Bid Manager

In a world that is constantly evolving we help our clients thrive by simplifying the complex, illuminating new paths, and shaping solutions that make a difference. At S&W our mission is to help navigate challenges, unlock potential, and achieve the extraordinary. As the UK’s top 10 fastest growing accountancy firm, we’ve been there, as a trusted partner, helping businesses and individuals meet challenges and seize opportunities across generations. 

Since 1881, we’ve been a trusted partner, building a legacy on expertise, simplicity, and an unrelenting commitment to client success.  Our specialists provide an extensive range of services from tax and accountancy, advisory and assurance, to corporate finance and restructuring, helping businesses and individuals both in the UK and internationally meet challenges and seize opportunities. 

We are a brand built on expertise, driven by ambition, and defined by our purpose - to help our clients navigate complexity and create opportunity.  

To lead and manage bids from initiation through to submission, ensuring a high-quality, client focused approach that meets the set requirements.

You will drive bid strategy, consistency and governance across submissions, working closely with stakeholders to develop winning responses, while continuously improving performance through insight, feedback and best practice.

Key Responsibilities

Bid delivery

• Manage bids end to end, from initial opportunity through to final submission
• Develop and maintain clear bid plans, timelines and responsibilities
• Coordinate input from subject matter experts and ensure contributions are aligned to the brief
• Support bid kick-off sessions and help shape clear, client focused messaging and response structure
• Ensure all submissions are compliant, high quality and delivered on time
• Ensure responses clearly articulate value, differentiation and alignment to client evaluation criteria
• Manage document control, versioning and submission logistics

Content and bid writing

• Write, edit and refine bid content, including executive summaries and key responses
• Translate technical and specialist input into clear client focused messages
• Ensure all content is concise, consistent and tailored to the specific opportunity
• Review and challenge SME input to improve consistency and impact
• Contribute to and work with the bid team members to ensure the content management platform, Seismic is kept up to date

Stakeholder management

• Lead bid meetings and ensure stakeholders remain engaged and accountable
• Work closely with partners, business development team and service lines to shape responses
• Build strong relationships across the business to enable effective collaboration
• Provide guidance and feedback to improve the quality of contributions

Process and continuous improvement

• Apply structured project management techniques to deliver a controlled and efficient bid process
• Monitor progress, proactively manage risks and escalate where required
• Support post bid reviews, capturing feedback from wins and losses to identify trends and improve future performance
• Contribute to reporting on bid activity, outcomes and key insights to support continuous improvement
• Support ongoing enhancements of tools, templates and processes

Wider team support

• Work collaboratively with the Bid Administrator who is responsible for managing bid portals and initial opportunity distribution
• Support preparation for client presentations and pitch responses where required
• Arrange and document post-bid reviews  -  capturing feedback
• Contribute to broader business development and marketing initiatives where appropriate

​​​​​Experience

• Proven experience in bid management within a professional services or complex commercial environment
• Strong bid writing and editing skills, with the ability to create clear, client focused content
• Excellent project management skills, with experience managing multiple concurrent bids and deadlines
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, including working with senior internal stakeholders
• Good commercial awareness, with an understanding of what drives successful bids and client decision making
• Good understanding of complex sales processes and long sales cycles

High attention to detail and a strong focus on quality and accuracy

Professional Qualifications and Education

• Degree level education, ideally in a relevant subject such as business, marketing,  English, or public relations
• Relevant professional qualification (for example APMP) desirable but not essential.

Key Competencies

• Bid Strategy Development
• Proposal Management
• Commercial Awareness
• Stakeholder Management
• Written Communication
• Project Management
• Influencing and Negotiation
• Attention to Detail
• Client Focus
• Leadership and Team Coordination