Senior Bids Manager

Role profile

After a long period of sustained growth, Osborne Clarke is continuing to invest in our Bids 'Centre of Excellence' and broader Sales & Marketing function. As part of this, we're looking to appoint a Senior Bids Manager based in our Bristol or London office (with travel to all UK locations as required).

This senior leadership role will be pivotal in driving best practice across the full bids lifecycle, leading strategic live opportunities and embedding improvements that increase our win rate and revenue across the firm.

This is a permanent position offering hybrid working.

The role

The Senior Bids Manager will be a key member of our Bids team, working closely with the Head of Bids and wider BD function to deliver high-quality, compelling bids and to develop our recently established Bids 'Centre of Excellence'.

You will lead on live bids, manage and develop a small team, and proactively identify and deliver strategic improvements to how we qualify, pursue and win work. You will collaborate with senior stakeholders across the business, including partners, Sector Leaders and Business Services to ensure our bids are consistently differentiated, client-focused and aligned to firm strategy.

Key responsibilities include:

Bid leadership & delivery

• Lead strategically important, often complex bids from qualification through to submission and debrief, ensuring best practice at every stage.
• Expertly guide lawyers and Business Services colleagues on qualification, win themes, bid strategy, content, presenting and pricing to maximise our chances of success.
• Influence bid/no-bid decisions, ensuring opportunities are aligned with our target sectors, capabilities and growth plans.
• Project manage the bid process, coordinating stakeholders and managing timelines, actions and approvals to deliver high-quality responses on time.
• Develop and refine compelling, differentiating win themes and value propositions tailored to client needs and sector context.
• Conduct win/loss reviews and debriefs, capturing and sharing learnings to inform continuous improvement.

Content & quality

• Apply an expert editorial eye to the creation, refinement and editing of bid content, ensuring clarity, consistency and impact.
• Ensure all submissions are persuasive, accurate and aligned to Osborne Clarke's brand, tone and risk/compliance requirements.
• Work with BD colleagues and lawyers to tailor content to specific sectors, services and client priorities, avoiding "one-size-fits-all" responses.
• Support the development and maintenance of high-quality, reusable content and exemplars to streamline future bids.

Centre of Excellence & strategic improvement

• Work closely with the Head of Bids to embed Bids 'Centre of Excellence' best practice, processes and tools across the firm.
• Proactively identify, design and lead bids improvement workstreams that enhance efficiency, quality and win rate.
• Devise solutions and innovations aligned to the firm's strategy, continually improving systems, processes and ways of working.
• Upskill the Bids team, BD team, other Business Services colleagues and lawyers through coaching, guidance and training on bids best practice.
• Ensure that insights from bid activity (including win/loss analysis) are captured, shared and used to inform future opportunities.

Collaboration & stakeholder management

• Work closely with BD, Finance, Osborne Clarke Solutions, Risk & Compliance and other Business Services teams to ensure a joined-up, holistic approach to bids.
• Collaborate with the Head of Pursuits on forecast opportunities and mobilisation of wins, ensuring a smooth transition from pursuit to delivery.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with partners, Sector Leaders and senior stakeholders, often in time-pressured environments.
• Confidently question, challenge and influence senior stakeholders to strengthen our propositions and positioning.

Line management & team development

• Provide direct line management to 2 x Bids Managers, holding effective 1:1s, setting meaningful objectives and supporting their development.
• Nurture, support and hold to account the Bids Executive on delivery, development and wellbeing.
• Lead by example, fostering a high-performing, engaged and inclusive team culture, with a focus on collaboration, continuous learning and mutual support.

We are looking for

• A highly experienced, solution-focused bids expert, confident in devising differentiating and compelling propositions for clients.
• Proven experience of content writing and bid project management within a professional services environment.
• Strong resilience and the ability to perform under pressure and to tight deadlines while maintaining high standards.
• A demonstrable growth mindset - open to new ideas, new approaches and continuous improvement.
• Proactive and accountable - someone who takes ownership, drives things forward and is comfortable navigating challenges.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to adapt style, build relationships quickly and work effectively with senior partners and business leaders.
• Confident in questioning and constructively challenging senior stakeholders to positively influence strategy and outcomes.
• Absolute attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy and quality in all written outputs.
• Action-oriented and hands-on - prepared to roll up your sleeves and get involved in the detail of bids when needed.
• Curious, creative and motivated to change things for the better, particularly around systems, processes and ways of working.
• Passionate about people development and committed to being an active, supportive member of a collaborative team.
• Someone who brings a "firm first" mindset and a positive, "can do" attitude.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.

We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.

*Services in India are provided by a relationship firm