Proposal Manager at Milpark Education

Job description

The Position

It is the role of the Proposal Manager/ Coordinator, to smoothly manage a response to 'Request for Tenders' (RFT) or 'Request for Proposals' (RFP) issued by purchasing authorities and ensure that the solution proposed is complete and appropriate and results in the best proposal possible.

Responsibilities

• Research and Information Gathering
• Gather information about upcoming procurements for which Milpark might be well suited to compete.
• Develop opportunity-specific competitive intelligence analysis, along with relative strengths and weaknesses of competitors
• Maintain and update opportunities pipeline and proposal tracker
• Manage the bid qualification process for new opportunities.
• Understand the rules of tendering
• Directs the evaluation of competitors' strengths and weaknesses to increase the bid winning ratio
• Provide insight and analyses of forthcoming opportunities, purchasers' mindsets, best practice and dealing with purchasers
• Document client needs and market trends and provide input into new developments and training opportunities in assigned industries and corporates in order to identify new business opportunities
• To undertake and document appropriate market research and competitor analysis to understand current and future market for proposal/tender opportunities.
• Proposal Management and Delivery
• Understand the objectives and requirements of the RFP and formulate a view about what it will take for Milpark to win the procurement
• Coordinate with team members to ensure key aspects are met and resonate through the proposal, tenders, RFPs, RFQs
• Create work-plans and align resources to complete the work of drafting high-quality proposals on time, ensuring end-to-end coordination and delivery of proposals
• Manage graphic design and visual presentation of hard copy and digital versions of the response documents
• Write select elements of proposals (e.g., value proposition, positioning vis-à-vis competition, etc.)
• Work with Commercial Manager, client leaders and partners to prepare financial proposals
• Coordinate the response material from all parties involved (including sub-contractors and joint partners)
• Review proposals at different stages of the drafting process
• Ensure that the completed submission puts forward the best possible response in terms of completeness, appropriateness and that it demonstrates the best added value options to the purchaser
• Ensure technical compliance of proposals - prepare and own submission of all technical compliance documents (e.g., registration certificates, etc.).
• Help partners, Business Consultants and Corporate Business Development Managers to prepare for oral presentations, including advising colleagues on their objectives during the oral presentations and providing feedback on rehearsals
• Ensure that all deadlines are met
• Controls the quality, risk and cost effectiveness of each bid
• Knowledge Management
• Create and maintain a solid source of ready-to-use ‘standard’ proposal ingredients
• Collect and classify client development best practices
• Lead preparation of high end proposal materials including ‘new-age’ qualification documents, CV books, case studies, videos, references library, etc.
• RFP Follow-Up & Debrief
• Track progress of selection process and follow-up on key dates
• Obtaining feedback from purchasers when tenders are unsuccessful in order to improve in future
• Gather information on proposal winner and reasons for losses.
• Relationship Management
• External relationships are managed effectively to ensure sustainable relationships with clients and Regulatory bodies in support of business growth
• Ensure service delivery to clients - maintain the Standards of Excellence as contained in the Service Level Agreement to build sustainable customer relationships
• Business Development
• Develop and implement a proposal strategy for products/ programmes in an agreed geographical area/ territory in line with the overall National Sales Strategy
• Assist in growing Milpark’s market share in the define area and field
• Ensure that proposal procedures and systems are regularly updated to ensure best practise processes, regulatory compliance and good Corporate Governance in order to reduce the risk of business loss.
• To ensure all new opportunities are identified and communicated with Commercial Manager
• Corporate Communication
• To provide accurate information relating to the research done
• To ensure communication is open, relevant and prevalent with all stakeholders
• Colleagues are supported and information is shared between Milpark divisions
• Develop sound relations with internal customers and promote trust and confidence towards the department
• Self-Development
• The Bid/Proposal Manager/Coordinator should be passionate about Milpark and Services
• The Milpark set of Values should be prevalent in all conduct
• The Bid/Proposal Manager/Coordinator should be committed to continuous self-improvement

Requirements

• Proposal delivery knowledge
• Interpersonal skills
• Negotiation skills
• Excellent communicator
• Effective and experienced manager
• A high attention to detail
• Highly motivated
• Deadline driven
• Thrive in a busy environment
• Able to motivate a team
• Experience in your business sector
• Proven bid team involvement
• Can demonstrate effective bid writing skills (even if they will not be writing the actual bid documentation)
• Consultative selling skills
• Ability to influence decision makers
• Ability to understand and apply market intelligence to sales strategy
• High level of financial and business acumen
• Ability to use technology and analysis tools (Excel, Outlook, web, databases)
• Knowledge of the education sector preferred
• Minimum of five years of business to business and business to consumer sales experience is required, with at least five years of key strategic account management
• Relevant degree
• Education Industry sales experience preferred
• Knowledge and understanding in Banking; Financial Planning and Insurance; Management and Leadership preferred
• Management of information from a variety of sources and from more senior staff within Milpark
• Alignment to the behaviours as defined by Milpark’s Values (see above)
• Good research, data gathering and analysis skills
• Good facilitation skills