Bid Manager

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

The role

Are you an experienced Bid Manager with drive, ambition and a sense of humour?

We’re looking for someone to bring fresh ideas to our team, challenge the status-quo and help us continually evolve and elevate our bid management approach. This role isn’t just about delivery; it’s about shaping how we win. Our brand and our client-centric approach gives us the freedom to be ‘like no other’ and we’re looking for someone who can help us translate that into our bid management function.

As with any bid function, you’ll play a pivotal role in herding cats as well as identifying and articulating Howden’s win themes and differentiators. You’re going to have to be a PPT and word wizard with the ability to write client-facing sales content. You’ll be working closely with our 4 fantastic Apprentices, other experienced Bid Managers and our excellent Bid Designers.

You’ll need to be confident leading kick off meetings, influencing and constructively challenging senior stakeholders and bringing them on the journey as we continue to build on our approach to bids. Having the confidence to critique ideas and content that comes back to you without off-siding the broker and/or sales community will also be key.

We’re looking for a team player who we can learn from and share our knowledge with; hopefully someone who cares about bid management as a career as much as we do.

What you'll do

• Run key bid opportunities from qualification through to client feedback
• Challenge stakeholders on concepts and content
• Craft and review all aspects of bids ensuring that all aspects are included in the final proposal to the client and their questions have been fully answered
• Build strong relationships with clients, stakeholders and industry partners
• Champion best practice bid management across the business and influence positive change in how we approach opportunities
• Drive continuous improvement within the bid function, identifying opportunities to enhance quality, efficiency and stakeholder engagement
• Track and analyse bid outcomes and feedback to improve future performance
• Support junior team members and Apprentices, helping to raise capability and embed best practice across the team
• Support and lead strategic projects outside of live bids, including process optimisation, knowledge management, training initiatives and innovation within the function

Who we're looking for

• High impact RFP creation skills
• A team player who wants to support and develop others
• A real understanding of key business metrics, operational risk and the ability to analyse our clients’ businesses
• The ability to work at speed and with others to achieve tight deadlines
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and managing competing priorities
• Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Comfortable challenging the norm and embedding new ways of working

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.