Bids Manager (6-month FTC)

Join CMS as a Bid Manager into a dynamic and high-performing team where you’ll play a key role in shaping the firm’s most strategically important pitches and client pursuits. 

About us

CMS is a Future Facing firm with more than 80 offices in over 45 countries and 5,800+ lawyers worldwide. We combine deep local market understanding with a global perspective. We are passionate about building strong relationships with our clients, our people, and the communities we work in.

We take a bold, dynamic, and agile approach to ensure our clients are able to face the future with confidence. We are driven by emerging technologies such as generative AI and readily embrace the possibilities it opens up for developing new and better ways of working.  Our aim is to inspire, impact and support our clients and our people, helping them to maximize their potential and thrive.

About the role

Working closely with fellow Bid Managers and the Head of Client & New Business, you’ll lead on high-stakes proposals, panel appointments, and client onboarding for major domestic and international organisations. From guiding tender strategies and presentations to analysing past performance and refining bid materials, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact and help drive the firm’s growth.

In this role, you can expect to get involved in a variety of work including:

• Advising on all aspects of the proposal process from deciding to tender through to the presentation and, sometimes, onboarding new client relationships.

• Creative input regarding the proposition and being clear with the partners ‘why us’.

• Project managing proposals from start to finish to ensure all key deadlines are met and partner confidence and trust is high.

• Advise partners on key commercial decisions regarding pricing strategy, rates and profitability.

• Commentating on trends in pitches/proposals.

• Managing and developing pitch statistics/the pitch database/pitch portal/Monday.com.

• Writing compelling and fresh copy for proposals.

• Liaising with international CMS BD and Practice Group & Sector BD colleagues.

• Responsible for delivering firm wide training on pitch best practice and inputting into development courses run generally for the fee earning community.

• Develop and deliver pitch and presentation training to all levels of lawyer (including partners) and the wider BD team. 

• Accompany fee earners to significant client meetings in support of proposals.

About you

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one. Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role, you must meet the following skills and experience:

Technical Competence

• Recognised expert with in-depth knowledge of client services, industries, and business sectors.

• Analyses complex information with strong attention to detail and delivers clear, pragmatic, risk-aware advice in client-friendly language.

• Proficient in leveraging IT and support functions to enhance service quality and commercial positioning.

• Understands and addresses pricing, profitability, and risk management issues, including compliance and client due diligence.

• Proactively sources firm-wide expertise to deliver cost-effective client solutions.

Communication & Collaboration

• Actively shares knowledge and best practices across teams and the wider firm.

• Uses internal communication tools effectively to disseminate client insights and business opportunities.

• Promotes cross-practice collaboration to support tenders, pitches, and client engagement.

Leadership & Management

• Plans, organises, and prioritises workloads effectively to meet deadlines and deliverables.

• Facilitates productive team meetings with clear action points and accountability.

• Identifies and escalates risks early, maintaining transparent communication.

• Delegates clearly, supervises fairly, and provides regular, constructive feedback and appraisals.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree or equivalent; further business qualifications (MBA, APMP, CIM) a plus.

• Proven ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders.

• Demonstrated success in winning new business and developing winning proposals, ideally in professional services.

• Excellent business and proposal writing skills.

What’s in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:

•    Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
•    Flexible, hybrid working policy
•    Generous bonus scheme
•    Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
•    Holiday exchange scheme
•    Private medical insurance
•    Enhanced parental leave
•    Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

Equal opportunities

At CMS, we place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our culture and the heart of our organisation. As a firm we recognise, celebrate, and embrace the diverse talent our society has to offer because we know that to solve big problems, we need the best and brightest minds available to us.  In support of this goal, we commit to actively breaking down barriers which stand in the way of those from diverse backgrounds and play our part in levelling the playing field. 
 
As a Future Facing Firm, we strongly believe that a career in law should be open to people from all walks of life, because not only does diversity of thought and experience make our firm a stronger and more sustainable business, but it also makes it a more rewarding place to work.
 
When recruiting, we prioritise attracting talented people and we actively promote a flexible working environment which enables all our team members to thrive. If you see a role you are interested in, but don’t feel you meet 100% of the criteria we encourage you to still consider making an application. We also welcome applications from those who may be looking to return to the workforce after a career break. 
 
We are proud to say our leadership in creating an inclusive working culture has been celebrated and recognised externally, including being listed for a number of years in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women and the Social Mobility Index.
 
We are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, and we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment process and in every element of the employee life cycle. If you require assistance, or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please contact a member of the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@cms-cmno.com who will be happy to support you.

Ready to apply? Here are the next steps.

We look forward to receiving your application online via the CMS careers site. Please contact our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions. 

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.

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