Kirsten is an expert bid and tender manager with a career history in Defence and Federal government space. She joined Tendup in 2024 and brings specialised expertise in the most complex bids, including ASDEFCON.
A Canberra resident, avid Brumbies member/fan and valuable team member for random frisbee teams, Kirsten is a massive people person who brings her inimitable spark to everything she touches.
1. How has your career history brought you where you are today in your Tendup role?
My career started in managing the accreditation programme for APMG International. This gave me a deep understanding of program and project management, which ended up being an excellent building block for my career in bid management.
My initiation into bids and tenders was 13 years ago, working on a large Defence Communications bid at Optus. It was a real moment for me, realising how much I love bid management. What really hooked me was the variety of people and skill sets that I got to work with. It was a fun way to learn about different capabilities and gave me opportunities to ask lots of questions and work with the teams to think about things in way they might not have thought of. It’s what I still love about working with tenders.
In my next role, I was hired into the Defence Sales team for Fujitsu to manage and support all Defence and National Security bids and opportunities, where I first met Kat. I had an opportunity to work within a Defence procurement team which gave me a depth of understanding around how tenders are evaluated.
My next step was to support Downer after the integration of two professional services companies they acquired. This involved merging and structuring of business process for pipeline/forecasting and bid management along with supporting strategy development to grow from professional services to outcomes focussed programmes.
After this, I was hired as proposal manager for Lockheed Martin Australia – managing their JP9102 Satellite Communication System bid. This complex ASDEFCON bid was a successful 4-billion-dollar project. The 9-month bid involved over 600 people across the globe, and I was recognised in an award for International Business Growth recognising my contributions to the bid and the growth of the space business area.
Following this, I moved to Penten, hired to mature their bid management methodology and build greater efficiencies into their workflows.
Kat and I have stayed connected over the last 12 years’, and she eventually convinced me it would be a good move for me to come and work with the awesome team here at Tendup, we just won’t tell her she was right.
2. What do you find is the biggest challenge for your clients in their bid/tender journeys?
Without doubt, time is always the greatest challenge faced by our clients when it comes to tenders. They are always running against the clock. With larger companies, the biggest factor is often delays in qualifying opportunities and deciding which to pursue, then playing catch up to get a compliant and quality tender submitted on time. Typically, their reliance on technical teams for qualification and the requisite governance gates to get formal authorisation on progressing a deal is where the hold-up happens.
This strain is compounded by the fact that bids and tenders are not usually part of our clients’ day-to-day job description. When we are supporting a tender process, it’s not uncommon to have our clients working crazy hours as an extra on top of their demanding full-time role.
3. What do you love about your job?
I love the people challenge that comes with managing tenders and proposals. The human factor is what brings me to work each day.
No one bid has ever been the same. A group of people will always come together with different challenges, time-constraints, personalities, and quirks. It is always a great feeling for me when I bring disparate teams together to achieve a common goal. Getting a good project team assembled among the stresses of competing responsibilities and getting people comfortable and engaged is the satisfying part.
I think it’s important to start with this process by understanding how all the cogs work together and identify any risks or areas which may impede our success. That strong background gives me strength and a place to drive and help support the team to get an outcome. The secret is in building good relationships and bringing some fun. I love a bid war room and I’m known for bringing the lolly jar and a sense of humour into that safe space.
4. What can you tell us about the unique challenges to manage highly secure bids (in the defence/national security space)? What do you do to make this process easier?
The inherent challenge to any bid in the Defence or national security environment is the likelihood of it being more challenging than a usual bid to get the information needed to plan for and respond to a tender. There is usually more time needed with stakeholders to work out how we can get our response together while ensuring all security protocols are followed. With my own security clearance, I’m able to be in the room for the important conversations and drive the team from the inside, in a way that’s efficient for everyone.
To keep the process easier, it’s all about planning, being organised and having processes in place. In the first instance, I’ll be working to remove as many roadblocks as possible before we reach them.
5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Two years ago, I had a slightly wild idea to try a triathlon. While I’ve always been a team sport player, this was an opportunity to personally challenge myself and a much-needed achievement, something I could do entirely reliant on myself. I knew how to push myself in team sport. I operate so well under the pressure of staying accountable and performing for my teammates.
I completed my first triathlon in 2022 and my second in 2023.
Despite my nerves, I actually found my first triathlon experience so calming. The swim leg particularly just felt like this wonderful, calming escape. While I didn’t get much opportunity to train for the ocean swim, a lifetime of holidays at the beach gave me the confidence to give it a crack. I was also very motivated to just be faster than at least one person so that the sharks could eat them first!
This was big for me as I decided to do something that I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy, and the goal was finishing it. I wasn’t focused on my time, just successful completion. My goal for the first sprint triathlon was 3.5 hours and I finished it in 2.5 hours. That felt amazing, so I’m about to register for my next one (and hopefully get a new PB).
Meet the Tendup team
You can learn more about Tendup’s talented team here.