Role Overview
We are currently recruiting for a Strategic Bid Manager to join our passionate and driven team.
The Client Solutions function within OCS UK enables and supports the winning and retaining of new and repeat business. The Strategic Bid Manager leads the customer bid activity from end to end on strategic pursuits, coordinating and managing the project and stakeholder activities, producing high-quality written bid responses, submitting opportunities, and providing additional support during the negotiation phase.
The Strategic Bid Manager is fully accountable for the quality of the bid materials and the business’s commitment to use the resources needed to submit the proposal to the customer. This unique role covers all client facing collateral, such as proposals, presentations, follow-up communication and customer engagement in conjunction with the sales lead.
The Strategic Bid Manager oversees any strategic opportunity from the initial identification of a customer need to the contract renewal strategy. To do this, the Strategic Bid Manager must evaluate the strategic fit of the opportunity with OCS’s vision, mission, and goals.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Identify the internal stakeholders involved in the strategic pursuit and bid process, and form a cross-functional team with the necessary skills and expertise.
2. Develop a deep understanding of the client's needs, expectations, and challenges, as well as the market and environmental factors that affect the opportunity.
3. Map out the key decision makers and influencers in the client organisation, and plan and execute effective communication strategies to build trust and rapport.
4. Develop a compelling value proposition that showcases the benefits and outcomes of the OCS solution for the client.
5. Plan and execute the capture activities that will position OCS as the preferred bidder, such as conducting research, gathering intelligence, developing relationships, and influencing requirements.
6. Gather and analyse information about the incumbent and competitor bidders, and identify their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies.
7. Create a deal plan for the strategic pursuit that outlines the objectives, scope, timeline, budget, risks, and resources of the bid.
8. Manage the pursuit governance process, ensuring that any changes or impacts (internal or external) are communicated and addressed in a timely and effective manner.
9. Align the bid strategy and activities with the strategic re-bids process and ensure that OCS is prepared for any future opportunities with the client.
10. Attend relevant networking events to expand the visibility and reputation of OCS in the market, and to identify and pursue new leads and prospects.
11. Identify the internal stakeholders involved in the strategic pursuit and bid process, and form a cross-functional team with the necessary skills and expertise.
12. Develop a deep understanding of the client's needs, expectations, and challenges, as well as the market and environmental factors that affect the opportunity.
13. Map out the key decision makers and influencers in the client organisation, and plan and execute effective communication strategies to build trust and rapport.
14. Develop a compelling value proposition that showcases the benefits and outcomes of the OCS solution for the client.
15. Plan and execute the capture activities that will position OCS as the preferred bidder, such as conducting research, gathering intelligence, developing relationships, and influencing requirements.
16. Gather and analyse information about the incumbent and competitor bidders, and identify their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies.
17. Create a deal plan for the strategic pursuit that outlines the objectives, scope, timeline, budget, risks, and resources of the bid.
18. Manage the pursuit governance process, ensuring that any changes or impacts (internal or external) are communicated and addressed in a timely and effective manner.
19. Align the bid strategy and activities with the strategic re-bids process and ensure that OCS is prepared for any future opportunities with the client.
20. Attend relevant networking events to expand the visibility and reputation of OCS in the market, and to identify and pursue new leads and prospects.
About You:
21. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK
22. Educated to degree/HND or equivalent.
23. Experience in a bid/proposal management environment with clear experience in leading winning bids.
24. Impeccable time management, allowing prioritisation of a complex and varied workload.
25. Strong leadership skills in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
26. Experience of leading, influencing and developing cross-functional teams in a bid environment.
27. Excellent communication, written and spoken English essential with the ability to spot and correct spelling and grammatical errors in text written by others and create compelling text themselves.
28. The creative skills and vision to generate compelling content and produce graphics to replace wording, where appropriate.
29. Expert working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint to allow accurate manipulation and formatting of bid and presentation templates without supervision.
30. Excellent interpersonal skills in communicating with staff at all levels with the ability to form strong working relationships.
31. Ability to work accurately with an eye for detail.
32. Ability to work as part of a team, with a flexible approach to work.
33. Proactive, hardworking and flexible when approaching challenging deadlines.
34. Customer-facing and experienced in leading and attending bid workshops/deal planning sessions and presentations.
35. The ability to continuously push for enhancing all forms of output through innovation and critical evaluations.