Bid Manager - Employee Benefits

We’re growing and want you to be a part of our journey. This is an exciting opportunity to join our Marketing and Client Development Team to play a key role in driving revenue growth by supporting our commercial team in winning new Employee Benefits business and client rebid opportunities, as well as supporting bids across our wider business when required. The Bid Manager will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end bid process, ensuring that all bid responses align with client requirements and stand out in a competitive marketplace. Successful candidates can be based in our London, Edinburgh or Glasgow offices in a hybrid working capacity.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the end-to-end bid process, from identifying opportunities to submitting successful proposals, with a focus on Employee Benefit opportunities.
• Chair meetings to evaluate opportunities (go/no-go decisions) and kick-off meetings to discuss client requirements, identify differentiators, and shape key messages for the bid.
• Collaborate with a variety of teams and stakeholders across the business and externally to develop tailored, detailed, and compelling responses to bid and tender documents with an R&B element.
• Take ownership of the R&B bid management process, ensuring the R&B bid library is up to date with best practices and relevant content.
• Facilitate the team to develop creative and distinctive bid strategies, focusing on differentiators and evidence to support our proposals.
• Coordinate responses from internal teams and external partners, ensuring all contributors meet deadlines and align with the bid strategy.
• Coach and challenge teams on client interaction at all stages of the bid cycle, ensuring consistent messaging and a strong focus on client needs.
• Facilitate the preparation of presentations, helping the team to shape their narrative and delivery, including coaching individuals and teams through 'dry runs'.
• Ensure a debrief takes place with both the client and the internal bid team to capture learnings and improve future performance.
• Champion bid best practices and provide guidance to teams on the bid process, sharing key learnings across the bids team and, where appropriate, the wider marketing team.
• Participate in bid improvement projects to drive continuous improvement in bid quality and processes.

Reporting and Administration:

• Maintain and update bid trackers, CRM systems, and dashboards to ensure accurate reporting and oversight of bid activity.
• Provide management reporting on bid performance, including summaries, win/loss analysis, and pipeline reporting.

Team Responsibility:

• Mentor and develop junior team members, including Bid Executives, on bid management techniques and best practices.
• Share ideas and insights on bid best practices and continuous improvement across the team.

Wider Business Role:

• Work with the design team to generate creative and visually engaging tender responses, ensuring alignment with the organisation's brand and messaging.
• Assist key stakeholders with prospecting initiatives.
• Play a key role in all phases of the bid process, including capture planning and post-submission activities.

Key Work Experience Required:

• 5+ years of experience in a bids role, with expertise in Employee Benefits.
• Proven experience managing multiple projects with time-critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in managing bids that require input from cross-functional teams and external partners.

Skills and Competencies Required:

• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to influence, persuade, and challenge constructively.
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring the highest quality of bid responses.
• Strong creative ability, with an understanding of branding, design, and layout.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM systems.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across all levels of the business.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle complex information and identify appropriate solutions.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to deliver a high volume of quality work while managing competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently and flexibly, using initiative to drive results.
• Capacity to coach and challenge teams, including senior stakeholders, to ensure bids are client-focused and of the highest standard.
• A team player with excellent collaboration and teamwork skills.

Demonstrated Commitment to our Core Purpose:

• Power in Partnership: We work in partnership with our clients & each other – building open and trusted relationships. Working together allows us to deliver the best for our clients.
• Future Focus: We want to push our industry forward by solving problems in better ways that benefit both our clients & society.
• Strength in Difference: We work with diverse perspectives to find better solutions. Working with differences makes us stronger.
• People First: We recognise that pensions is a people business. People are the source of Isio’s expertise and it is people’s lives that we affect through our advice.

What we offer you:

Isio is a people business, and we’re committed to helping our great colleagues gain a wide variety of experience, significant development opportunities and progression through the business. The variety of work that’ll be available to you will enable you to do this.

About Isio: Isio was ‘born’ in 2020 from the sale of KPMG UK’s Pension Practice to a private equity firm. An industry-leading challenger, we provide diverse expertise spanning Pensions, Investment, Benefits and Wealth to give clients an integrated experience. Isio is built by challengers, innovators and forward-thinkers, grounded around a vision which strives to deliver greater financial confidence for everyone. We empower and develop those who join us – valuing curious minds and giving people the freedom to outperform. Known and respected for our agility, we harness specialist experience, bold thinking and the desire to push the boundaries of what we can achieve for our clients, from small to blue chip, public to private. At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact. We have offices across the UK and many of our roles offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work to help create a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.