Senior Bids Manager

Overview

Role profile After a long period of sustained growth, Osborne Clarke is continuing to invest in our Bids Centre of Excellence and broader Sales & Marketing function. We’re looking to appoint a Senior Bids Manager based in our Bristol or London office (with travel to all UK locations as required). This senior leadership role will be pivotal in driving best practice across the full bids lifecycle, leading strategic live opportunities and embedding improvements that increase our win rate and revenue across the firm.

This is a permanent position offering hybrid working.

The Senior Bids Manager will be a key member of our Bids team, working closely with the Head of Bids and wider BD function to deliver high‑quality, compelling bids and to develop our recently established Bids Centre of Excellence. You will lead on live bids, manage and develop a small team, and proactively identify and deliver strategic improvements to how we qualify, pursue and win work.

You will collaborate with senior stakeholders across the business, including partners, Sector Leaders and Business Services to ensure our bids are consistently differentiated, client‑focused and aligned to firm strategy.

• Bid leadership & delivery:
  Lead strategically important, often complex bids from qualification through to submission and debrief, ensuring best practice at every stage.
• Bid leadership:
  Expertly guide lawyers and Business Services colleagues on qualification, win themes, bid strategy, content, presenting and pricing to maximise our chances of success.
• Bid decisions:
  Influence bid/no‑bid decisions, ensuring opportunities are aligned with our target sectors, capabilities and growth plans.
• Project management:
  Coordinate stakeholders and manage timelines, actions and approvals to deliver high‑quality responses on time.
• Win themes:
  Develop and refine compelling, differentiating win themes and value propositions tailored to client needs and sector context.
• Reviews:
  Conduct win/loss reviews and debriefs, capturing and sharing learnings to inform continuous improvement.

• Apply an expert editorial eye to the creation, refinement and editing of bid content, ensuring clarity, consistency and impact.
• Ensure all submissions are persuasive, accurate and aligned to Osborne Clarke’s brand, tone and risk/compliance requirements.
• Work with BD colleagues and lawyers to tailor content to specific sectors, services and client priorities, avoiding “one‑size‑fits‑all” responses.
• Support the development and maintenance of high‑quality, reusable content and exemplars to streamline future bids.

• Work closely with the Head of Bids to embed Bids Centre of Excellence best practice, processes and tools across the firm.
• Proactively identify, design and lead bids improvement work streams that enhance efficiency, quality and win rate.
• Devise solutions and innovations aligned to the firm’s strategy, continually improving systems, processes and ways of working.
• Upskill the Bids team, BD team, other Business Services colleagues and lawyers through coaching, guidance and training on bids best practice.
• Ensure that insights from bid activity (including win/loss analysis) are captured, shared and used to inform future opportunities.

• Work closely with BD, Finance, Osborne Clarke Solutions, Risk & Compliance and other Business Services teams to ensure a joined‑up, holistic approach to bids.
• Collaborate with the Head of Pursuits on forecast opportunities and mobilisation of wins, ensuring a smooth transition from pursuit to delivery.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with partners, Sector Leaders and senior stakeholders, often in time‑pressured environments.
• Confidently question, challenge and influence senior stakeholders to strengthen our propositions and positioning.

• Provide direct line management to 2 x Bids Managers, holding effective 1:1s, setting meaningful objectives and supporting their development.
• Nurture, support and hold to account the Bids Executive on delivery, development and wellbeing.
• Lead by example,…