Senior Bid Manager - EU & International Funding

Company Overview
We are a specialized consultancy with a decade-long track record securing multi-million-euro funding at the intersection of public ambition and private capital. With offices in Milan and London, we operate across Europe and Asia, delivering social impact through profitable business models. Our expertise lies in transforming innovative concepts into fundable propositions, impact investing, and innovation ecosystem development. We are the trusted partner for complex public-private partnerships, creating structures where all stakeholders win.

As we scale our strategic bidding capabilities, we seek an exceptional professional to lead our Bid Factory practice area.

Job Summary
You will own the complete lifecycle of strategic funding acquisition, from opportunity identification through successful delivery. This senior role requires a proven track record securing multi-million-euro funding streams, with particular expertise in HORIZON Europe RIA and IA schemes. You will build partner ecosystems essential for complex consortium leadership while ensuring bid activities align with our mission of bridging public ambition and private capital.
The successful candidate understands that winning impact-focused bids requires more than compliance—it demands compelling narratives that resonate with evaluators, the ability to translate complex innovations into fundable propositions, and orchestration of diverse stakeholders around shared visions. You will see each bid as a building block in long-term ecosystem development. Your network spans sectors and geographies; you engage equally comfortably with ministers, venture capitalists, researchers, and social entrepreneurs.

Position Details

Title:

Senior Bid Manager - EU & International Funding

Location:

Milan OR London (hybrid), with travel across European and Asian markets
Type:
Full-time Contractor with opportunity for employment and future partnership based on results

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Business Development
Generate and maintain a qualified pipeline exceeding €2M annually through strategic market intelligence and proactive opportunity identification
Lead full lifecycle of complex, multi-stakeholder HORIZON Europe RIA/IA proposals, ensuring technical excellence and compelling impact narratives
Coordinate proposal development including partner engagement, content drafting, budgeting, and compliance, maintaining target success rate of 25%+
Develop deep relationships with funding bodies, understanding emerging priorities before calls publish
Operational Excellence
Establish and refine bid management processes ensuring consistent success rates across concurrent proposals
Implement knowledge management systems, templates, and lessons learned repositories
Oversee quality assurance ensuring highest technical and presentation standards
Conduct structured scouting and reporting of EU and international funding opportunities
Monitor policy developments to inform strategy and opportunity targeting
Ecosystem Leadership
Orchestrate complex international consortiums spanning public institutions, private capital, research organizations, and impact enterprises
Navigate cross-border regulatory requirements while building lasting partnerships
Act as primary relationship manager with key ecosystem players
Manage relationships with 50+ active partners while strategically expanding into new geographies aligned with our Asia-Europe focus

Required Qualifications
Education Master's degree required. Valuable backgrounds include Engineering, Innovation Management, Technology Transfer, Environmental Science, European Studies, International Relations, Public Policy, or Social Sciences. Technical degrees combined with research commercialization or policy implementation experience especially welcomed.
Experience
5+ years in EU project design and proposal writing, particularly HORIZON 2020/Europe
At least 2 successful awarded RIA or IA projects within last 5 years
Submission/award track record 25%
Proven €2M+ annual pipeline development with strategic rationale for opportunity selection

Experience with at least one: innovation ecosystem development, ESG/impact measurement, public-private…