Principal Bid Specialist in London

Are you a commercially driven, hands-on Business Winning expert with a strong track record in business development, bidding, and capture strategy? We are looking for a Principal Business Winning Consultant with a passion for building business, leading bids, and delivering client success. This is a senior, delivery-focused role for someone who enjoys working directly with clients, takes ownership of business growth, and is equally comfortable shaping strategy, managing bids, writing proposals, and training teams.

Since our establishment in 2018, Whitetree has been on a mission to empower clients, make lasting impacts, and provide unmatched career growth opportunities. We are passionate innovators driven by our values of Trust, Integrity, Innovation, and Excellence.

The Role

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced, commercially minded consultant who thrives on building business, leading bids, and delivering client success. You will be joining a growing and respected Business Winning Practice within Whitetree, working alongside other senior professionals to deliver measurable impact for clients. The role combines strategic business development, hands-on delivery, and practice leadership — offering the freedom to grow your own client base, shape Whitetree's offer, and influence the future of business winning consulting in the Defence, Government, and Health sectors.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Identify, pursue, and convert new business opportunities across Defence, Aerospace, Government, Healthcare, and related sectors.
• Build and maintain long-term client relationships to secure repeat business and referrals.
• Leverage market insight and networks to grow the business pipeline and meet revenue targets.
• Represent Whitetree at meetings, events, and industry networks to enhance visibility and credibility.
• Provide hands-on consultancy across the bid lifecycle, from capture planning to submission and lessons learned.
• Lead complex, high-value bids ensuring compliance, quality, and commercial strength.
• Deliver training, coaching, and best practice support to enhance client business-winning capability.
• Offer leadership, mentoring, and assurance across client and internal projects.
• Contribute to developing Whitetree's methodologies, tools, and frameworks.
• Collaborate internally to strengthen the brand and expand capability.
• Balance business development and delivery to meet commercial, utilisation, and growth objectives while maintaining professional standards.

In your first 3-6 months, success might look like:

• Building strong client relationships and generating new business opportunities.
• Leading and shaping winning bids.
• Sharing best practice and mentoring colleagues across projects.
• Driving growth and helping shape our Business Winning capability.

Skills & experience required

• Proven track record of winning new business through direct client engagement, relationship management, and proactive business development.
• Significant experience in bidding and capture management, including leadership of complex, multi-stakeholder bids.
• Strong network and reputation across Defence, Aerospace, or Government contracting sectors.
• Excellent commercial understanding, including pricing, risk, governance, and financial performance.
• Experience delivering or facilitating business winning training, reviews, or coaching.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Self-motivated and confident working remotely and independently, managing your own workload and client portfolio.
• Willing and able to travel and stay away from home when required to meet client or project needs.
• Collaborative, professional, and delivery-focused mindset.
• APMP certification (or equivalent professional experience).
• Current right to live and work in the UK.
• Current SC clearance or willing and eligible to undergo a Security Clearance application.

Life at Whitetree

At Whitetree, we are proud to provide a collaborative and supportive environment in which you can grow and develop your career, with the chance to work alongside some of the best people in the industry. We are proud to have recently become one of the select few Chartered Management Consultancies in the UK. This prestigious accreditation reflects our commitment to the highest standards of professional practice and ethical conduct in consulting. As part of our dedication to your professional growth, we are eager to sponsor suitable candidates on their journey to becoming Chartered Management Consultants themselves. Whitetree's success hinges on hiring great people and creating an environment where we can be happy, feel challenged, and do our best work. We hope that excites you enough to apply.

Our competitive benefits package includes: 25 days annual leave, plus