BD Strategic Pursuits Manager

EY Consulting & Fabernovel; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in Johannesburg is looking for a BD Strategic Pursuits Manager. This role involves managing proposals, developing winning strategies, and collaborating with senior partners to drive business development initiatives. The ideal candidate has 5-10 years of experience in business development within professional services and possesses excellent communication and project management skills. Join us to make a difference in a supportive environment that champions innovation.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of relevant experience in pursuits, business development, marketing or project management.
• Communications and proposal writing experience with relevant samples.
• Experience in professional services is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Manage execution of the pursuit process and timeline.
• Develop a relationship map and navigate the client buying process.
• Collaborate with teams to define a compelling client offer.

Skills

Excellent communication skills (writing, verbal and editing)

Project management

Leadership skills

Solution-oriented

Negotiation

Marketing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Language, Communications, Marketing or Business

APMP/PMP certification

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint)

Job description

BD Strategic Pursuits Manager

At EY you have the opportunity to build a career as unique as you are with the global scale support inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of yourself. We count on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself and a better working world for all.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated and confident individual to join our Markets & Business Developments Strategic Pursuits team.

As a Pursuit Strategist you will provide strategic and tactical support to help win new business. You will actively participate in the proposal management process and co-author content for proposals, oral presentations and other pursuit initiatives. This role you will work with Senior Partners, Client Executives, client service professionals, designers, account teams and Pursuit Coordinators. You will lead the team in developing and implementing pursuit strategies aimed at producing specific results; oversee adherence to all steps of the proposal process and firm guidelines; provide coaching to the Pursuits team to effectively communicate information and ideas through various mediums aimed at increasing audience engagement and facilitating information retention; and act as the local and national champion of pursuit initiatives.

Your Key Responsibilities

Manage the execution of the pursuit process including the critical path timeline, strategic communications process and interdependencies on the firm’s largest and strategically significant pursuits.

Assess the competitive landscape and help develop a differentiated win strategy focused on client priorities while protecting EY’s interests.

Develop a relationship map and tactics to navigate the client buying process.

Consult with Partners, Client Executives and BD leadership to develop and implement pursuit materials designed to achieve specific results.

Collaborate with the extended pursuit team to define package and articulate a compelling client offer across the scope.

Provide ongoing proposal strategy and support including planning the storyline/key messages and preparing the extended team for orals.

Be responsible for the development of all client-facing written deliverables (e.g. meeting documents, proposals, presentations) that adhere to the firm’s style guide in collaboration with the Creative Designer for design and formatting.

Author original content when critical and/or necessary (e.g. cover letter, executive summary) and leverage relevant firm resources to source non‑critical boilerplate content when appropriate.

Build collaborative relationships with pursuit teams including Service Line, Account and Business Development leaders as well as Senior Managers, Managers and Staff.

Share lessons learned, best practices and innovation from pursuits and other experiences with teammates, the broader BD community and the global firm as appropriate.

Manage multiple proposals / priorities simultaneously.

Ensure that all steps of the pursuit proposal process are adhered to and that the content and end product are of the highest quality.

Review final pursuit collateral for quality format and content for adherence to the firm’s brand standards.

Work with international Pursuits Strategy leaders to identify and leverage best practices.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes for Success

Must be able to operate in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.

Excellent communication skills (writing, verbal and editing).

Excellent project management and organizational skills with high attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.

Solution‑oriented with the ability to make sound recommendations and decisions.

Organized, detail‑oriented and highly deadline‑driven.

Champion best‑practice pursuit tools and processes while remaining open to new and better ways of doing things when appropriate.

Strong leadership skills to manage, coach, develop and motivate direct reports.

Ability to interact effectively with all levels of the organization.

Self‑motivated, resourceful and able to work on one’s own initiative with limited supervision.

Experience

5‑10 years of relevant experience in pursuits, business development, marketing or project management preferably in a professional services environment.

Must have communications and proposal writing experience, including the ability to provide relevant writing samples.

Highly developed computer skills including the Microsoft Office suite (PowerPoint).

Education / Certification

Some or all of the below:

APMP/PMP certification is considered advantageous.

Experience in professional services (e.g. accounting, management consulting, legal, architectural, engineering).

Bachelor’s degree in Language, Communications, Marketing or Business; a graduate degree or equivalent experience is preferred.

Who We Are

At EY we support you in achieving your unique potential both personally and professionally. We give you stretching and rewarding experiences that keep you motivated, working in an atmosphere of integrity and teaming with some of the world’s most successful companies.

While we encourage you to take personal responsibility for your career we support you in your professional development in every way we can. You enjoy the flexibility to devote time to what matters to you in your business and personal lives. At EY you can be who you are and express your point of view, energy and enthusiasm wherever you are in the world. It’s how you make a difference.

Required Experience

Manager

Key Skills

Business Development, Sales Experience, B2B Sales, Marketing, Cold Calling, Account Management, Territory Management, Salesforce, Affiliate Marketing, CRM Software, Negotiation, Lead Generation

Employment Type

Full Time

Experience

years

Vacancy

1