At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to enhance bid processes and drive quality improvements.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation based in London with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Opportunity to shape strategy, competitive salary, and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by influencing bid strategies across various sectors.
- Qualifications: Experience in bid management and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Work in a fast-paced environment with opportunities for continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Are you an experienced bid leader with a passion for driving high-quality, high-scoring proposals? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where continuous improvement, stakeholder influence, and measurable ROI are at the heart of your work? We’re looking for a strategic and proactive Head of Bids to lead a professional, high-performing central bid function for our client based in London.
About the Role
As the Head of Bids, you’ll lead a small but impactful team responsible for strengthening end-to-end bid processes, ensuring quality assurance, and driving improvements in bid capability across the organisation. This is a pivotal role that blends operational excellence, strategic thinking, stakeholder collaboration, and innovation — including the smart use of AI and automation.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and lead a small team of bid professionals.
- Oversee and refine the end-to-end bid process, ensuring it is fit for purpose and adaptable to varying requirements and timeframes.
- Lead bid submission, debrief, and lessons-learned processes to support continuous improvement.
- Act as the first line of quality assurance for compliance and technical content, using judgement, mark schemes, and requirement documents.
- Provide second-line commercial quality assurance.
- Influence the shaping of RFPs for warm clients to maximise win potential.
- Identify new opportunities through market and tender intelligence tools.
- Develop and maintain procurement routes-to-market guidance.
- Set policies for the effective and ethical use of AI within the bid environment.
Qualifications & Capabilities
- Ideally Shipley or APMP Bid & Proposal Management Practitioner-level expertise.
- Worked in a similar role across the Public Sector, Not-for-Profit, Defence or Nuclear, Industrials.
- Proven experience applying AI and automation to bid processes and knowledge management.
- Strong people leadership and coaching skills.
- Excellent prioritisation, time management, and stakeholder engagement.
- Ability to build proactive and trusted relationships across the business.
Why Join this company?
- Shape and elevate a core business capability.
- Lead a talented, central team with strong organisational visibility.
- Influence bid strategy across multiple sectors.
- Drive real, measurable impact through improvements in quality and process.
Should this position be of interest, please contact Lisa Easthope at Bid Solutions.
Head of Bids employer: Bid Solutions
Contact Detail:
Bid Solutions Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Bids
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. A personal recommendation can go a long way in landing that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its recent projects. Show them you’re not just another candidate; you’re genuinely interested in their work and how you can contribute to their success.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to articulate your experience and how it aligns with the role of Head of Bids. Highlight your leadership skills and your knack for driving high-quality proposals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Bids
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in bid management. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Head of Bids, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a potential leader of our bid team, it’s crucial to demonstrate your people management abilities. Share examples of how you've successfully led teams and influenced stakeholders in your previous roles.
Highlight Your Strategic Thinking: We’re looking for someone who can think strategically about bids. Include specific instances where you’ve improved bid processes or implemented innovative solutions, especially using AI and automation.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at Bid Solutions
✨Know Your Bid Processes
Make sure you’re well-versed in the end-to-end bid processes. Familiarise yourself with how to refine these processes and ensure they meet varying requirements. Being able to discuss specific examples of how you've improved bid capabilities in previous roles will show your strategic thinking.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Bids, you'll be leading a team, so it's crucial to demonstrate your people leadership and coaching skills. Prepare to share stories about how you've successfully managed teams, influenced stakeholders, and built trusted relationships across the business.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Highlight your experience with continuous improvement initiatives. Be ready to discuss how you've implemented lessons learned from past bids and how you’ve used feedback to enhance future submissions. This shows your commitment to quality assurance and operational excellence.
✨Get Familiar with AI and Automation
Since the role involves the smart use of AI and automation, brush up on your knowledge in this area. Be prepared to talk about how you've applied these technologies in bid processes before, as this will set you apart as a forward-thinking candidate.