Bid Manager

Own the tender vertical  

Framework and partnership management  

• • Own Word360's relationships with NHS framework providers, including NHS SBS, HTE and other relevant procurement frameworks, ensuring we maximise the commercial value of every framework position we hold. 
  • Identify and pursue new framework opportunities, managing the application and accreditation process end to end. 
  •  Represent Word360 at procurement engagement events, market engagement exercises, and supplier days, building relationships with procurement leads and framework bodies. 
  •  Monitor the NHS procurement landscape for direct award opportunities, framework call-offs, and contract expiries across the market, feeding qualified opportunities into the commercial team.  
  • Work alongside the BDM and Partnerships Manager, who leads on wider public sector, BSL, and private sector partnerships, ensuring the two functions complement rather than overlap.  

Market intelligence and commercial insight  

• • Build and maintain a view of the NHS and public sector language services market: who is contracted with whom, when contracts expire, and where Word360 has the strongest opportunity to compete. 
  • Track competitor activity across tender outcomes, framework positions, and market movements, and translate that into practical commercial intelligence for the sales and account management teams. 
  •  Identify opportunities beyond tenders that the BDM and account management team can act on, including trusts approaching renewal, ICBs consolidating contracts, and organisations experiencing service issues with incumbent providers.  
  • Report on bid pipeline, win rate, and market intelligence to the Head of Sales and Marketing on a regular basis.  

Team leadership  

• • Directly manage and develop the Bid Writer, setting clear standards for submission quality, managing workload and deadlines, and providing structured coaching and feedback. 
  • Build the internal capability and knowledge base needed for the bid function to operate consistently and independently of any single individual. 
  •  Work across the business with operations, clinical, finance, and marketing teams to gather the evidence, data, and content that makes a submission compelling.  
  • Support the marketing team with sector-relevant content that reinforces Word360's positioning in the markets we bid into.  

What We Are Looking For  

This is a senior role with genuine commercial autonomy. We need someone who can operate independently, make good judgement calls without supervision, and raise the standard of everything the function produces.  

• • Demonstrable experience managing and winning public sector bids and tenders, ideally within NHS or healthcare procurement. You should be able to point to specific contracts you have won and explain why you won them. 
  • Strong working knowledge of NHS and public sector procurement processes, including framework agreements, PQQ, ITT, RFP, direct awards, and the practical realities of how procurement decisions get made.  
  •  Genuine commercial judgement. You know which opportunities are worth pursuing and which are not, and you can build a persuasive commercial argument rather than simply answering the question. 
  •  Excellent written communication. You will be writing and editing high-value submissions where the quality of the argument determines the outcome. 
  •  Experience of constructing 500-1000 word qualitative responses  
  •  Experience managing or coaching others, with the confidence to set standards, give direct feedback, and manage performance where it falls short. 
  •  Relationship-building capability. This role requires you to be visible and credible in front of procurement leads, framework bodies, and market stakeholders.  
  • Self-directed and organised. You will own a pipeline, manage multiple concurrent submissions to hard deadlines, and be trusted to prioritise without close supervision.  

Nice to Have  

• • Experience within language services, interpreting, translation, or a related health and social care service sector. 
  • Existing relationships with NHS procurement frameworks or bodies. 
  •  APMP certification or equivalent bid management qualification.  
  • Experience building a bid function or bid library from a standing start.  

What You’ll receive  

• • Full ownership of the commercial vertical that drives the majority of Word360's new business, reporting directly to the Head of Sales and Marketing. 
  • Salary of up to £60,000 depending on experience, plus an uncapped bonus linked to tender performance.  
  • Genuine autonomy. This role is being created because we need someone to own this function properly, not to execute someone else's process.

• Successful applicants will complete a short pre-screen, including recorded answers to a few questions, along with a psychometrics test.
• If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a first interview (via Microsoft Teams or in person).
• Finalists will attend a final interview (again, either online or face-to-face).
• Please note, the process may change