Pitch Specialist

Job description

The Pitch Specialist is a key member of the firm's pitch team, responsible for leading all aspects of the firm’s bid submission process to ensure the highest standards of quality, compliance, and strategic alignment. This role involves steering the development of tender responses, coordinating proposal preparation, facilitating pitch meetings, and ensuring adherence to procurement best practices. Additionally, the Specialist oversees contract management, intelligence gathering, maintaining a current bid library, and sector-specific strategies aimed at driving business growth. Operating in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with a significant volume of submissions, the role requires strong teamwork and the ability to meet tight deadlines. The ideal candidate must be highly adaptable, demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, attention to detail, and proactively address tasks without delay. Given the dynamic nature of client requirements and possibility of last-minute changes, flexibility and a solutions-oriented mindset are essential. Effective communication is critical in this role, including timely updates, seeking guidance when needed, and escalating issues when necessary. The Specialist must maintain a meticulous record of tender progress, ensuring continuous awareness of deadlines and outstanding requirements, as well as all submissions. These are to be retained on the firm's approved document management system. Additionally, the Specialist will be expected to report on pitches in progress and outcomes. Key Responsibilities Pitch and Tender Management • Manage the end-to-end process of preparing and submitting proposals, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Capability Statements, and Requests for Information (RFIs). • Identify and source, and keep track of pitch opportunities through the relevant subscribed tender publications, and direct these to the relevant practitioners. Where required, attend briefing sessions. • Objectively assess bid opportunities and provide Go/No-Go recommendations to key stakeholders. • Organize and lead pitch meetings, providing strategic guidance on win themes and messaging. • Draft and review pitch content with a strong business development focus to ensure competitive positioning. • Prepare compelling client presentations tailored to specific business opportunities. • Conduct post-bid reviews to assess performance and gather insights for continuous improvement. • Ensure all bid responses are fully compliant with tender requirements and submitted within deadlines. • Coordinate and collaborate with external teaming partners and practice areas on the necessary data for submissions or bid requirements, including securing teaming agreements, Power of Attorneys, Letters of Association, and Letters of Intent. • Maintain and update the pitches in progress spreadsheet with all bid-related data and outcomes. • Implement best practices in pitch management and ensure alignment with the firm’s brand and procurement standards. • Work closely with the awards and rankings team to build and maintain a central repository of pitch-related content for awards and recognitions • Conduct quality checks on proposal documents, ensuring compliance with the firm’s branding guidelines across Word, PowerPoint, and Excel formats. Contract Management and SLAs • Coordinate the review and finalization of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in collaboration with lead partners, the firm's Risk and Compliance Department, and client executives. • Ensure timely execution and approval of SLAs. • Maintain an updated SLA tracking system and communicate payment terms and rates to the finance team. • Verify SLA details against original bid submissions to ensure accuracy in scope, timelines, team composition, and pricing. • Assist in drafting addenda for extended services and communicating new rate structures to the fee earner(s) and/or clients in line with contractual and fiscal updates. • Work with internal stakeholders to establish and manage a centralized SLA repository for efficiency and knowledge retention. Intelligence and Pitch Repository Management • Advocate for best practices in bid and proposal management across the firm. • Develop and maintain standardized proposal templates to improve efficiency and consistency. • Create and update pricing tools for effective cost estimation and competitive positioning. • Maintain a centralized database of pitch intelligence and historical data for strategic decision-making. • Conduct research on industry sectors and develop targeted sector-specific capability statements. • Oversee the pitch repository, ensuring accurate record-keeping and timely updates by the administrative team. • Regular reporting to management regarding the proposal process and any identified areas for improvement. Sector-Specific Strategies and Reporting • Track and report on SLA performance, including progress updates, expiration alerts, and renewal requirements. • Assist sector groups in researching target clients and developing bespoke pitches and proposals. • Identify and analyze opportunities for targeted client engagement • Provide regular reports to sector teams on pitch activities and market trends. Supervision and Mentorship of Pitch Administrators • Provide ongoing mentorship and support to pitch administrators, ensuring their professional growth and efficiency. • Oversee the administrators’ workload and ensure compliance with firm standards and best practices. • Conduct quality checks on all pitch-related work produced by administrators. • Identify and facilitate training needs for the administrative team. • Ensure administrators accurately track and update all ongoing pitches, projects, and deadlines within the firm’s systems. • Set reminders for pitch validity periods and follow-ups on submissions to enhance efficiency and responsiveness. Qualifications and Experience • Bachelor’s degree in law, engineering, marketing, finance, business, or related field. • APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) membership is highly desirable. • Minimum 5-10 years of experience in Bid Management and/or Business Development, ideally in the professional services or commercial legal services sector. • Demonstrated expertise in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Adobe Pro. • Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience in teams specializing in pitch support. • Project management certifications (PMP, PRINCE2, or similar) are advantageous. Skills and Competencies • Extensive knowledge of the professional services sector (specifically, the legal services sector). • Proven ability to stay current with industry trends, regulations, and legislation. • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. • Attention to detail and strong organizational abilities. • Robust interpersonal skills. • High resilience and stress tolerance. • Integrity, accountability, and strong ethical framework. • Adaptability and flexibility. • Exceptional time management and problem-solving skills. • Advanced team leadership and relationship-building capabilities.