Head of Commercial Bids

Location: Any UK Site

Come join Alexander Dennis on our mission to save the planet. We are transforming public transport globally by designing, manufacturing, and servicing greener, more eco-friendly, buses and coaches.

Our people are our biggest asset, making us the hugely successful company we are. We are transforming how we work, offering team members more flexibility around how they live and work.

We’re in the middle of the biggest new product development agenda in our history and you will play a pivotal role in the success of this through the delivery of cost reduction and value analysis and value engineering projects.

What does that mean for you?

• Generous salary package – we reward our people at the level they deserve.
• A half day on a Friday. Yes, every Friday. Giving you more time at the weekend to do the things you love with the people you love.
• A 37-hour working week, with flexible working options, giving you that much needed work/life balance.
• Annual leave entitlement which increases with tenure.
• Pension scheme to help you save for the future.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme which offers practical, impartial support on issues impacting your life.
• Cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership, and regular meditation sessions as your health and wellbeing is important to us.

Interested and want to find out more? Check out our YouTube channel or LinkedIn!

Your dream role:

We’re looking for a Head of Commercial Bids to support the company’s growth by leading the end-to-end bid process. This senior manager will ensure the development and submission of high-quality, winning proposals. This strategic leadership position requires exceptional communication and team management skills, with the ability to implement change. 

Main responsibilities:

• Oversee opportunities throughout all phases of the bid and contracting processes.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Sales and wider Commercial team to deliver a successful bid winning strategy.
• Pinpoint USPs and key differentiators in customer bids.
• Preparing tenders for customers by correctly interpreting customer requirements.
• Prepare quotation templates, agree payment terms and other standard agreements to support the pricing team in delivering accurate and timely responses to customer enquiries.
• Proactively produce tender plans to include pre-agreed and priced spec options.
• Day to day running team.
• Execute the 3Cs model for customer tenders (i.e. Compliant, Complete and Compelling tenders) to maximise win percentage.
• Develop KPI’s to report on the speed of completion of bids, the level of compliance and collate feedback from customers.
• Identifying, cataloguing and storing customer tenders, quotations, prices, contract numbers and order documentation to aid in measuring performance and for internal and external audits.
• Log and report opportunities in the discovery to won / lost phase, including projected volumes, revenues and margins.
• Work closely with the wider commercial team to improve the order to delivery process.
• Any other reasonable management request that ensures the harmonious and smooth running of the department.

What you will bring:

• Ideally degree-qualified or a relevant field with membership of a relevant Professional Organisation/Institution.
• Knowledge and experience of the bus industry with any relevant bid qualifications. 
• Knowledge of bid processes
• A structured logical approach with attention to operational and financial detail.
• Effective leadership skills to coach and mentor a team.
• Ability to manage workload and prioritise accordingly to meet deadlines.
• Thorough understanding of product range and options.
• Possess a ‘right first time’ approach.
• Strong communication (both written and verbal).
• Strong interpersonal skills and high level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Enthusiastic and organised approach to working.
• Commercial awareness of both the business and the marketplace.
• Sound financial experience and commercial integrity.
• In depth knowledge of bus Operators and wider industry.
• Complex problem-solving ability.
• Effective decision-making ability.
• An understanding of the interaction between bid & pricing teams.
• The ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.  

Next steps:

If this sounds like you, and you’re interested in coming ‘aboard’, then we would love to hear from you. Alongside uploading your CV, please share a short covering letter detailing why you’re interested and why we should hire you!

*Recommend a Friend is applicable for this role.

We care deeply about being inclusive and we encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Due to the volume of vacancies and applications, we would prefer that you submit your application online. If however, you require an alternative method of applying, please give us call on (phone number removed) or send an email to (email address removed)IND-M