Tender Manager

Biovac; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Biovac in Cape Town seeks a Tender & Bid Manager to drive internal readiness for on-time submissions to UNICEF, APPM, and regional opportunities, translating external requirements into cross‑functional action across Commercial, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Manufacturing, Legal and Compliance.

You will maintain the opportunity tracker, lead internal coordination for UNICEF/APP/M tenders, ensure compliant and timely responses, and support pricing governance and post‑award activities

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in Africa Markets/global bid/tender management prep and proposal submission development.
• Cross‑border sales experience is an added advantage.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal coordination of UNICEF, APPM, DTM Africa and SA domestic tender submissions.
• Translate tender docs into internal requirements, timelines and deliverables.
• Consolidate cross‑functional inputs into compliant, accurate tender responses.
• Ensure adherence to technical, regulatory, quality and commercial submission requirements.
• Accountable for compliant, on‑time bid submissions.

Skills

Bid management

Cross‑functional coordination

Project management

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration/related field

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Communications/related field

Tools

Bid management tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Purpose

Accountable for managing Biovac’s internal readiness for on‑time tender submissions and participation in tender opportunities, including UNICEF, APPM (Africa Pooled Procurement and self‑funded procurement opportunities across Africa and applicable global markets.

Translates external tender requirements into coordinated internal actions across Commercial, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Manufacturing, Legal and Compliance, while protecting Biovac’s long‑term commercial and reputational interests.

The role maintains the opportunity tracker for all relevant tenders, ensuring Biovac has visibility of upcoming opportunities and is internally prepared to participate where appropriate.

The role is a cross‑functional commercial execution role requiring timeous bid processes and submission timelines, compliance requirements and internal inputs, complete, accurate, and timely tender submissions.

Minimum Qualification(s)

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Marketing, Communications or a related field.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration / a commercial degree.
• Recognition is given to Prior Learning and practical experience.

Experience & industry knowledge

Required:

• At least 5 years’ experience in Africa Markets / global bid/tender management preparation and proposal submission development.
• At least 3 years’ experience at middle to senior management level.
• Previous experience in a cross‑border sales environment is an added advantage.
• Bid compliance exposure.
• Proven track record of successful bid submissions.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and bid management tools.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Preferred:

• Working knowledge of the Pharmaceutical / Biotechnology Manufacturing related industry.
• Experience in drafting tender and government proposals.
• Experience in Business Development.
• Experience in general business management within a commercial environment.

Core Technical Delivery

Tender Execution Strategy

• Analyse UNICEF procurement strategies, tender calendars and market signals to inform bid strategy.
• Provide strategic input to senior management on pricing trends, volume certainty / uncertainty and long‑term market‑shaping considerations.
• Actively search for and evaluate potential tender opportunities in APPM and self‑funded markets that align with the company’s objectives.
• Build and maintain the database of potential tender opportunities.
• Monitor UNGM (United Nations Global Marketplace) for tender opportunities.

Tender Preparation & Submission Management

• Lead the internal coordination and management of UNICEF, APPM, DTM Africa and SA domestic tender submissions.
• Translate tender documentation into clear internal requirements, timelines and deliverables.
• Consolidate cross‑functional inputs into compliant, accurate and coherent tender responses.
• Ensure adherence to all technical, regulatory, quality and commercial submission requirements.
• Thoroughly review and understand tender documents, including specifications, requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Accountable for compliant, on‑time bid submissions.

Commercial & Contractual Interface

• Support internal pricing governance, including volume scenarios and tiered pricing structures.
• Coordinate internal review of Long‑Term Arrangements (LTAs) and ensure organizational alignment to contractual commitments.
• Ensure Biovac compliance on the UNGM (United Nations Global Marketplace) platform.
• Take commercial direction from the Head of Global Exports on UNICEF / APPM tenders and from the Head SSA Business on SA domestic / DTM tenders.

Post‑Award & Relationship Management

• Lead Biovac’s post‑award engagement with UNICEF to ensure clarity on volumes, delivery timelines and performance expectations.
• Work closely with Supply Chain and Operations to support delivery planning and risk mitigation.
• Maintain a constructive, professional relationship with UNICEF to support execution of tenders and ongoing collaboration.
• Responsible for supplier performance monitoring for products on tender and ongoing performance monitoring.

Coordination & Collaboration

• Work with various teams (e.g. Market Shaping, Sales, Regulatory, Technical, Legal, Finance) to gather necessary information and ensure a cohesive bid.

Risk Management

• Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with the tendering process.
• Flag risks early to the relevant commercial owner.

Post‑Tender Activities

• Manage the handover of successful bids to departments and participate in lessons‑learned sessions.
• Ensure the business complies with all relevant tender requirements and that internal stakeholders are informed.
• Responsible for the entire bid lifecycle.

Technical Competencies required to perform this aspect of the role:

• Searching and evaluating potential tender opportunities
• Tender Document Analysis
• Proposal Development
• Post‑tender activities
• Timeline Management
• Client Relationship Management
• Risk Management

Closing date: 30 September 2026

If you do not receive a response from us within three weeks after closing date, please understand that your application was not successful.

We believe in the magic of diversity within teams and to achieve this, we do apply Employment Equity principles during our selection process where this is necessary to achieve such diversity.