Bid Manager

Location: Ireland / Hybrid
Reporting to: Senior Manager - Bids & Tenders
Department: Group Bids & Tenders
Contract Type: Full-Time

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly organised Bid Manager to join our growing Bids & Tenders team. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the end-to-end bid lifecycle across a portfolio of business areas within Cpl. This role is critical to supporting business growth through the effective planning, coordination, development, and submission of high-quality tender responses, RFPs, framework applications, and client proposals.

The Bid Manager will act as the central project lead for bid opportunities, ensuring submissions are compliant, compelling, and delivered on time. The role requires exceptional project management skills, strong attention to detail, the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, and a data-driven approach to reporting and performance management.

About Cpl

Cpl is one of Ireland's leading Talent Solutions providers, delivering innovative workforce solutions across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and internationally. Established in 1989, Cpl partners with organisations across the public and private sectors to provide recruitment, managed services, outsourcing, consulting, and workforce management solutions. With over 35 years of experience, Cpl supports thousands of clients and candidates annually through a diverse portfolio of services including Temporary Staffing, Permanent Recruitment, Contracting, Managed Service Programmes (MSP), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Talent Advisory, and Strategic Workforce Solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Bid Management & Delivery

• Own and manage the full bid lifecycle from opportunity qualification through to contract award.
• Lead bid planning, kick-off meetings, governance reviews, and submission activities.
• Develop and maintain bid plans, project timelines, responsibilities matrices, and submission schedules.
• Ensure all responses are delivered on time, are fully compliant, and meet client requirements.
• Coordinate bid activities across multiple business units, service lines, and subject matter experts.
• Review tender documentation and identify key requirements, risks, evaluation criteria, and deliverables.
• Manage clarification questions and responses throughout the procurement process.
• Support presentation preparation, interviews, and post-submission activities where required.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with Sales, Operations, Delivery Teams, Finance, HR, Legal, Commercial, and senior leadership teams.
• Coordinate contributions from subject matter experts and ensure timely completion of assigned actions.
• Challenge and influence stakeholders to ensure high-quality content and adherence to deadlines.
• Act as the primary point of contact for designated bid opportunities.

Content & Quality Management

• Develop high-quality, customer-focused proposal content.
• Tailor responses to specific client requirements, differentiators, and evaluation criteria.
• Ensure submissions are professionally presented and aligned to company branding standards.
• Maintain and contribute to the bid content library, case studies, CVs, and supporting documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives based on lessons learned and evaluator feedback.

Reporting & Data Management

• Maintain accurate bid data and pipeline information within CRM and bid management systems.
• Produce regular management reports on bid activity, pipeline performance, win rates, conversion rates, and commercial outcomes.
• Monitor and report on key bid KPIs and service metrics.
• Ensure bid records, documentation, and audit trails are maintained accurately and consistently.
• Support forecasting and business planning through insightful reporting and analysis.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all bids comply with procurement regulations, client requirements, and internal governance processes.
• Identify commercial, operational, legal, and delivery risks within tender opportunities.
• Coordinate internal approvals and sign-off processes.
• Support the implementation of bid management best practice across the organisation.

Skills & Experience

• Preferably 3 years' experience managing bids, tenders or proposal activities
• Experience within recruitment, talent solutions, MSP, RPO, workforce solutions, professional services, or outsourcing environments beneficial
• Proven experience managing multiple concurrent bids and deadlines.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Excellent written communication, editing, and document production skills.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to produce meaningful reports and insights.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Excellent attention to detail and quality focus.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to join a dynamic and growing Talent Solutions organisation where you will work across diverse sectors and service lines, supporting strategic growth throughout Ireland and the UK. You will play a pivotal role in shaping winning proposals, improving bid performance, and driving commercial success across the business.

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