Bid Manager, Business

We are looking to hire a Bid Manager to join our national Marketing group. Click the link to learn more and apply!

Mills & Reeve is a highly reputable national law firm recognised for investing in its people. Several recent high‑profile panel appointments for public sector clients have seen an increase in strategic tender activity. Therefore, the firm requires an additional Bid Manager on a permanent basis.

You will be responsible to produce tenders across the firm ensuring bid best practice and providing practical support on all aspects of the bid process. The role encompasses both managing the bid process and drafting the material, so skills in both areas are essential.

Within this specialist role, you will project manage the bid process, utilise the firm's bid AI system to create and produce content, and support the legal team through to presentation and debrief. The role involves strategic input to improve the bidding process and manage projects to drive best practice. This role requires someone who has had significant public sector bids experience, preferably in a professional services environment.

You must have managed the bid process as well as implemented new ideas to develop winning strategies. You will need to be able to liaise confidently with internal stakeholders, advising and guiding them through both private and public sector bids process. You must also possess strong writing, proofreading/editing skills and a keen attention to detail. You will need to have good IT knowledge/tender portal skills, proven project management and communications skills.

The successful candidate will be a proactive self‑starter who is motivated to contribute on a strategic and operational level.

As a member of the bid team, you will work across the entire range of sectors covered by this leading national law firm, including central government and universities. You will interpret the requirements for bids, advise legal teams on approach, and prepare, coach and mentor them for presentations and pitches to clients. The bid team has thrived on a culture of individual and team development.

A key part of your role will be to help develop other members of the team and oversee strategic projects and input into the continuous development of systems and tender best practice.

Given this role, it is likely that your background and experience will include bids experience, ideally within a legal environment, otherwise a professional services environment.

• Ideally a marketing qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing
• Commercial acumen: understanding of our business and clients / prospective target businesses and their industries
• Client focus and the development of relevant ‘sales' messages
• Project management
• A proactive self‑starter who is motivated to contribute on a strategic and operational level.
• Ability to work under pressure and balance a demanding workload whilst keeping your sense of humour
• Delegation and communication skills
• Flexibility
• Ability to draft in compelling, plain English style
• Research and analysis skills
• Ability to influence and persuade key stakeholders

You will be expected to manage your own workload but draw upon the support and guidance of others. You will join the established team of 7 bid specialists within the firm's friendly marketing team to manage bid activity and help maintain the firm's high win rate. The team is led by a Head of Bids who really champions the growth and development of the Bid team and has actively supported progression and promotion of various team members over the last few years.

You will also receive the assistance from the wider team including Senior Bid Manager, Bid Manager, Senior Bid Adviser and Administration support. In addition, at various points of the tender process it is likely you will work with the Head of Client Development, Head of Business Development and various members of the Business Development Team, as well as a range of partners, lawyers and business support specialists.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.…