Location: London, UK (Hybrid)
Salary: £55,000 – £60,000 + performance bonus
Reporting to: Interim Commercial Lead
Role Overview
The Commercial Bid Leader owns the commercial bid strategy and execution for complex, high-value opportunities and is responsible for managing the end-to-end tender process for complex national and multi-site service contracts.
This role ensures the business identifies appropriate opportunities, submits high-quality proposals, and maintains commercial discipline throughout the tender lifecycle.
The Bid Manager acts as the central coordination point for formal procurement processes including framework agreements, public and private sector tenders, and structured RFP opportunities.
Working closely with Business Development, Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain, the Bid Manager will ensure the business pursues the right opportunities and submits well-structured, competitive proposals.
Key Responsibilities
Tender Intelligence & Opportunity Management
- Maintain oversight of relevant tender portals, procurement platforms, and framework opportunities.
- Monitor upcoming procurement activity across target sectors and maintain a structured opportunity pipeline.
- Identify relevant opportunities and coordinate internal evaluation and decision-making.
- Maintain a central register of live tenders, frameworks, and upcoming re-tender opportunities.
Bid Process Management
- Lead the full bid lifecycle from PQQ through to final submission.
- Coordinate cross-functional contributors including operations, finance, supply chain, and business development.
- Develop clear response structures and ensure high-quality written submissions.
- Manage bid timelines and ensure all submissions are accurate, compliant, and delivered on time.
- Ensure clear documentation of assumptions and commitments made within each proposal.
Commercial Coordination
- Support the Interim Commercial Lead in applying bid / no-bid discipline.
- Ensure pricing inputs and commercial assumptions are clearly documented and validated prior to submission.
- Prepare summary information for internal approval on larger or higher-risk tenders.
- Ensure proposals align with agreed commercial and operational parameters.
Framework Management
- Maintain oversight of framework agreements and approved supplier lists.
- Coordinate submissions required to access new frameworks and procurement platforms.
- Track mini-competitions and framework opportunities relevant to the business.
- Support Business Development colleagues in identifying opportunities arising from framework membership.
Post-Submission Review
- Track bid performance and maintain records of win / loss outcomes.
- Lead internal debriefs following key submissions to identify improvement opportunities.
- Maintain a library of proposal content, responses, and supporting materials.
- Support continuous improvement in submission quality and bid efficiency.
Mobilisation Handover
- Ensure a structured handover from sales to operations following contract award.
- Document key operational and commercial commitments made during the tender process.
- Support the transition into delivery to ensure contract mobilisation aligns with the submitted proposal.
Requirements
Skills & Experience
- 5–7 years’ experience managing complex tenders or proposal processes.
- Experience responding to public sector or structured procurement processes.
- Strong project management and organisational capability.
- Excellent written communication and proposal development skills.
- Commercial awareness and the ability to work with pricing and operational inputs.
- Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders across commercial and operational teams.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent opportunities within a structured process.
Success Measures
- Bid win rate
- Quality and consistency of submissions
- Bid process efficiency and on-time delivery
- Framework participation and opportunity capture
- Commercial discipline within submitted proposals
Benefits
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with additional days awarded for length of service.
- Enhanced maternity and paternity scheme.
- Monthly wellbeing allowance.
- Regular company events and team socials.
- Opportunity to join a fast-growing company operating in a sector that is becoming increasingly important as businesses focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Skills Required
- 5-7 years' experience managing complex tenders or proposal processes.
- Experience responding to public sector or structured procurement processes.
- Strong project management and organisational capability.
- Excellent written communication and proposal development skills.
- Commercial awareness and the ability to work with pricing and operational inputs.
- Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders across commercial and operational teams.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent opportunities within a structured process.
What We Do
FirstMile specializes in front end solutions for domestic and international shippers in E-commerce and direct to consumer industries.
