Global Bids and Contracts Manager

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We work in two ways - directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other's strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

Purpose of Role:

The British Council's English and Examinations Strategic Business Unit (E&E) includes a significant business client base. It is part of our commercial strategy moving forward for the evolving Corporate English Solutions division to professionalise and develop our approach and to grow this income stream.

This includes identifying, winning and maintaining strategic accounts with global organisations and governments. Typically, these will be relationships with large organisations that may require a competitive tendering or bidding process as well as ongoing support with large scale programme delivery that is often delivered to multiple teams and in multiple locations.

The Global Bids and Contracts Manager will be responsible for driving growth of corporate sales through new and existing accounts to achieve business targets. Key accountabilities include:

• Identifying and prospecting for opportunities with global organisations and governments, including prospecting for open tenders
• Managing our response to open tenders and 'Requests for Proposals' (RFPs)
• Developing a strategic approach to winning such contracts.
• Contributing to commercial planning and setting of income targets our corporate business.
• Managing key accounts (potentially up to and above GBP 1M) from Opportunity stage to Close, combining products from our English Language, Professional Skills and Assessment portfolio to achieve stretching targets.
• Managing the solution design process for the client by project managing across internal stakeholder groups, business units and geographies.
• Managing ongoing contracts and client relationships to ensure customer success and retain and grow income.
• Capturing and reporting insight around our corporate audience and our sales and marketing effectiveness.

Main Accountabilities:

Commercial strategy and planning

• Leads on sales strategy and implementation for wining global contracts and government tenders.
• Informs regional and global strategy and income targets through data-driven insight.
• Collaborates with senior leadership to develop resourcing plans and budgets.

Business Development

• Leverages prospecting tools and actively networks at events and other forums to identify and engage prospects to raise awareness of the British Council's Corporate Solutions portfolio.
• Prospects for open tenders and RFPs that have been published by governments and other organisations
• Works with business units and product leads to to help position the British Council competitively for the pursuit of large-scale contracts and tenders.

Achieve sales targets

• Takes responsibility for ensuring regular action is taken to achieve global sales targets, including working with stakeholders across business units to ensure their operations support this.
• Manages the bidding process for open tenders, including accurate completion of RFPs within deadlines.
• Manages new opportunities from Opportunity through to Close, including designing and selling solutions for the client by project managing across internal stakeholder groups, business units and geographies.
• Manages existing accounts to maximise retention and growth
• Negotiates commercial contracts, within agreed margins where required.

Account Management

• Establishes and implements and account management strategy to maximise retention and income growth from existing clients - including some key strategic accounts
• Manages customer success for B2B clients by project managing across internal stakeholder groups, business units and geographies.
• Takes active steps to maintain ongoing relationships with corporate clients.

Undertakes post-delivery evaluation with clients to identify areas of improvement and future opportunities.

Business data and intelligence

• Drives continuous improvement of our corporate business stream by providing regular, data-driven insight on sales delivery and retention.
• Captures and manages client data in CRM and other business systems.
• Manages CRM workflows that have been assigned.

Managing self and others

• Tasks and coordinates others (e.g. internal colleagues or external contractors/suppliers) to complete time-limited, straightforward activities, within established procedures to ensure efficient delivery of services. Monitors task completion to agreed quality and time standards

Further Information

Pay Band - Pay band 7

Contract Type - Fix Term Contract (1 year)

Location - United Kingdom

Requirements - Candidates must have the legal right to work in United Kingdom

Closing Date - 6th of October 2022

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion(EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment. We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council iscommitted to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council's Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our 'ASK HR' email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.