Job Introduction
The Bids Manager is responsible for managing bids activity in a nominated sector(s). They play a key role in helping to achieve our growth plans by, managing the bids pipeline, provide guidance on win strategy, produce bids documents and coach presentation teams. They also play a key role in the continuous improvement of our bids process.
Key responsibilities of the role:
1. Probing and challenging the tender invitation, working with the Sector Teams and partners to assess and anticipate client needs, providing practical guidance on how the bids will be scored and what further information we need to discover.
2. Using project management techniques to ensure a well-planned, organised and controlled process, driving the bids forward making things happen through personal commitment.
3. Helping formulate the best win strategy for each bid, including consideration of optimum commercial strategies. Clearly articulating the reasons for adopting the proposed strategies.
4. Managing bids strategy meetings confidently, inspiring enthusiasm and support for the bids.
5. Working with lawyers, finance and any other experts (in person and virtually) to formulate models for an attractive and profitable offer that meets the prospect's needs and backs up our agreed strategy for the bids.
6. Creating a comprehensive first draft document that sets out the agreed strategy and offer clearly articulated responses aligned to the tender scoring criteria.
7. Ensuring the bid document is compelling, well-written, attractive and accurate.
8. Coaching and guiding lawyers (in person and virtually) on effective presentation techniques, both through ad hoc workshops and specific pitch rehearsals as part of the bids process, delivering feedback on performance.
9. Ensuring client debriefs are undertaken on all bids, either personally or through our Client Listening Team, and that all messages are fed back to relevant parties.
10. Working with the Brand and Content Team and Bids Co-ordinator to ensure that all sector material is effective and up to date.
11. Demonstrating effective compliance with the firm's bids process.
12. Working with Sector Teams, Client Listening Team and Client Engagement Team to manage the bids pipeline, maximising the chances of success when the bids invitation arrives.
13. Maintain a high level understanding of key developments in your bids sector.
14. Handle confidential information in line with the firms data security protocols.
15. Working with the firm's Office of the General Counsel to identify possible risks to the business/comply with internal risk management and conflict checking procedures.
Key Technical / Knowledge:
16. Significant in-depth experience of managing bids or equivalent sales processes, ideally within professional services environment.
17. Strong strategic and commercial awareness required, coupled with industry and competitor knowledge, enabling them to develop winning strategies, viable/profitable offers and creative pricing ideas.
18. Proven ability to influence, challenge and coach senior stakeholders.
19. Ability to understand sales theory and best practice, and have proven experience of applying that to successfully defend/win clients.
20. Experience of using project management techniques and be able to create and manage complex project plans, with the determination and pace to make things happen. · Proven experience of implementing best practice and initiatives for continuous improvement.
21. Strong attention to detail and ability to influence others.
22. Strong writing, proofreading and editing skills and the ability to adapt style to different audiences and channels.
23. In-depth knowledge and understanding of pitch presentation skills and best practice and experience of successfully coaching and guiding others
24. Degree educated or equivalent experience required.
25. Strong numeracy and ability to analyse and manipulate spreadsheets.
26. Strong thirst for technical knowledge and application of knowledge to generate ideas.
About DACB
We're a leading international legal business with over 3,000 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We're market leaders in insurance, health and real estate but with a full-service offering, including growing Financial Services and Tech capabilities.
We represent a wide range of clients – from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for nearly all of the top-20 UK and global insurers, we're market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top-five housebuilders.
We are a fast-growing international business with offices around the globe. In addition to our 11 UK offices, we also have offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Rome, Singapore, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Miami, plus a broad network of affiliations across the globe.
Working with us
Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. Combine this with our supportive culture and hybrid working model, and you have: a Life that Works.
Our flexible approach means that we help our colleagues to be their best at work, while recognising that they have all sorts of different interests and commitments outside work.
We pride ourselves on our supportive, approachable culture. We are trusted, appreciated as individuals and embraced as part of a team. At DACB, we don’t just accept your differences, we celebrate and advocate for them. Our strength comes from your diverse ideas and bringing the ‘whole you’ to work. So if you’re good at what you do, come as you are!
We are committed to and recognise the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion across the board, including and beyond the protected characteristics. We take decisions based solely on merit. We value, welcome and seek out people with different backgrounds and life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, ways of thinking and identities.
As a Disability Confident employer we will guarantee to interview anyone with a disability, long term health condition or neurodiversity whose application meets the essential criteria for the role as set out in this advert. If this applies to you contact in confidence, quoting the reference number for this vacancy in the subject box of your email, and a member of the team will be in touch.