Bids Manager

THE FIRMWe are a premium, international business law firm. Our lawyers help many of the world's best-known brands – including 45 FTSE100 companies – and central government departments to defend their rights, protect their interests and to make the most of business opportunities. We operate from 19 offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and focus heavily on industry sectors such as retail & consumer, transport, real estate, financial services, and the public sector.In recent years we were recognised by the FT as one of the top 5 most innovative law firms in Europe; we have been named Law firm of the Year 2024, Litigation Law Firm of the Year, Real Estate Law Firm of the Year and Private Equity Firm of the Year in the UK; Corporate & Commercial Firm of the Year in Qatar; Law Firm of the Year in Oman; and have opened new offices in Germany, France, Luxembourg and Ireland.Our core values include delivering MORE IMAGINATION and MORE IMPACT to our client relationships and projects. We are committed to inclusivity and sustainability and have a modern and approachable culture.This role sits within the Marketing and Business Development team, whose focus is on helping our expert Partners and other lawyers to win business and deliver excellent client service. We are ambitious to demonstrate the firm's premium quality and imagination, and so are investing in our bids approach, systems and processes to make people's working lives easier. That has brought with it new opportunities for brilliant bids talent.THE ROLEThis role is about helping our expert Partners to win by delivering unforgettable and persuasive pitches and proposals. You will work alongside our Head of Bids, wider Bids Team, BD professionals, the firm's Partners, and an internal team of other specialists.The team is well established and supports on a wide range of proposals from "routine" service line opportunities through to major FTSE100 panel opportunities. There are established best practices, and the team prides itself on its ethic of continual improvement.The role reports to the Senior Bids Manager and has close working relationships across many areas of the business, including Partners and Senior Managers.While there is no direct line report into this role, the Bids Manager will be required to work with other BD colleagues, and others from around the business, who may be less experienced in bids work but who have a deeper knowledge of the client/client's sector. It is expected that the Manager will feed into other BD teams – Clients, Sectors & Divisions, Marketing, Communications etc. – on key themes being seen in bids and client feedback.DUTIESWorking as part of the Bids team the Bids Manager will:• Challenge on Bid / No Bid decisions, with both quantifiable evidence and knowledge of other decisions for the same / similar clients around the business• Advise and lead partners and associates through the development of a bid strategy and formulation of a winning proposition• Project manage the overall bid process, including:• initial scoping calls• document development, editorial control, including writing some content• developing and challenging key messages/propositions• leading the review stage• Develop and challenging pricing propositions in collaboration with the Pricing Team• Liaise with the design function in the production of bids responses• Coach bid teams at the presentation stages of pitches• Work with the wider team to ensure all deal information and other information is captured and shared for future bids• Conduct post bid debriefs both internally and with clients• Collate, share and disseminate best practice and lessons learned• Work with partners and fee earners to drive account growth and facilitate best practice in account/relationship management• Liaise with other members of the bids team to improve the overall quality of bids and efficiency of processSYSTEMS AND PROCESSESThe Bids Manager will be able to contribute to the constant development of collateral in conjunction with the Design team. There will also be a requirement to liaise closely with colleagues from our Finance team to analyse client MI and financial reports.Our systems and processes for storing and sharing data are evolving, and the Manager will be expected to contribute to ideas' sharing and creative challenge.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED (BESPOKE TO ROLE)• Project managing bids effectively and calmly to tight deadlines, often simultaneously• Excellent attention to detail• Ability to engage with different groups and stakeholders around the business – both in the UK and internationally – to promote best practice and develop relationships• Awareness and interest of developments in the wider legal market, empathy to challenges faced by our clients and commercial acumen around various pricing models• Ability to make connections between offerings throughout our sectors, practices and locations to articulate a compelling proposal• Able to demonstrate and use their initiative – looking for continuous improvement and ways to implement positive change• Confidence to challenge partners constructively and put forward alternative suggestions to positively enhance output• Understands how to influence the decision-making process appropriately• Good writing and editorial skills for pitch content• Flexibility when managing own workload and priorities to take others' time commitments into account• A strong team player – willingness to support other colleagues• Commerciality and acumen around various pricing models engaged by business• A flexible approach to travel and working hours as some travel between our offices could become an essential element of this role• Computer literate and can work expertly in Word and PowerPoint and competently in Excel.BENEFITSAs a firm, we aim to provide a positive experience to everyone who works here and our focus on financial, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits ensures that this experience goes beyond the nine-to-five. As part of this mission, some of the benefits employees of our firm can expect are;• Life Assurance & Income Protection• Competitive employer matched pension contribution rate• Health and wellbeing subsidy, up to £180 per year• One day per year to volunteer (as part of our CSR initiative)• Buy/Sell holidays (up to 5 days each year)• Mental health and wellbeing initiatives such as The Mindful Business Charter, Mental Health Champions and 1:1 sessions with an in-house professional• Talent referral bonus incentives• Our Excellence awards for the recognition of exceptional effort• Opt in private medical and private dental insurance• Opt in annual health screening• Voluntary critical illness cover• Annual discretionary bonus plan