Senior Bids and New Business Manager

Job Description

Our benefitsWe have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to thecontinued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits. The role As the Senior Bids and New Business Manager, you will lead the Bids and New Business Team, line managing the three Managers. They will manage opportunities independently, but you will be on hand to provide senior support to them when needed.You will also have a hands-on approach to Bids and will lead bids, working with the Bid and Client Partners leading the opportunity, other Partners and key stakeholders and colleagues in the Bid and New Business team.You will help to steer the work of the Bid and New Business Executive to ensure we have a good precedent bank of material to help with the collation of bids so that we have everything in place to produce a good first draft document to the business. However,we are also looking for someone who can provide creative content to put together the very best proposal, helping Shoosmiths stand-out to the client. A genuine interest in the client is therefore essential as you create client-focused bids.You will report into the Head of Client Excellence and will work closely with the wider BD team. We are a non-hierarchical team and encourage as much cross-team ideas development as possible - tapping into the collective teams skills is crucial to ensurewe are making the most compelling proposition we can. Main responsibilities

• Provide guidance to the Bids and New Business Team Executive when developing a precedents bank.
• Jointly with relevant senior Partners, evaluate the commercial viability of formal Bid opportunities and make justified recommendations whether to pursue or not in relation to return on investment. We have a "Bidding to Win" process which means the keystakeholders are involved in these evaluation opportunities to ensure we have senior support and input for these decisions.
• Advise Partners on the recommended route to responding to tenders or new business opportunities.
• Manage new business opportunities as appropriate, e.g. creating credentials documents, giving coaching conversations, co-ordinating client research.
• Provide full project management support to Bid Partners including scoping meetings with the client (where appropriate), kick off meeting with the Bid Partner and other lead partners involved and interviews with the lead partners to help develop key messagesand examples to focus on to help produce an "80% there" first-draft.
• Work closely with the client service team to develop a winning proposition, .
• Review research and client intelligence to help shape ideas tailored to the clients business/goals.
• Organise and chair presentation run-throughs, providing critical challenge to the presentation team.
• On existing client re-tenders, manage the bid process working closely with the client relationship manager, to ensure the bid reflects the latest specific information of relevance to that client.
• Construct creative win strategies in conjunction with the Bid Partner and wider BD, to convince a client to use Shoosmiths, including new approaches and innovations. Always using examples from clients to evidence the work we do and to bring the bid to life.
• Draft bespoke convincing copy to a very high standard, rather than copy and paste, ensuring you take as much drafting/ early work on the tender away from the partners where possible.
• Conduct debriefs on Bids that are successful and unsuccessful and translate lessons learned into practical guidance for the wider partnership to grow the Bid win rate.
• Working with Client Excellence and Business Development Team colleagues, provide support and coaching to Partners on successful Bids ensuring the right approach is taken to on-boarding following a bid win and that the Bid proposition and promises are deliveredpost Bid.
• Take initiative to develop new and innovative tools to improve and evolve the Shoosmiths client experience.
• Proactively suggest and obtain new information as precedent material including potential use of a document assembly process.

Skills and qualifications If you are right for us, you will have a degree or CIM qualification with a track record of success in managing and delivering effective and winning new business opportunities / Bids within a professional services environment. You will have the ability toprovide direction and inspiration for your team whilst also letting them manage their own workloads and be commercially focused with the confidence to convince partners of the best course of action. You will also be an excellent communicator who is able tolead and direct team meetings and influence others whilst delivering on promises, meet deadlines, prioritise workloads and manage multiple projects.The opportunity will be well suited to someone looking to step-up into a Senior Management role.Please do get in touch with us directly if you have any questions about this vacancy or would like an initial confidential conversation about this position. Equal opportunities Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognisesand nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.