Lead Specialist, Bid Management

Pearson; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

UK benefits

Job summary

Pearson Education Services seeks an experienced Bid Manager to lead high-value procurement opportunities, from RFIs to multi-million-pound bids. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, monitor portals, shape win strategies and manage budgets to deliver timely, winning responses globally.

The role is primarily remote in the UK with international collaboration, offering a hybrid work model and opportunities to influence Pearson's assessment contracts worldwide.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of formal bid management methodologies.
• Proven track record of successful bid management experience including submission of successful business winning proposals.
• Experience delivering bids for government/related agencies ranging in value to 7 figures.
• Experience of financial management.
• Experience leading multi-disciplined and matrixed teams in an educational technology environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead a matrix team of SMEs over multiple locations and external partners.
• Monitor selected portals for opportunities.
• Identify and circulate potential opportunities (RFIs, RFPs) to stakeholders.
• Coordinate bid/no-bid discussions.
• Prepare and implement bid management plans with accountability for submission.
• Contribute to financial modelling and commercial input for bids.
• Develop price-to-win strategies.
• Prioritise bid resources and manage risks.
• Ensure bid requirements are translated to relevant teams.
• Provide guidance on costs, schedules, and technical matters.
• Manage external teams to achieve bid objectives.
• Accountable for bid budgets and content libraries.
• Drive innovation and efficiencies in end-to-end bid management using internal AI capabilities.
• Provide exception reporting and flag issues for approval.
• Forecast and report bid financials, pipelines, and resources.
• Produce prompt, comprehensive commercial/technical and pricing responses.
• Aim to win profitable, executable new business and ensure smooth handover to implementation.

Skills

Bid management

Stakeholder management

Financial modelling

Risk management

Leadership

Communication

Education

PM qualifications (APM/PRINCE2)

Tools

Excel

ERP/CRM systems

Job description

About the job

The role will be responsible for a wide range of proposals; from bidding for fast turnaround bids with high levels of uncertainty, to following well-structured long-term and high value procurements that require a full bid management process. Bids could be shorter-term service-specific opportunities or long-term, strategic/transformative projects, but the anticipated contract value ranges from £500k to £50m+-. The role will primarily be based remotely in the UK but the ability to work and collaborate internationally is required. This is an exciting moment to join Pearson Education Services as we continue to evolve our capabilities and services for the future whilst continuing to deliver a successful array of assessment contracts of varying scope and size across the world. It is a small but successful team, and provides a fantastic opportunity for an individual with a strong track record of delivering successful bids who seeks a global role with the potential to achieve significant business growth.

Core tasks and responsibilities

• Working as part of Pearson Education Services to fulfil the requirements of the team, which may include leading a matrix team of SMEs over a number of locations, which can include external consultants, suppliers and partners
• Monitor selected portals through which opportunities become available
• Identify and circulate potential opportunities (RFIs, RFPS, etc) to stakeholder list for consideration
• Co-ordinate discussion leading to bid / no-bid decision
• Prepare and implement a bid management plan for every bid, managing the bid process effectively, with accountability for bid submission
• Contribute to financial modelling and commercial input bids
• Work alongside other senior colleagues to build the price-to-win strategy for each bid
• Monitor, review and prioritise work schedules with matrix team to review bid resources
• Monitoring, management and mitigation of existing and new risks related to bid activity
• Ensure requirements of bid are flowed down to the relevant teams with clearly defined tasking
• Provide advice and work with team to resolve matters relating to costs, work schedules and technical issues as required
• Manage external teams and partners in a collaborative working environment to ensure that bid objectives are achieved
• Accountable for managing the bid to an agreed bid budget where applicable
• Responsible for managing bid library and content-related resources, enhancing boiler plate content as appropriate
• Drive forward innovation and efficiencies in the e2e Bid Management process using in-house AI capabilities
• Provide exception reporting as required and refer any key issues for advice and approval
• Accurate forecasting and reporting of bid financial information, pipeline summaries and resource requirements
• Ensuring the production of prompt and comprehensive responses to the customer in terms of Commercial/Technical solution and price
• To win profitable, executable new business and ensure smooth handover to implementation team, thereby assuring continuity for the customer

Competencies

• Be an energetic champion for the bidding process and act as a source of advice and knowledge on the bid process
• Ability to react at pace and mobilise swiftly to respond to opportunities
• Ability to communicate using a variety of methods/mediums, accurately and in a timely manner
• Develop and manage positive working relationships with the relevant internal managers and with the customer community
• Ability to lead integrated project teams to deliver timely and compelling responses
• Strong budgeting/cost management ability

Experience

Essential

• Extensive knowledge of formal bid management methodologies
• Proven track record of successful bid management experience including submission of successful business winning proposals
• Experience of delivering bids for government /related agencies ranging in value upto 7 figures
• Experience of financial management
• Experience of leadership of multi-disciplined and matrixed teams in an educational technology environment

Desired

• Current Bid/Programme Management related qualification (e.g. APM Practitioner, PRINCE2, Association of Proposal Management Professionals Foundation Certification)/evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Knowledge of formal acquisition process
• Familiarity with EU Procurement Law
• Proven ability of time scheduling/phasing on complex bids with a strong focus on achieving deadlines with a quality output
• Proven practical application of risk management

Your rewards & benefits

We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families, too.

Please see our attractive UK benefits here: Pearson Jobs – Benefits

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Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].

Job: Sales Enablement

Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 26472