Opportunity Overview

Orbis is an exciting and dynamic company that under new ownership will grow in both its service offering and also its client base. The bid team will be critical to delivering this success and the Bid manager will quickly achieve a high profile in the business and with it the potential to move into either more senior Bid Management positions or into other management roles across the rest of the company.

The role will provide the right candidate with a fantastic opportunity to influence the success of our business as well as to learn about the company, public sector procurement and commercial tenders. 

The successful candidate will be energetic, organised and eager to progress their career in a role that is often challenging, working to fixed deadlines, but where a win may mean millions in sales revenue and significant further opportunities for the company.

The scope of the role is broad and encompasses the full project management of tender/proposal production, and the leadership of the associated tender teams. It includes development of tender strategies, authoring bespoke written content, and pricing, evaluation of commercial terms and conditions, and overall management of the offer.

The role includes flexible working but will need to be able to travel to Uxbridge for regular team meetings.

Please apply if the above appears exciting and right for you, we look forward to adding you to the team.

Job Purpose

The Bid Team manages the planning, production and submission of formal tender proposals in response to Public and Private Sector procurement requirements, for both our existing and new clients.

Reporting to the Head of Marketing and Bids, the Bid Manager will work closely with our National and Regional KAMs and Business Development teams and Directors, and the associated Operational, Commercial, Financial and Health & Safety functional Managers across the organisation in order to develop excellent quality and compelling tender proposals.

Often working to our Client’s tight timescales, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to efficiently multi-task in order to deliver high quality and compliant submissions to programme.

Reporting and Management Structure

The Bid Team operates within the Company’s Commercial Directorate and internal interfaces include relevant Senior Managers and Directors at all levels including Operational, Sales, Commercial, Financial, and HSQE disciplines, whilst external interfaces include Client Procurement Agents and Commercial Departments.

Key Result Areas

The primary objectives of the Bid Manager role are: –

• Development and production of winning tender proposals that secure profitable contracts.
• Overall project management of the tender process ensuring that proposals are developed authorised and approved in accordance with company procedures.
• Preparation of robust cost models and P&Ls.
• Review of commercial terms and conditions of contract and the preparation of recommendations to mitigate commercial risk.
• Internal and client driven deadlines are achieved.
• Proposals are correctly completed and of a consistently high standard.
• Production of compelling bespoke tender content.
• High quality standard “stock” material is available for inclusion in future tenders and proposals.

Job Responsibilities

The Bid Manager is responsible for managing the end-to-end production of highly credible tender proposals that successfully convert business’ opportunities into profitable contracts across a wide range of services. The Bid Manager’s responsibilities specifically include;

• Planning and coordinating the development of the complete Tender proposal in accordance with the Clients instructions and requirements.
• Production and review of high quality tender documentation incorporating both standard content and own bespoke responses as appropriate. Coordinating recognised company expert’s contributions at appropriate levels.
• To work closely with the relevant business and functional managers to identify critical success factors and to develop winning tender strategies that maximise the Company’s strengths and minimise any potential areas of weaknesses.
• To be conversant with the Company’s offerings to market, sales strategies and direction, and internal processes and procedures.
• Maintain close liaison with the client’s procurement teams and coordinate the interface between the Company’s tender team and the Client during tender process.
• Working to improve the quality of tenders submitted, ensuring that best practice techniques for developing and producing successful proposals are evolved and implemented.
• Authoring own compelling customer-specific tender content and responses, together with the compilation and incorporation of standard boilerplate documentation.
• Working with the wider tender team to develop and challenge the tender cost model to ensure the tender is successful and the subsequent contract profitable. Preparation and presentation of the financial analysis of the tender including, internal labour and material costs, third party procurement costs, overheads & profit allowances, indexation and risk.
• Gaining Director Approval of proposed selling prices, unit rates, Contract Profit/Loss statements, and Gross Margin and cash flow forecasts. Obtaining authorisation to tender.
• Calculation and presentation of Client’s price schedules and bill of quantities etc.
• To support the production of monthly management information and reports covering tendering activity, tender win/loss rates, value of tenders, and tender costs.
• Contribute to and maintain a library of Orbis corporate information by authoring reusable content for inclusion in tender documentation.
• Monitor and report on the status of tenders at all stages in the tender process.
• Facilitate post tender clarifications and negotiations, and arrange formal contract sign-off.

Skills, Experience, Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• At least three years’ tender management experience with demonstrable capability to co-ordinate and manage all aspects of the tender process and the tender team.
• Quality focused with previous experience of writing compelling tender submissions. Articulate with strong proposal writing skills and a good standard of written English, with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent numeracy with ability to use and develop bespoke pricing models.
• Experience in the evaluation of customer’s terms and conditions of contract. Identify of undesirable clauses and quantifying the associated business risks.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight timescales and to multi-task, working on several projects at any given time
• Ability to collect assimilate and correctly interpret complex information from different sources;
• Ability to work both unsupervised and as part of a team.
• Highly motivated with good organisational and administrative skills;
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels;

Desirable

• Experience of the UK social housing market or property and personnel security industries.
• Previous supervisory or line management experience.
• Customer-facing/business development experience.
• Contract/Project management experience.
• Knowledge of OJEU Procurement procedures and use of eTendering and eProcurement systems.
• Awareness of Standard Form Contracts including NEC3 and JCT Measured Term Agreements.

Technical

• Experience of public sector procurement processes (including OJEU).
• Experience of Framework arrangements.
• Strong Microsoft Word & Excel skills.
• Good Microsoft PowerPoint skills.

Qualifications

• To be successful in this roll the Bid Manager is likely to have a degree or equivalent qualification, or appropriate demonstrable experience.

Conditions

Hours of Work – Monday to Friday – 7.5 hours per day (1-hour unpaid lunch break)

Work Base – Based at our Birmingham or Uxbridge with flexible remote working available

Work Environment – Office/home-based

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this role, please email your CV and a brief covering letter to Sarah Williams: sarah.williams@orbisprotect.com