Bids and Business Development Manager

Job Introduction

The Bids and Business Development (BD) Manager is responsible for managing bids and BD activity for DAC Beachcroft Claims Solutions Group. They play a key role in helping to achieve our growth plans by, managing the bids pipeline, providing guidance on win strategy, producing bids documents, coaching presentation teams and supporting on wider BD activities. They also play a key role in the continuous improvement of our bids and BD processes and in the development of people in the Bids Team.   The preferred location for the role is Birmingham or Bristol but we can be flexible. 

Role Responsibility

Manage bids for DAC Beachcroft Claims Solutions Group by:

• Probing and challenging the tender invitation, working with the Executive Board and partners to assess and anticipate client needs, providing practical guidance on how the bids will be scored and what further information we need to discover.
• Using project management techniques to ensure a well-planned, organised and controlled process, driving the bids forward making things happen through personal commitment.
• Helping formulate the best win strategy for each bid, including consideration of optimum commercial strategies. Clearly articulating the reasons for adopting the proposed strategies.
• Managing bids strategy meetings confidently, inspiring enthusiasm and support for the bids.
• Working with lawyers, finance and any other experts (in person and virtually) to formulate models for an attractive and profitable offer that meets the prospect's needs and supports agreed strategy for the bids.
• Creating a comprehensive first draft document that sets out the agreed strategy and offer clearly articulated responses aligned to the tender scoring criteria.
• Ensuring the bid document is compelling, well-written, attractive and accurate.
• Coaching and guiding lawyers (in person and virtually) on effective presentation techniques, both through ad hoc workshops and specific pitch rehearsals as part of the bids process, delivering feedback on performance.
• Ensuring client debriefs are undertaken on all bids, either personally or through our Client Listening Team, and that all messages are fed back to relevant parties.
• Working with the wider marketing team to ensure that all sector material is effective and up to date.
• Demonstrating effective compliance with the firm's bids process.
• Working with the wider business, including Client Relationship Partners, to proactively manage the bids pipeline and run bid workshops to maximise the chances of success when the bids invitation arrives.
• Working with PG&R to identify possible risks to the business/comply with internal risk management and conflict checking procedures.
• Supporting the Senior Bids and BD Manager in the business.
• Understanding and investigating external models for bids best practice, putting forward proposals to better our internal processes and managing projects to deliver improvements.

Support on wider BD activities across the business by:

• Running client workshops to review the status of key client accounts, identifying opportunities for growth, supporting with relationship mapping and developing action plans.
• Working with the Marketing Operations Team, the Head of Business Development and lawyers to identify and log all opportunities on our client relationship management system.
• Creating proactive BD documents for clients outlining our services and expertise, which are tailored to the client’s unique requirements.
• Maintain a high level understanding of key developments across the business.
• Handle confidential information in line with the firms data security protocols.

The Ideal Candidate

• Have significant experience of managing bids and supporting on BD activity, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Show strong strategic and commercial awareness, coupled with industry and competitor knowledge, enabling them to develop winning strategies, viable/profitable offers and creative pricing ideas.
• Understand sales theory and best practice, and have experience of applying that to successfully defend/win clients.
• Understand project management techniques and be able to create and manage complex project plans, with the determination and pace to make things happen.
• Have strong writing, proofreading and editing skills and the ability to adapt style to different audiences and channels.
• Have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of pitch presentation skills and best practice and experience of successfully coaching and guiding others.
• Possess high levels of credibility with the ability to influence, challenge and coach senior stakeholders.
• Have high levels of numeracy and analysis (also able to manipulate spreadsheets).
• Have a thirst for technical knowledge and application of knowledge to generate ideas.           

Have experience of coaching and/or managing others.

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,400 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 12 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Peru, Central America, Argentina, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are known for our market-leading presence in sectors such as Insurance, Health and Real Estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for the majority of the top 30 insurance and financial services companies operating in the UK. We are the asset management lawyers for the UK’s largest shopping centres and act for 9 of the UK’s top 10 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 155 Chambers UK 2019 practice area and individual lawyer rankings, including 30 rankings at 'Band 1' level. In Legal 500 UK, 2018, the firm received top tier ranking for 32 of its practice areas and 59 practice areas in the top two tiers. In March 2018, we were named as one of Legal Week's Best Legal Advisors for the third year running, achieving category-leading satisfaction scores for our commercial approach, service delivery, quality of legal advice, communication & responsiveness and overall relationships.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

DAC Beachcroft is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. We also welcome direct applications. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

 Note for Recruitment Agencies – the DAC Beachcroft recruitment team is responsible for managing all current vacancies through direct hiring and referrals wherever possible.  We do work with recruitment agencies and where we require external support we will formally release those vacancies to the agencies on our Preferred Supplier List deemed best placed to assist us.  Speculative CVs sent by any agency to any DAC Beachcroft employee without a specific request by the recruitment team will not be accepted and with no introduction fee applicable.  Our recruitment team can be contacted at recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com 

DAC Beachcroft