Walker Morris are pursuing an ambitious growth strategy. We have aspirations to double our cross-selling to existing clients, and to win more large, new, cross-firm appointments. That means we need to create a bid function that is effective, efficient and viewed by the firm as key to that growth.

This role reports directly to the Marketing & BD Director (themselves an ex-Bid Manager, so they know what it’s all about), leading on all formal and informal bids, tenders and proposals. If there’s an opportunity to win work and it needs a document or presentation, you’ll be involved. We’ll want you to work with our lawyers to create bid strategies that set us apart, write and create compelling and exciting documents, and manage the whole process so that we get it over the line with minimal stress.

We also want you to improve how we do things. This person will be involved from the very outset of opportunities – tracking potential panel opportunities and managing the pre-tender pursuit – through to the very end, debriefing with clients and creating bid promises for the business to manage the account. There’s a process project and an education piece to deliver, which you’ll be at the heart of.

What you’ll be doing as the Bids and Proposals Manager:

Leading all the firm’s formal and informal bids and proposals, implementing a full bid management process. You’ll be expected to own and drive all bids, ensuring we understand client need, reach a compelling win strategy, write compelling and consistent content in our tone of voice, design the document for the reader, project manage the process, coach on presentations, carry out debriefs and, where appropriate, create bid promises documents.

• Manage the bid pipeline, understanding what opportunities are due and ensuring the firm positions itself for the win before the RFP lands.
• Develop and manage an asset bank consisting of boilerplate text, experience, CVs, testimonials, awards etc.
• Own the BigHand project and, when it moves to BAU, the product itself – our document automation system.
• Work with the M&BD Director to educate the business on bid best practice.
• Work with others in the M&BD team to develop a suite of off the shelf sales collateral to minimise the number of informal proposals.
• Keep our bid template document under review, working with our Graphic Designer to ensure it’s fit for purpose, easy to use and helps us create attractive documents that pass the ‘flick-through’ test.
• Introduce meaningful bid reporting to show how bid best practice is helping the firm to achieve our growth strategy, and communicate to key stakeholders across the business.

What we are looking for:

• Experience of managing bid and proposal documents with a thorough understanding of the end to end bid management process. Experience in a Professional Services’ environment preferred.
• Sound commercial awareness and a good understanding of business development principles.
• Ideally holding at least Foundation Level APMP accreditation.
• Experience of OJEUs, PQQs, ITTs and the procurement process.
• Knowledge of portal procurement systems.
• Understanding of pipeline management and reporting metrics.
• An experienced writer, editor and proof-reader.
• Very familiar with MS Office with a high level of expertise in Word and PowerPoint.
• Experience of In-Design and Adobe Creative Suite is desirable but not essential.
• Ability to establish an effective rapport with, influence and gain the confidence of senior colleagues.

Why join Walker Morris:

When you’re looking for a job, we know it’s about more than just the role. That’s why we provide the support you need to develop and grow your career. We’ve hybrid and flexible working, so you can make work and life work together for you. Walker Morris is a top 100 commercial law firm where you don’t have to fit a mould, so you can bring your full self to work and our commitment to a meaningful work life balance means you can take your full-self home again too!

We’ve recently launched the new Walker Morris brand, which brings to life what it’s really like to work with and within the firm. What it really comes back to is our purpose, to forge your own path. It means we’re 70% corporate professional law firm but with 30% individual expression – meaning we’re personal, modern and have a drive for innovation.

What we offer:

• Flexible working – we understand work-life balance is important, we are open to discussing your hybrid working preferences.
• Annual Leave – minimum of 25 days per year, increasing to 31 days with length of service. Also – buy/sell holidays up to 5 days per year.
• Bonus Scheme – our annual bonus scheme recognises outstanding contributions to the firm and our ambitions. All colleagues are eligible subject to meeting the criteria of the scheme.
• Pension – saving for retirement? Let us do the hard work for you. We auto-enrol all eligible colleagues in to a workplace pension and we contribute a minimum of 5% of annual salary.
• Life Assurance – 4x your annual salary in the event of a death in service.

At Walker Morris we are working to be an inclusive employer, we encourage people from all backgrounds, ways of thinking and working to apply. We particularly welcome applications from Disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic as well as LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates. Each individual brings their own unique capabilities, experiences and characteristics to their work, so you don’t have to meet all the requirements listed to apply for this role.