Bids Lead

In this role, you will work closely with and be supported by the Bids Manager to manage and create informal proposals, credentials documents, competitive bids, and presentations for our legal teams. You’ll have access to the best content and information about the firm, advising on best practices and coordinating our approach. Your project management and creative oversight will be crucial in maximizing our chances of winning work and promoting our brand.

As a single-site law firm based in Leeds, you will have the chance to work on high-quality bid proposals and gain extensive exposure across the firm. This broad role allows you to support multiple sectors and take on as much responsibility as you are ready for. You will see the bids process from start to finish, becoming a trusted advisor involved in strategic decision-making while also rolling up your sleeves to create quality proposals.

You will join a small, dedicated Bids team, reporting directly to the Bids Manager, and be part of a larger Marketing and BD team. We are committed to supporting your career development and will encourage you to participate in training opportunities.

What you’ll be doing as the Bids Lead:

• Leading on the management and creation of bids and proposals, including working with lawyers to evaluate the opportunity, develop a win strategy, work with Finance on pricing, manage the document and inputs from others, coach presentation teams and conduct debriefs.
• Supporting the Bid & Proposals Manager on complex bids, attending meetings and owning parts of the process and document.
• Managing the bid pipeline, helping the firm to understand which opportunities are on the horizon and to actively pursue those opportunities before the bid arrives.
• As part of the Bid & Proposals team, owning an asset bank consisting of boilerplate text, FAQs, experience, CVs, testimonials, awards etc., so that the team always has easy access to the firm’s best and most up to date information.
• Producing PQQ/SQ responses and credentials documents.
• As part of the Bids & Proposals team, owning our ‘BigHand’ document creation system and ensuring we get maximum value from it.
• Cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders across the firm, serving as an advisor to help address their challenges.
• Supporting the Bid & Proposals Manager on bid reporting to show how bid best practice is helping the firm to achieve our growth strategy, which can be communicated to key stakeholders across the business.
• Effectively implementing quality control measures including auditing the work of the BD and Bids Assistant.

What we are looking for:

• At least 4 years of experience of working in a similar bids role, ideally in a legal or other professional services environment.
• Knowledge of best practices in bidding, including bid processes, evaluation of opportunities, developing win strategies, how to communicate a message persuasively, commercials (including pricing and risk) and debriefing.
• Exceptional time and project management, the ability to prioritise workloads and an excellent eye for detail.
• Ability to work independently and when required to take a lead on managing a bid from start to finish.
• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• The ability to influence and communicate effectively with (often senior) stakeholders.
• A working knowledge of all MS packages, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Experience of Adobe InDesign is an advantage but not essential.
• You’ll offer your natural enthusiasm and show commitment to the role by being a team player.

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!

Some of our benefits include:

• Hybrid working – split your time between home and our office.
• 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 into 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, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, ways of thinking and working to as each individual brings their own unique capabilities, experiences and characteristics to their work.