Bid Director

Job Introduction

We have a unique opportunity to join our Healthcare Business Development and team as a Bid Director (Solutions Director); you’ll be ambitious, highly motivated and passionate about securing high-value new business by developing innovative, creative and client focussed solutions .

Leading the development of competitive and compelling tender submissions, you’ll be accountable for converting qualified business opportunities into commercially sound contracts which meet specific client needs.

To be successful you’ll be experienced in managing complex public sector FM bids; ideally, but not exclusively, in the Healthcare sector. You’ll be skilled in developing client relationships and acquiring information to enable you to fully understand needs and define creative and high-quality solutions with tangible and measurable outcomes. You’ll be an experienced leader, comfortable leading a team of solution SMEs, commercial experts and bid managers and writers to ensure the content and quality of tender submissions is exceptional and highlights Sodexo capabilities and differentiators.

This will be an exciting opportunity which will allow the successful candidate to challenge themselves professionally whilst continuing to develop in a well-supported and structured environment. Base salary will be accompanied with an extremely rewarding commission plan.

Role Responsibility

• Own a portfolio of qualified opportunities
• Build relationships with key client decision makers and use the intelligence gained through conversations and workshops to develop a client-specific win strategy for the opportunity;
• Identifying stand-out differentiators for Sodexo and the evidence required to position these with the client
• Considering how the win-strategy can be brought to life within the bid process through the use of client/site specific taglines, graphics photographs and colour schemes
• Identify and secure the resources required to successfully pursue each specific opportunity; using a combination of our view of the opportunity for a win and personal resilience to gain the support of resource owners
• Lead and manage the bid team to a level of performance which supports a winning submission; inspire resources to feel part of a team and to work collaboratively to deliver their best performance
• Ensure the quality submission for each bid is technically complete in showcasing Sodexo’s ability to meet the requirements and achieving the highest score
• Actively support the development of the commercial response by critically challenging proposed positions on contract terms and conditions, KPIs, performance mechanisms, performance bonds, risk assessments
• Ensure that all bid documents are submitted to a high quality
• Support the Business Development Director and Partnerships Director in developing a validated pipeline with a qualified view of high-potential opportunities likely to come to market over a rolling 36 month period
• Support the Strategy and Marketing team in developing products, brand strengthening activities and marketing campaigns by using market and client insight, including an understanding of competitor activity

The Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrable track record of leading and winning competitive tenders for complex high-value FM or support services contracts in highly regulated environments. Awareness of and experience in the UK Healthcare market is an advantage, especially experience of winning FM contracts in the NHS, with the DHSC or with private healthcare providers. Public sector bidding experience required.
• Solid understanding of FM contract structures and experience developing contract solutions tailored to client needs through ideas, initiatives and new approaches across all areas; including assessment of the mechanics of delivery, financial costs and human and technical resource requirements
• Excellent communication, influencing and facilitation skills
• Strong client focus, with the ability (and resilience where needed) to very quickly build relationships with key client decision makers 
• Proven experience of successfully building and leading teams to pursue time-bound tender opportunities within a large, multi-faceted organisation
• Highly collaborative, able to develop good relationships with peers across the Healthcare and the wider business in an agile way
• Deep understanding of the approach required to develop solutions which meet the requirements of the tender documents
• Commercially literate; able to both support and critically challenge commercial colleagues to ensure Sodexo achieves a competitive but risk-mitigated position for all new contracts
• Gravitas to positively engage with senior leaders in client organisations and to represent Sodexo as a professional, engaged and invested partner in supporting their organisations purpose
• High standards of numeracy and written communication, particularly in sales/bid

Package Description

Competitive package including rewarding commission, car allowance and benefits plan

We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their race, colour, sex, gender identity  disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital/partnership or family status, sexual orientation, age, social class, educational background, employment status, working pattern, are welcome to and included within our organisation.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.