Senior Bidding Manager

We have been appointed on behalf of our client to recruit a Senior Bidding Manager. You will be working in a fast-paced business and lead a bid solutions team to support the business to achieve its significant growth targets. This role will proactively and strategically manage opportunities through the entire bid lifecycle. This includes supporting pre-engagement client activities, project managing the bid through to submission, writing bid content and handing over to mobilisation upon contract award, utilising our defined bid management process.

This is a very hands-on role which will also lead, and project manage opportunities through to completion, including developing the overall bid strategy, value proposition and solution. They will also be required to develop and write compelling bid content in line with our client’s brand, purpose, position, and processes. Demonstrating strong leadership to drive the production of wining proposals in line with the specific RFP requirements.

Working on complex, global bids, this role forms a key part of the overall Work Winning leadership team. They are expected to bring innovative ideas and fresh thinking to the team, while identifying opportunities for improvement and development.

Main job responsibilities:

• Take full ownership of the bid process, managing new business opportunities through a structured approach to maximize success.
• Manage the bidding team to deliver a high conversion rate for all live bid opportunities.
• Take overall responsibility for the tender process, including working the relevant SMEs to develop both the commercial and solution strategy and the allocation of resources.
• Engaging with SME’s from across the business, managing key stakeholders.
• Work cohesively with the relevant SMEs, stakeholders, bid and commercial teams to develop compelling, compliant, and competitive tender responses.
• Lead the solution design for all tender opportunities by generating specific solutions that provide a compelling proposition to the client by addressing their business needs and objectives, while differentiating the client from their competitors. This includes developing the proposed contract structure, technology and ESG offering.
• Work with the Commercial Pricing Team to develop the commercial strategy for each bid, ensuring that we ‘price to win’.
• Highlight key risks and ensure all risk factors have been reviewed, mitigated, and agreed with the relevant stakeholders prior to bid submission.
• Attend client pre-tender meetings to positively position the company, help to influence the client’s business drivers and to ensure that the client is favourably disposed towards the company.
• Set up and conduct opportunity assessment meetings, identify the required resources and project manage the proposal / bid process in alignment with agreed procedures, developing a matrix of owners, completion dates and customer requirements.
• Maintaining an overview of the end-to-end solution across the bid cycle – ensuring that the overall client proposition is compelling, competitive, and compliant.
• Build peer support and strong internal-company relationships with other key management personnel and subject matter experts, both internally and externally.
• Work with the overall Work Winning team to create innovative solutions which are specific to each client, with a robust value proposition.
• For all bid opportunities developing detailed customer knowledge and insight to understand their key hot buttons.
• Design and execute complex win strategies and themes, ensuring that they are correctly articulated and flow through the whole tender response.
• Proactively monitoring and maintaining high levels of corporate governance, quality, compliance and accuracy within bids and tender submissions.
• Work with the operations teams on rebidding / retenders of existing contracts from capture through to bid submission.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding and up to date knowledge of company’s service offering and overall company vision, values, and purpose and our key differentiators.
• Conduct regular competitor analysis to evaluate the competitive landscape and ensure our proposition remains competitive.
• Line management and development of direct reports.

The job holder must have:

• Senior management role in a bidding environment and proven experience of working in a similar industry setting.
• Successfully led and managed teams in a structured bid process in similar/comparable industries.
• In-depth experience of devising FM solutions for a variety of organisation types.
• Experience of managing and participating in project teams that use project management disciplines and processes.
• Proven experience of delivering strong consistent win ratios against target.
• A commercial thinker with the ability to understand and guide commercial negotiations.
• Sound commercial understanding, able to identify the levers which can enhance competitiveness in bid proposals.
• A strong quality orientation and commitment to continuous improvement.
• An influential and persuasive communicator, with a high standard of written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrating credibility in client facing settings / events, being able to articulate propositions in a way which inspires confidence with clients.
• A clear and strategic thinker, able to offer new and innovative solutions.
• Leadership skills – managing and motivating teams (both direct reports and indirect contributors).
• Excellent influencing and communication skills
• Ability to lead the overall bid and solution response under tight and often changing time scales.
• Displaying resilience and flexibility - ability to work individually under pressure to ensure final solution response meets the very highest standards of quality and competitiveness.
• Effective listening – being able to analyze feedback from stakeholders and clients and translating that into improved bid content / strategies.
• Strong bid writing / content writing skills.

The job holder would be at an advantage if they have:

• A strong understanding of the Facilities Management industry preferred.
• Knowledge of FM / engineering / built environment.
• Experience in Facilities Management bidding.
• Experience of the international FM market.

Qualifications Required:

• Degree or equivalent qualification in relevant subject.
• Member of APMP. APMP Practitioner Level certification – at the very least APMP Foundation.
• Computer literacy including Microsoft Office programs essential.
• Five years’ experience specifically focused on bidding.
• Adobe Creative Suite (In Design) experience would be an advantage.

“People Group is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive environment for both our clients and employees”.