Strategic Pursuits Manager

Ernst & Young Advisory Services Sdn Bhd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading global firm as a Pursuit Strategist, where you will provide strategic support for business proposals. Collaborate with senior partners and lead teams in developing winning strategies. This role demands excellent communication and project management skills, along with a proactive approach to managing multiple priorities.

Qualifications

• 5 - 10 years of relevant experience in pursuits, business development, marketing, or project management.
• Must have communications and proposal writing experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage the execution of the pursuit process, including critical path and timeline.
• Develop a relationship map and tactics to navigate the client buying process.
• Ensure that all steps of the pursuit proposal process are adhered to.

Skills

Communication

Project Management

Leadership

Education

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

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

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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 Development’s 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 collateral. In 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.

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EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.