Represent the organization during customer presentations and bid clarification meetings.

10. Risk & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with nuclear quality assurance programs and applicable regulations.
• Lead bid risk reviews and mitigation planning.
• Evaluate schedule, supply chain, technical, financial, and regulatory risks.
• Ensure adherence to company policies, ethics requirements, export controls, and statutory regulations.

11. Market Intelligence & Business Growth

• Monitor global nuclear industry trends, upcoming projects, and competitive landscape.
• Identify new business opportunities within nuclear power generation, fuel cycle, waste management, and SMR initiatives.
• Contribute to strategic planning and business expansion initiatives.
• Maintain intelligence on competitor offerings, pricing trends, and customer expectations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Order intake and revenue contribution
• Bid submission quality and compliance
• Proposal turnaround time
• Gross margin achievement
• Reduction in commercial risk exposure
• Accuracy of cost estimates
• Proposal process efficiency and standardization

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Nuclear, Chemical, Civil or related Engineering discipline.

Experience

• 25+ years of experience in business development, proposal management, tendering, estimation, contracts .
• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant experience in Nuclear Power Projects.
• Must have experience with bid submission to DAE/NPCIL/ASHVINI
• Proven experience in EPC, equipment supply, nuclear engineering services, commissioning, or major infrastructure projects.
• Experience handling high-value international and domestic techno-commercial bids.
• Strong exposure to government, utility, and regulatory tendering environments.

Technical Competencies

• Nuclear Power Plant Systems and Equipment
• EPC Project Tendering
• Nuclear Codes & Standards
• Cost Estimation and Pricing Models
• Project Controls and Planning
• Contract Management (FIDIC/EPC/Turnkey)
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation
• Commercial Negotiation
• Regulatory Compliance
• Financial Analysis and Business Case Development

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Leadership & Team Management
• Commercial Acumen
• Stakeholder Management
• Decision Making
• Influencing & Negotiation Skills
• Analytical Problem Solving
• Customer Orientation
• Attention to Detail
• Communication & Presentation Skills

Ideal Candidate Profile
A seasoned nuclear industry professional with strong techno-commercial expertise, capable of leading complex, high-value proposal and tendering activities. The individual should possess deep knowledge of nuclear projects, EPC contracting, cost estimation, commercial negotiations, risk management, and regulatory compliance, with a proven ability to convert opportunities into successful business wins.