Manager of RFP & Bid Response Strategy

A well-established organisation is hiring a Manager, RFP & Bid Response Strategy to lead its proposal function and a team of five Proposal Managers. This is a senior, strategic role that owns the end-to-end RFP process and shapes how the business responds to high-value opportunities.

The role

You'll own the strategic direction of the RFP response function, partnering with commercial leaders and subject matter experts to develop value propositions, competitive intelligence, and content standards. Day to day, you'll lead and coach the proposal team, oversee the intake and prioritisation of RFP requests, and drive the quality, compliance, and timeliness of every submission.

Beyond delivery, you'll govern and continuously improve the response process, and evaluate technologies and automation that lift proposal quality and team productivity.

Responsibilities:

• Setting response strategy and maintaining value propositions, client success stories, and competitive intelligence
• Leading, coaching, and developing a team of Proposal Managers across the full response lifecycle
• Managing the intake, qualification, and prioritisation of all RFP requests and resource allocation
• Establishing and governing response methodologies and quality standards
• Introducing automation and content management improvements to increase efficiency and consistency
• Acting as a strategic contributor on high-profile, complex bids

Ireal Candidate

• 7+ years in proposal management, commercial strategy, sales operations, or a comparable client-facing commercial role
• Proven experience building and managing RFP/bid response processes and cross-functional workflows
• A track record of turning business strategy into compelling, winning proposals
• Strong written communication, project management, stakeholder management, and coaching skills
• Experience with proposal content tools or automation platforms (e.g. Responsive, Qvidian) is an advantage
• Exposure to global tenders
• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field preferred