At a Glance
- Tasks: Create compelling proposals and coordinate with teams to win new business.
- Company: Join a dynamic commercial team in a leading global payroll services company.
- Benefits: Flexible hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace AI tools to enhance proposal development and enjoy a collaborative work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by crafting winning proposals that attract clients.
- Qualifications: Experience in bids or proposals, strong communication skills, and attention to detail.
The predicted salary is between 51750 - 63250 £ per year.
We’re looking for a Bid & Proposals Specialist to join our Commercial team and help us create clear, compelling and commercially competitive proposals for clients across our global payroll and managed services business. This is a great opportunity for someone with experience in bids, proposals, tenders or commercial writing who wants to take the next step in their career and have a real impact on how we win new business. You’ll work closely with Sales, Commercial, Finance, Operations, IT, Implementation and subject matter experts to bring together the information needed to create high-quality responses to RFPs, RFIs, tenders and other formal procurement opportunities. You’ll be the person who brings structure to the process, makes sure the right people provide the right information at the right time, and turns complex information into proposals that are easy for the customer to understand — and compelling enough to make them choose us.
On a typical day, you'll...
- Coordinate assigned RFPs, RFIs, tenders and proposal opportunities from initial review through to submission.
- Work closely with Sales and the wider commercial team to understand the opportunity, client requirements and key messages.
- Review tender documentation and identify important requirements, deadlines, evaluation criteria, clarification questions and submission instructions.
- Create and manage bid plans, timelines, actions and responsibilities, keeping stakeholders on track throughout the process.
- Coordinate contributions from teams including Sales, Finance, Operations, IT, Implementation, Service Delivery and subject matter experts.
- Draft, edit and tailor proposal responses so they are clear, concise, persuasive and focused on the customer.
- Help develop win themes, value propositions and differentiators that demonstrate why our solution is the right fit for the client.
- Translate complex information about global payroll, technology, implementation, integrations and service delivery into straightforward customer-facing content.
- Support the preparation of pricing schedules, commercial information and assumptions, working with the relevant teams to ensure information is accurate and complete.
- Help identify potential gaps, risks, inconsistencies or assumptions and make sure these are raised with the appropriate stakeholders.
- Manage clarification questions, attachments, document versions, review cycles and submission requirements.
- Carry out detailed quality and compliance checks before proposals are submitted.
- Support post-submission clarifications and contribute to lessons learned to help improve future bids.
- Build and maintain our library of approved proposal content, case studies, credentials and reusable answers.
- Help improve our bid processes, templates and ways of working.
- Use AI and automation tools to make proposal development, research, content creation and quality checking more efficient.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
You don’t need to know everything about global payroll or managed services from day one. What matters most is that you’re organised, commercially curious, a strong communicator and someone who takes pride in producing great work. You’ll ideally have:
- Experience in a bid, proposals, tender, sales support, commercial or similar role.
- Strong written English and the ability to turn detailed or technical information into clear and engaging content.
- Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and contributors at the same time.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly when working with formal requirements, documents and submission deadlines.
- Confidence working with different stakeholders and following up to make sure you get the information you need.
- A good understanding of commercial concepts such as pricing, scope, assumptions and risk, with the ability to spot when something doesn’t look right.
- An interest in understanding the customer and creating responses that focus on their needs rather than simply copying standard content.
- A proactive approach and the confidence to ask questions, challenge gaps and suggest improvements.
- The ability to work well in a fast-paced environment where priorities can change.
- Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Experience with Salesforce or another CRM system would be useful.
- An interest in AI and new technology, and a willingness to explore how it can improve the way we create and manage proposals.
Hybrid Working
Our team is based primarily at our Aberdeen HQ where we work 1-2 days per week in the office. We are also open to candidates who are based elsewhere in the UK and would be interested in this role on a remote basis, with occasional travel to Aberdeen.
Bid and Proposals Specialist employer: activpayroll
As a Hybrid UK Payroll Specialist, you'll join a dynamic team at the forefront of our payroll operations, where accuracy and customer satisfaction are paramount. With a supportive work culture that embraces hybrid working in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh, we prioritise employee growth and development, offering opportunities to enhance your skills while enjoying a flexible work-life balance. Our commitment to delivering best-in-class service ensures that you will be part of a collaborative environment that values your expertise and contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Bid and Proposals Specialist
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We think you need these skills to ace Bid and Proposals Specialist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at activpayroll, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at activpayroll
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with activpayroll’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.