Head of Bid Management in Luton

• 23 days paid holiday increasing to 25 after 2 years
• Discounts and Cashbacks
• Employee Assistance Program
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Bonus/Commission

The role

Carlisle Support Servicesis looking for an experienced candidate to support bid strategy, processes and team activity, securing new business and retaining contracts through high-quality, winning tender submissions for facilities services opportunities.

This senior role requires strong project management, commercial acumen, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of the facilities management (FM) market to manage the entire bid lifecycle from opportunity identification to post-bid reviews.

• Your core role will include but not be limited to the following activities:
• Develop and implement Carlisle's bid strategy in alignment with business objectives, sector priorities and growth plans.
• Proactively identify and shape opportunities across Facilities Management, Security, Cleaning and Events sectors.
• Partner with Commercial, Operations and Executive Leadership Teams to develop compelling growth strategies and market positioning.
• Lead bid/no-bid decision making, ensuring resources are focused on opportunities with the highest probability of success.
• Support business development activities through market intelligence, competitor analysis and customer insight.
• Contribute to long-term business planning through pipeline analysis and opportunity
• Lead, manage and develop the bid management team, creating a high-performance culture focused on accountability, quality and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear performance objectives, development plans and succession planning across the team.
• Own and continuously improve bid governance frameworks, policies and processes.
• Establish effective qualification, review and approval procedures throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Lead bid kick-off meetings, strategy reviews, executive reviews and submission sign-off processes.
• Ensure all submissions meet company standards for compliance, quality and commercial robustness.
• Lead the development of compelling win strategies and customer-focused value propositions.
• Ensure bid responses clearly differentiate Carlisle from competitors.
• Challenge and improve submission quality through rigorous review processes.
• Work closely with Finance and Commercial teams to develop commercially competitive and profitable solutions.
• Review pricing strategies and commercial proposals to ensure alignment with win strategy and customer expectations.
• Evaluate commercial risk and contractual implications throughout the bid process. Take ownership of key bid function performance metrics
• Establish strong relationships with senior leaders across Operations, Finance, HR, Commercial and Marketing functions.
• Build credibility and trust with prospective customers and procurement stakeholders.
• Lead the ongoing development of CRM, bid management and content management systems.
• Establish and maintain a robust bid knowledge library, case study repository and content management framework.
• The ideal candidate
• Experience in bids, tenders, or proposal management
• Experience in a senior management role, leading teams and influencing at a senior level
• Proven leadership of a complex bid/tender function in a multi-sector or B2B environment
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience influencing pricing and contractual terms
• Track record of improving win rates and bid performance at scale
• Experience using CRM and bid management systems (ideally Salesforce) and leveraging technology to improve performance
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with delivery in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
• Strong communication and influencing skills across technical, operational, and commercial audiences

Successful candidates will be required to provide original documentation for detailed screening and vetting processes.

This could include the following: passport / driving licence / utility bill dated in the last 3 months / HMRC letter / original bank statement / original payslip / birth certificate / a valid share code.

About us

Join a growing market-leading brand of support services to work with the UK’s largest brands such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Jaguar Land Rover, Tesco, BBC Studio Works, and many more.

Carlisle currently employees over 5,000 dedicated and enthusiastic staff members to deliver events, security cleaning, and retail facilities support services across the UK’s most renowned sites and critical infrastructure.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Carlisle, we are committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in all areas of employment, recruitment and selection, training, development, and promotion.

In all situations people will be judged solely on merit or ability.

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