Proposal Manager Commercial · Cape Town

Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million consumers. Collinson is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of 1,500+ lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in over 650 airports in 148 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special.

We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception – from launching the first independent global VIP lounge access Programme, Priority Pass to being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and creating the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences.

Our mission is focused on doing good beyond profit, which for us means we seek out opportunities for our people to share in our success and that we give back to the communities and people within which we work. Never short of ambition, the success of our business is delivered through the diverse and talented team of over 1,800 global colleagues.

Purpose of the job: The Proposal Manager within the Win Center is responsible for managing the development and delivery of high-quality, client-focused proposals that effectively articulate Collinson’s value proposition. This role requires strategic oversight, coordination of cross-functional teams, and exceptional attention to detail to ensure that proposals meet client requirements and contribute to winning new business. The Proposal Manager plays a crucial role in aligning proposal efforts with the organization’s BD and account management strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Proposal Development and Management: Lead the end-to-end proposal development process, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of client-focused proposals. Analyse Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Information (RFIs), and other client requirements to develop a clear understanding of deliverables. Develop and maintain a proposal schedule, outlining key milestones, deadlines, and team responsibilities.
• Proposal Strategy and Content: Collaborate with business development, account management, business solutions and subject matter experts (SMEs) to define proposal strategies, win themes, and value propositions. Draft, edit, and review proposal content to ensure it is clear, compelling, and tailored to the client’s needs. Incorporate client-specific requirements, differentiators, and success stories to strengthen the proposal’s impact. Collaborate with Marketing, Product and other SMEs to produce relevant proposal content for value propositions, tailored to different sectors, prospects and use cases. Ensure all proposals comply with client requirements, internal policies, and legal standards.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinate with internal teams, including sales, marketing, product, pricing, legal, and operations, to gather and integrate input for proposals. Act as the central point of contact for assigned proposal-related activities, ensuring alignment across all contributors. Manage multiple proposals simultaneously, ensuring consistency and quality across all submissions.
• Account Audits: Support account managers with client audits by leveraging repository of compliance related questions and answers. Coordinate with cross-functional stakeholders to complete audits if not covered within repository.
• Process Optimization: Develop and maintain reusable proposal templates, content repositories, and best practices to streamline future proposal efforts. Support in maintaining the compliance question repository and coordinate with stakeholders as required to update and contribute. Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and quality in proposal development.
• Post-Submission Activities: Coordinate post-submission activities, including client presentations, clarifications, and debrief sessions. Gather feedback from clients and internal teams to identify strengths and areas for improvement in future proposals.

Knowledge, skills and experience required:

Essential Qualifications and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, marketing, or a related field (MBA preferred). Proven experience in proposal management, bid management, or business development in a similar role. Familiarity with proposal tools and platforms (e.g., Salesforce, SharePoint, or specialized proposal software). Strong understanding of financial services and travel sector. Proposal Management certification is a plus.

Essential Skills:

• Project Management: Strong ability to manage multiple, complex projects with tight deadlines.
• Strategic Thinking: Expertise in defining win strategies and aligning proposals with business objectives.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for developing clear and persuasive content.
• Collaboration: Skilled at working with cross-functional teams and managing diverse stakeholders.
• Attention to Detail: Highly detail-oriented with a focus on delivering error-free and high-quality proposals.
• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and handle shifting priorities.

Collinson is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes differences in all their forms including: colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family status, age, individuals with disabilities and people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences as we strongly believe this contributes to our on-going success. We are focused on continually evolving our purpose driven, high performing culture, providing an environment where our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and do interesting and meaningful work. Our company values are: Take Action, Do the right thing, One team and Be insight led. These help guide everything we do internally in terms of how we think, act and interact, right through to how we deliver value to our customers and clients.

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