Associate Bid Manager

Compass Group UK; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways & MyLearning

Digital GP & wider healthcare

Exclusive travel discounts

Grocery discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards program

Wellness and fitness classes

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I's ESS Defence Soft FM division seeks an Associate Bid Manager (Maternity Cover) to drive bid programme management from capture to submission. You will coordinate pre-tender activity, set bid timetables, align cross‑functional teams, and manage client portals for compliant responses.

The role demands exceptional project management, strong English communication, and the ability to steer multi‑site bid teams through complex, high‑value deals (£10M+).

Qualifications

• Experience of Bid Coordination and Bid Management across multiple industries, including the public sector.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Successful track record on major deals of £10M+.
• Excellent English communication, written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Lead the programme management of winning bids and opportunities.
• Manage bid process, including resourcing, administration and pricing information.
• Ensure deployment of the bid strategy and anticipate critical success factors.
• Manage the communication process for all bids with Sales Operations and Sales Management.
• Excellent project management and use of tools to track submissions and actions.
• Set up and manage meetings, maintain clear outcomes and actions.
• Drive the quality of the proposition written and presented.
• Coordinate production of compliant submission deliverables and client materials.
• Coordinate client communications (including portals) and documentation management.
• Identify opportunities early and manage engagement with the client.

Skills

Bid management

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Multitasking

Job description

Job Title

Associate Bid Manager - Maternity Cover

Responsible to

Growth Support Manager

Location

Mobile Worker

Department

Sales – ESS Defence Soft FM

Overall Purpose of the Role

The Associate Bid Manager supports the Bid and Solutions Directors with the planning and process for all of our bidding activity and is responsible for project managing each stage of the process from capture to submission ensuring the best chance of success.

This will include, but is not limited to, supporting pre-tender activity; setting up the overall bid timetable; coordinating presentations and kick-off sessions; managing the bid team’s internal collaboration tools; scheduling and planning all bid-related meetings and site visits; administering client portals; supporting strategy and bid sessions; overseeing the overall presentation and quality of the proposal; and coordinating the production of compliant submission deliverables that give us the best opportunity to respond effectively to the client.

The job role:

• To lead the programme management of winning bids and opportunities
• Manage and formalise bid process, including resourcing, administration and supporting finance with pricing information
• Ensure consistent deployment of the bid strategy and anticipate critical success factors
• Manage the communication process for all bids, including with Sales Operations and Sales Management team
• Excellent project management skills and can use several tools to track and manage the submission
• Able to set up and manage meetings keeping a clear track of the outcomes and actions
• Drive the quality of the proposition both written and presented
• Manage production of compliant submission and other client deliverables
• Coordinate client communication processes (including via portals) and documentation management processes
• Identify opportunities at an early stage and manage the engagement process with the client.
• Keep up to date with current issues in the sector.
• Be a credible ambassador for ESS at internal and external events.
• Bring creative and innovative ideas to how we undertake our Business Development activities
• Maintain data, records and systems as required to support effective sales processes
• Support effective knowledge and content management, including contribution to the ESS Bid Library and UK&I Growth Library
• Understand the requirements for the commercial elements of the submission

Person specification:

• Experience of Bid Coordination and Bid Management across multiple industries, preferably in the public sectorTrack record of co-ordinating a large team across a large organisation
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Highly motivated and demonstrates initiative
• Successful track record of working on major deal(s) of £10M+
• Ability to successfully influence internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to support research of the competitor landscape
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to co-ordinate bid teams with authority and respect
• Excellent communication skills - experience of dealing with and communicating with customer bid teams.
• Full flexibility and mobility
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to develop and nurture effective business relationships
• Ability to multi task, drive several initiatives at any one time and programme manage mulitple projects
• Experience of working in long sales cycles

Requirements:

• Ability to gain BPSS/SC clearance

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, ESS is the Defence, Government, and Energy services sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland. We support 250+ UK military establishments, high profile police, secure environments and government sites, along with a range of onshore and offshore facilities including platforms, drilling rigs, floatels and offices for the energy sector. We know that a friendly face makes all the difference, so we look for people who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, at all levels, to join our teams.

Job Reference: com/2708/229700/52829898/SU #Defence

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!