Bid Manager

LondonHybridDoes this sound like you?You're a senior bid professional who thrives on strategy as much as execution. You know that a great bid isn't just a well-written document - it's a narrative built on insight, shaped around an evaluator's priorities, and differentiated from the first paragraph. You're comfortable making the call on bid/no-bid decisions, challenging scope when it isn't commercially sound, and holding yourself accountable for the outcome. Whether your background is public sector frameworks, enterprise RFPs, or both, you bring the rigour, credibility, and independent judgement this role demands.What you’ll be doing (in a nutshell):In our Bids & Frameworks team, you'll own the full bid lifecycle across both public and private sector - from opportunity qualification through to submission, presentation and contract award. You'll hold a primary sector focus, but the expectation is that you can operate credibly across both. This is a senior, autonomous role: you're setting the strategy, not just executing it.Day-to-day you can expect to:Define win themes and set the strategic direction for each bid before production begins - not afterLead bid/no-bid decisions and present well-reasoned recommendations to the Head of Bids & FrameworksWrite, structure, and edit high-quality responses across all evaluation criteria, producing content that's specific, commercially compelling, and clearly differentiatedManage submission timelines across multiple concurrent bids at different stages, escalating capacity risks before they become problemsLead post-submission activity including clarification responses, client presentations, and negotiation support through to contract awardOwn the debrief process - secure feedback, document lessons, and translate them into measurable improvementsBuild and maintain pipeline visibility across your primary sector, flagging upcoming opportunities and cross-sector dependenciesEngage confidently with senior stakeholders across commercial, sales, product, legal, and finance - including at CEO and Director level - to extract the insight and evidence needed to winContribute to a shared library of reusable, high-quality bid content, keeping it current and fit for purposeFor public sector bids: ensure full compliance with PCR 2015, the Procurement Act 2023, and relevant framework requirementsFor private sector bids: interpret RFP requirements with commercial rigour and collaborate with sales on pricing strategyTo be successful, you'll have:A proven track record of independently managing and winning complex bids - public sector frameworks, call-off contracts, enterprise RFPs, or structured procurement exercisesThe ability to develop win narratives and lead bid strategy from first principles, not just coordinate contentExceptional written communication: clear, evaluator-focused, and free of the generic template-speak that loses bidsStrong commercial acumen, including awareness of pricing strategy, risk, and ROI framingThe confidence to operate at CEO and Director level - both internally and with client organisations - and to hold contributors to deadlinesAwareness of both public and private sector procurement landscapes; deep specialism in one, with transferable capability in the otherWorking knowledge of AI tools and prompt engineering as applied to bid managementBonus points if you bring:APMP Foundation or Practitioner qualificationExperience working across both public and private sector bid environmentsExperience building and curating a bid content library that demonstrably improves submission speed and quality over timeWhy Perkbox?Perkbox is the employee experience platform built to care for, connect with, and celebrate employees in all areas of life.With more than 20 years of experience across public, private, SME and corporate sectors, we support nearly 4 million employees across 7,500 organisations in the UK and Australia. From the NHS to leading private sector businesses, our platform brings together benefits, wellbeing, and recognition in one place people actually use.From access to expert mental health services to help with the cost of everyday essentials, our range of benefits and wellbeing tools meets people where they are, at work and beyond.We're redefining what employee benefits can be. And we're just getting started.The Interview ProcessOur interview process involves 4 main stages:ApplicationShort call with a member of the TA team30-minute video call with Hiring Manager and one other team memberFinal Interview and task with two members of the teamOur average process takes around 2-3 weeks, but we will always work around your availability. You will have the chance to speak to our recruitment team at various points during your process. If you have any specific questions ahead of this, please contact us on talent@perkbox.comWe’re committed to being an inclusive employer and creating a fair workplace for all. We encourage applications from candidates across all backgrounds, circumstances, ages, disabilities, ethnicities, religions or beliefs, gender identities, or sexual orientationsWe're happy to offer reasonable adjustments during our hiring process. Just let us know, and we'll make it work for you. Your comfort and success matter to us!