Project Director (Bids - major & complex projects) F/M 

Développement Business 

Keolis, leader mondial de la mobilité partagée, facilite le quotidien de millions de voyageurs. Nous proposons des solutions de transport en commun sûres, performantes et durables qui renforcent l'attractivité des territoires.

En 2024, le Groupe a réalisé un chiffre d'affaires de 7,7 milliards d'euros. Présent dans 13 pays, nous sommes convaincus que nos 70 000 collaborateurs sont la clé de notre succès.

Keolis is a leading international public transport operator, delivering complex rail, metro, light rail and bus systems under a wide range of contractual frameworks, including long-term O&M concessions, PPPs and DBFOM structures.

To support its growth strategy on large, complex and high-value opportunities, Keolis appoints Project Directors to take full accountability for bid delivery, from opportunity launch through to submission and award.

The Project Director (Bids) is accountable for leading, integrating and delivering winning bids across all dimensions — technical, operational, financial, commercial and contractual — while ensuring strict adherence to governance, risk discipline and long-term operational credibility.

This is a repeatable senior role, designed to be deployed across multiple geographies and project types, and positioned to attract experienced leaders from operators, infrastructure developers, EPCs or advisory environments.

Role scope

The Project Director (Bids) is accountable from bid launch to submission and award.

The role does not extend into full execution, but requires a strong focus on long-term O&M realism, deliverability and value creation, ensuring that bids can be credibly mobilised and operated over the life of the contract.

The role covers:

• O&M-only concessions
• Integrated PPP / DBFOM projects
• Complex consortium and SPV-based structures

Key accountabilities

1. Bid leadership and accountability

• Assume full accountability for the successful delivery of the bid, including quality, competitiveness, compliance, risk and cost
• Define and drive the overall bid strategy and win themes, aligned with Keolis’ strategic objectives
• Chair the Bid Steering Committee, ensuring clear decision-making, escalation and alignment
• Ensure bids are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standard

2. Strategy, integration and solution shaping

• Integrate all bid workstreams (operations, maintenance, engineering, finance, commercial, legal, HR, IT) into a coherent and competitive solution
• Ensure strong alignment between bid commitments and long-term O&M deliverability
• Challenge assumptions and solutions to optimise risk allocation, lifecycle cost and performance
• Ensure consortium solutions are balanced, realistic and aligned with Keolis’ long-term interests

3. Governance and decision-making

• Establish and lead bid governance in line with Keolis standards
• Prepare and present materials for executive and investment committees
• Ensure timely escalation of key risks, deviations or decision points
• Maintain rigorous compliance with internal and external governance requirements

4. Client, partner and stakeholder management

• Represent Keolis in key client, authority and partner interactions during the bid phase
• Lead relationships with consortium partners, advisors and subcontractors
• Balance collaborative behaviours with firm protection of Keolis’ commercial and reputational interests
• Ensure all external engagement reflects Keolis’ ethics, values and long-term positioning

5. Commercial, financial and contractual oversight

• Oversee development of the financial model, ensuring competitiveness, robustness and risk alignment
• Lead or supervise negotiation of key commercial, contractual and interface agreements during the bid phase
• Ensure clarity and consistency across technical, operational and commercial commitments
• Validate that contractual positions are operationally realistic and financeable

6. Team leadership and delivery discipline

• Build and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary bid team, often across multiple geographies
• Define clear roles, responsibilities and delivery expectations
• Drive delivery discipline, accountability and collaboration across workstreams
• Manage bid budgets and external advisor spend

7. Risk and opportunity management

• Lead identification, assessment and mitigation of bid and future operational risks
• Ensure opportunities are captured and reflected in pricing, solution design and contractual positioning
• Maintain a clear, documented risk position aligned with governance approvals

Required experience

• 10–15+ years of experience in complex infrastructure, transportation or public services projects
• Proven experience as Bid Director / Project Director on large, multidisciplinary bids
• Strong exposure to O&M environments (rail, metro, light rail or equivalent complex systems)
• Experience with PPP, DBFOM or long-term concession structures
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex governance processes and senior decision-making forums

Skills and capabilities

• Strong commercial and strategic judgement
• Ability to integrate technical, operational and financial perspectives into a coherent whole
• Excellent leadership, influencing and communication skills
• High tolerance for complexity, ambiguity and time pressure
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation capability
• Ability to challenge constructively and make decisions under uncertainty

Personal attributes

• Credible, authoritative and calm under pressure
• Results-driven, with a strong sense of accountability
• Collaborative but firm in protecting business interests
• Comfortable operating at executive and board level
• High ethical standards and strong alignment with Keolis values

Success criteria

• Timely submission of high-quality, compliant and competitive bids
• Clear alignment between bid commitments and long-term O&M deliverability
• Effective governance and decision-making throughout the bid lifecycle
• Strong internal and external stakeholder confidence in Keolis’ proposals
• Positive handover into execution teams when projects are awarded

Information complémentaire :

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Décret n°2017-757 du 3 mai 2017 et n°2022-770 du 2 mai 2022.

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