Business Development Proposals Manager

DLRC Regulatory Consultancy; Letchworth; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

DLRC Regulatory Consultancy seeks a Business Development Proposals Manager in the UK. You will coordinate end-to-end proposal development, aligning with strategy and client requirements while collaborating with BD Leads, SMEs, Finance, Contracts & Proposals, and executives.

This role offers hybrid working, exposure across the business, and opportunities to drive efficiencies, cost builds, and winning proposals within a regulated life sciences context.

Qualifications

• Experience in consultancy, life sciences, or regulated environments.
• Proven track record in proposal, bid management, or commercial operations.
• Strong project management and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Manage full proposal lifecycle from qualification through submission.
• Coordinate cross-functional proposal development with BD, Consulting, SMEs, and Finance.
• Analyze RFPs and client requirements to shape response strategies.
• Develop proposal plans, compliance, and submission schedules.
• Lead cost builds with SMEs and Finance to set pricing and profitability targets.
• Provide QA, governance, and ensure submission readiness.
• Maintain templates, content libraries, pricing models, and CRM inputs.
• Track KPIs and dashboards to improve proposal performance.

Skills

Proposal management

Project management

Stakeholder management

CRM (Salesforce)

Governance

Costing & pricing

Reporting & KPIs

Communication

Regulatory / life sciences knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Salesforce

Document management systems

Job description

Established in 2005, the DLRC Group has developed a deserved reputation for being a leading consultancy, with a wealth of regulatory and scientific knowledge and considerable experience in both leadership and management. The company has recently expanded to include affiliates based in Germany and the US.

Our growing team comprises over 90 qualified professionals with a pharmaceutical and/or regulatory background, as well as over 30 dedicated supporting staff in areas of Business Development, Finance, Business Services and People Practices. We provide services to over 130 organisations, enabling them to achieve their strategic and operational development objectives.

DLRC’s expertise and flexible working approach ensures the provision of a highly motivated team who interact effectively with clients and regulators globally, to support both single issues and long-term commitment to projects.

Business Development Proposals Manager

UK | Hybrid Working

The Business Development Proposals Manager is responsible for managing the end-to-end proposal and bid development process, ensuring client submissions are compliant, persuasive, commercially sound, technically accurate, and aligned with company strategy and client requirements.

The Opportunity

This role acts as the central coordinator between Business Development Leads, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Finance, Contracts & Proposals, and Executive stakeholders. You will lead proposal planning, cost build coordination, governance, quality assurance, and CRM oversight, helping to improve proposal efficiency, consistency, and commercial success.

This is a highly collaborative position offering exposure across all areas of the business, supporting strategic growth initiatives and high-value client opportunities while working closely with senior leaders and technical specialists.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the full proposal lifecycle from opportunity qualification through to submission, follow-up, and lessons learned reviews
• Act as the primary point of contact for all proposal-related activities, ensuring deliverables are completed within agreed timelines
• Coordinate proposal development across Business Development, Consulting, Technical SMEs, Finance, Contracts & Proposals, and Executive stakeholders
• Analyse RFPs, RFQs, tender documents, and client requirements to develop response strategies and submission plans
• Develop proposal plans, compliance requirements, ownership trackers, and submission schedules
• Lead the development and coordination of project cost builds, working with SMEs and Finance to establish resource requirements, pricing assumptions, and profitability targets
• Support commercial review and approval processes, challenging assumptions where risks, costs, or margins appear inconsistent
• Facilitate proposal planning meetings and cross-functional reviews, ensuring accountability, alignment, and timely completion of actions
• Produce high-quality proposals, executive summaries, presentations, and supporting documentation tailored to client requirements
• Develop compelling win themes, value propositions, case studies, and client-specific messaging
• Maintain proposal templates, content libraries, pricing models, and document control processes
• Conduct quality assurance and compliance reviews to ensure consistency, accuracy, governance compliance, and submission readiness
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, lessons learned reviews, and the adoption of AI-assisted proposal development tools where appropriate
• Own proposal-related CRM processes and reporting, ensuring accurate opportunity data and stakeholder visibility
• Develop and monitor proposal KPIs, dashboards, and workflow metrics to support performance management and decision-making
• Drive process improvements, automation initiatives, and adoption of standard operating procedures and governance controls.

About You:

• Experience working within a consultancy, professional services, life sciences, regulated industry, or similar environment
• Understanding of the core regulatory disciplines within pharmaceutical, biotech, or related consulting environments, with the ability to identify and engage appropriate subject matter experts as required
• Experience in proposal management, bid management, commercial operations, project coordination, or a similar role within consultancy, professional services, life sciences, or another regulated environment
• Strong project management, organisational, and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage senior leaders, clients, and technical experts
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and consistency across deliverables
• Commercial awareness, including an understanding of pricing, resource planning, profitability, and business risk
• Experience coordinating complex, cross-functional projects and governance processes
• Understanding of proposal, bid, and tender processes, including RFP/RFQ analysis, response planning, compliance reviews, and submission governance
• Experience using CRM platforms such as Salesforce and working with document management or proposal management systems
• Understanding of project costing, resource planning, commercial approval processes, and contract review activities
• Experience supporting process improvement, workflow optimisation, automation, and AI-assisted document development
• Collaborative and solutions-focused, with the ability to build strong working relationships across commercial, operational, and technical teams
• An understanding of regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or market access environments would be advantageous.

Success in the First 12 Months

The successful candidate will:

• Establish themselves as the central point of coordination for proposal and bid development activities
• Improve proposal turnaround times and overall submission efficiency
• Implement proposal performance metrics, reporting, and KPI dashboards.
• Enhance Salesforce governance, visibility, and data quality across commercial opportunities
• Introduce and embed a standardised proposal and cost-build framework.
• Improve proposal quality, consistency, and stakeholder experience
• Reduce proposal rework through stronger planning, governance, and content management practices
• Drive adoption of proposal best practices, templates, and processes across the business
• Contribute to improved proposal win rates, commercial performance, and business growth.

We are a consultancy built on integrity, respect, and accountability. Our people are trusted to take ownership, supported to develop, and encouraged to think commercially.

We bring energy and enthusiasm to our work, collaborating closely with clients and partners to deliver practical, sustainable solutions. With flexible working and strong professional development pathways, we offer an environment where regulatory consultants can build influence, capability, and long-term careers.