Bid Team Leader

Terminalfour is the leading digital engagement and web content management platform for universities and colleges. We work with over 250 higher education institutions helping them to drive student recruitment, retention, alumni fundraising, and research promotion by maximizing the impact of their digital and content strategies.
We are a fully remote company, providing all the tools you need to work seamlessly from home, including a laptop, monitors, and a desk. Prefer to use your own equipment? Our Bring Your Own Device policy gives you that flexibility.
At Terminalfour, your wellbeing matters. We offer 30 days of annual leave, flexible working hours, and access to our Employee Assistance Programme and Wellbeing Platform which supports health, wellbeing, and short-term counselling for employees and their families.
We are also committed to your growth; access continuous learning via the Terminalfour and DCM Learning Hub, technical training platforms, and AWS certification support—all paid by us
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Tender & Bid Team Lead to lead, develop, and continuously improve a high performing bid function. This role is responsible for ensuring that every tender and RFP submission is accurate, compliant, and delivered on time, but critically, that each submission is compelling, customer specific, and clearly articulates Terminalfour's value in the context of the institution's challenges and priorities.
You will lead a team of bid writers, coordinating multiple concurrent submissions across geographies, while acting as the editorial and quality authority for all bid responses. The role combines team leadership, narrative and messaging ownership, stakeholder coordination, and rigorous quality assurance, with hands-on involvement where required to support priority bids.
This is not a purely administrative or volume-driven bid role. Success is measured by the consistency, clarity, and persuasiveness of our submissions, and by the ability of the team to tailor messaging to each customer rather than relying on generic responses. For clarity, the term "bid" can relate to proposals, RFIs, RFPs, RFTs and framework agreement proposals.
We are particularly seeking someone who has thrived in a growth-stage or mid-sized organisation, where success depends on being hands-on, adaptable, and comfortable leading in a collaborative environment rather than operating within a large corporate bid machine. This role will suit someone who enjoys building capability, raising standards, and contributing directly to how a bid function evolves.
Bid Leadership, Messaging and Quality
Take overall ownership of the end-to-end bid lifecycle, from opportunity qualification through submission and post-bid review
Act as the central coordinator for all bid activity, planning resources and priorities across multiple concurrent tenders
Own the narrative, win themes, and messaging approach for bids, ensuring responses are clearly aligned to each customer's context, challenges, and evaluation criteria
Ensure all submissions are compliant, accurate, well-structured, and delivered to demanding deadlines, with zero tolerance for errors
Serve as the final editorial and quality gate for all tender documents prior to submission
Contribute occasionally to bid writing, particularly for high-value or complex opportunities
Team Leadership and Development
Lead, coach, and develop a team of bid writers, providing clear direction, feedback, and support
Review drafts and provide constructive, high-quality editorial feedback to raise the overall standard of writing, structure, and persuasion across the team
Allocate work effectively across the team to balance workload, maintain momentum, and meet deadlines
Establish clear standards, templates, and best practices so quality and consistency do not depend on individual heroics
Foster a collaborative, quality-focused culture that values insight, clarity, and customer relevance
Content, Tools and Continuous Improvement
Own and maintain the RFP/Tender Library, ensuring content is current, well-structured, and genuinely reusable
Continuously refine core content, messaging, and value propositions based on bid outcomes, customer feedback, and market changes
Use bid management platforms, CRM data, and AI assisted tools to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality without diluting customer-specific messaging
Conduct post-bid reviews and feedback sessions to capture lessons learned and drive measurable improvements in win rates and submission quality
Track and report on bid activity, performance trends, and key metrics for senior stakeholders
Stakeholder and Sales Collaboration
Work closely with Sales, Product, and Subject Matter Experts to shape accurate, persuasive, and well evidenced responses
Coordinate all communications with organisations issuing tenders or RFPs via portals, email, or clarification processes
Skills and Experience Required:
Experience working successfully in a small to mid-sized company or growth-stage environment, with an appreciation for the pace, autonomy, and collaborative culture this requires.
Exceptional proposal QA and editorial review capability, with a track record of improving submission quality through rigorous review processes.
Strong background in SaaS/software or Higher Education solution focused bid and procurement processes
Significant experience overseeing large, complex RFPs and tenders, with responsibility for quality and messaging as well as delivery
Practical experience using AI tools to support drafting, review, summarisation, or quality assurance in professional contexts
Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to shape clear, persuasive narratives for different audiences
Demonstrated ability to coach and improve the output of other writers, not just produce strong content personally
Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Experience with bid portals, CRM systems, and structured bid tracking processes
Qualifications
A third?level degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience.
Personal Attributes
Highly organised, resilient, and calm under pressure.
Strong editorial judgement, with the confidence to challenge generic or poorly positioned content, even when it is technically correct.
Takes genuine pride in the craft of proposal development and cares deeply about submitting work of exceptional quality.
Customer centric mindset, with an instinct for framing solutions around institutional challenges, risks, and opportunities.
Collaborative leadership style with a proactive, solution?focused mindset.
Commercially minded, understanding how messaging, positioning, and bid quality directly influence revenue and long term customer value.
High personal standards and professional pride in representing Terminalfour consistently and credibly in the market.
This role will particularly suit someone who has built or led bid capability in a smaller, agile organisation where influence, judgement, and hands-on leadership matter as much as process.
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