About this role
This important position will provide specialist bid advice and support for our lawyers across the Asia Pacific region in relation to their proposal activities for clients. You will work collaboratively with our lawyers in relation to leading new business opportunities and delivering best practice bid expertise at all stages of the process. You will co-ordinate the firm-wide resources necessary to manage the process from end to end and will have project management and creative oversight.
As a key member of the firm’s Asia Pacific BD team, you will collaborate with colleagues across our Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney offices. The role will also interface with our Central Bids team in London comprising around 20 dedicated bid professionals who can offer guidance and support as needed.
What personal qualities are we seeking?
Our regional APAC BD team is highly collaborative and fosters a spirit of learning and growth. We help each other to manage workflows and outputs across the entire team, and we care about the wellbeing and work life balance of our team members. We would like to attract someone who enjoys working in a friendly, communicative, and supportive team environment and is keen to make this role their own.
We are looking for a bid professional who takes personal pride in producing great quality proposals that help our firm win work. You will need good interpersonal skills given the level of connectivity with our partners and lawyers, an understanding of how to operate within a professional services environment, be diplomatic, proactive and can gain the trust of our senior people through your professionalism and strong work ethic. Excellent project management/organisational skills and attention to detail will be essential to your success.
How we will support you.
We offer a comprehensive induction to Pinsent Masons, the culture, the people and the role itself – ensuring you are set up to succeed from day one. We will invest in your professional growth and development as a specialist in this highly valued specialist area. You will have access to all the necessary training and coaching to either refresh existing or develop new skills, and have regular contact and engagement with BD team members and your direct line manager. We pride ourselves on this aspect of our culture, having seen how a supportive environment helps team members grow within their roles during their time with us.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- Project/bid management – managing the bids process end to end (from briefing to post outcome debrief).
- Input to bid strategy – working directly with lawyers to identify and craft key themes and messages.
- Creative input to proposal documentation – producing high quality documents (document and interview stage).
- Client engagement – at scoping and debrief stages (in collaboration with a legal team member).
- Working closely with our BD Managers on larger, more complex bids.
- Applying our BD systems, tools and technology to collate the most relevant material efficiently.
- Taking responsibility for managing pre-qualification stages – qualifying the opportunity, managing lawyers and other stakeholders through this stage.
- Producing the written response.
- Working alongside senior members of the team throughout presentation stage, contributing to rehearsals and taking ownership of supporting materials.
Relevant Experience:
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience project managing and delivery bids/proposals in a professional services environment, providing advice on approach and strategy.
- Writing and editing copy for client-facing documents.
- Ability to present/share information with groups of people.
- Legal or other professional services sector experience preferred.
Key Skills:
- Managing, guiding and advising at all stages of a bid process.
- Motivated and confident with good communication skills – ability to articulate and explain concepts in a clear and organised way.
- Ability to visualise alternative ways of presenting information.
- Project and time management skills – juggling different bids and priorities at the same time while ensuring deadlines are met.
- Excellent writing skills and editing skills.
- Strong document production skills (MS Word, Templafy, PowerPoint and Excel).
