Bid Manager (iOCOOO153) at iOCO

Job Description

• The Bid Manager is the end-to-end owner of the proposal and tender submission process. This role ensures that all commercial bids, RFPs, and RFIs submitted to organisational clients are highly competitive, technically compliant, and thoroughly aligned with internal Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) frameworks.
• Operating within the sales and strategic growth ecosystem, you will assemble and lead virtual bid teams across technical, legal, and operational units to convert complex software and digital transformation opportunities into winning contracts.

What you'll do:

Bid & Proposal Management Execution

• Lead the end-to-end bid lifecycle from initial opportunity qualification and bid/no-bid analysis to final submission and post-award learning reviews.
• Proofread, edit, and structure proposal documents to turn complex technical inputs into clear, persuasive, and evaluator-ready answers.
• Establish realistic bid timelines, track milestones, and manage the overall submission program to hit deadlines under pressure.
• Oversee and continually refresh iOCO's bid content library, including case studies, client service delivery models, and technical baselines.

Governance, Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure absolute alignment with company standards, regulatory compliance, and internal GRC policies.
• Manage the complete bid compliance pack, coordinating all statutory sign-offs and executive board resolutions.
• Maintain and track a distinct Risk Register for every major bid, creating business-led mitigation plans.
• Drive the vetting processes for subcontractors, validating teaming agreements and consortium alignments.
• Coordinate gate reviews, technical sign-offs with business unit heads, and legal validations alongside the iOCO Legal Advisory team.

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Collaboration

• Assemble and orchestrate virtual bid teams consisting of Solution Architects, Account Managers, Product Specialists, and Finance teams.
• Facilitate competitive strategy workshops, storyboarding sessions, and color-team reviews to refine the "win strategy".
• Partner with pricing leads to build out robust commercial models, ROI validations, and cost-benefit frameworks that fit client budgets while protecting profit margins.
• Execute clean operational handovers to project and service delivery managers upon winning a contract

Experience & Expertise Required

Functional Experience:

• 5–10 years of experience in Bid Management, Tender Management, or Senior Business Development.
• Proven track record of managing complex, high-value enterprise sales cycles or IT/technology consultancy tenders.
• Demonstrable experience navigating corporate governance, complex contractual structures, and commercial risk registers.

Industry & Domain Knowledge:

• Strong familiarity with the broader South African technology sector, including enterprise software (e.g., SAP, cloud architecture), cybersecurity, Data and Analytics, Automation or digital transformation solutions.
• Highly literate in modern e-procurement portals, tender engines, and CRM forecasting tools.
• Exposure to AI-driven bid automation or document-assembly software is highly advantageous.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, IT Management, Commerce, or a related qualification.
• Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP certification) or equivalent Bid Management credential is highly preferred.
• Certifications in risk management, corporate governance, or agile project management are advantageous.

Core Competencies & Personal Attributes

• Project Management Mastery: Exceptional ability to align multiple moving parts, manage cross-functional workloads, and uphold high-quality standards under tight time constraints.
• Commercial & Financial Acumen: Adept at looking past technical features to structure solutions based on tangible financial outcomes (cost optimization, operational efficiency).
• Persuasive Communication: Elite writing and communication skills, with a focus on translating highly technical IT phrasing into business-value propositions.
• Stress Resilience: Remains calm, service-oriented, and highly accurate in an execution-heavy environment.

Other information applicable to the opportunity:

• Permanent position
• Location: Johannesburg