Head of Bids to advise on bids

The Africa Health Organisation (AHO) seeks to embark on bids and tenders to deliver health and social care services effectively. Our goal is to ensure sustainability and positively impact the lives of more people. We want assistance in developing an ambitious strategy.

What difference will you make?

In this exciting role, you will take charge of the strategic process of winning new business through competitive bids, tenders, and proposals, ultimately elevating AHO's success. Your specialised knowledge in bids will enhance our win rates and maximise revenue by bringing clarity, quality, and coordination to what can be a complex and high-stakes journey.

Your primary mission is to boost AHO's tender win rates and strengthen our strategic advantage. By diligently overseeing each step of the bidding process—from initial evaluation to final submission—you will significantly improve the quality and persuasion of our proposals, directly increasing our chances of securing valuable contracts.

You'll provide key insights to help AHO target the most promising opportunities by implementing a thoughtful "bid/no-bid" process. This approach will ensure we focus only on lucrative and winnable contracts that closely align with our strategic goals, ultimately saving time and resources and allowing us to prioritise high-potential projects.

In this role, you will orchestrate a well-coordinated process that drives operational efficiency. Acting as the central point of contact, you will gather input from diverse internal teams—sales, finance, legal, and technical experts—ensuring everyone collaborates smoothly to meet critical deadlines.

As a leader, you'll elevate the quality of our bid content. By overseeing the creation of compelling and polished materials, you'll guarantee that our final submissions are professional, cohesive, and free of errors. You will utilise a centralised content library filled with valuable resources like case studies and CVs to streamline efforts and enhance our proposals.

You will keep projects on track by developing detailed project plans and timelines, ensuring that all tasks are completed punctually—especially critical in the fast-paced environment of tender submissions. Your effective management will ease the workload for colleagues focused on their core responsibilities, allowing the entire team to shine.

To foster long-term business growth, you'll create a wealth of knowledge around our tenders and bids. By conducting insightful post-submission debriefs and analysing feedback, you will capture invaluable lessons from both successes and setbacks. This ongoing improvement process will enhance our bidding capabilities for future opportunities.

You also have the chance to enhance AHO's brand reputation through the submission of well-organised, accurate, and compliant bids. By doing so, you'll showcase our professionalism and reliability to clients, building trust and solidifying our credible standing in the market.

The strategic alignment is vital for sustaining consistent and stable business growth. Together, we can make a remarkable impact on development.

What are we looking for?

Essential
Education, Skills and Experience Requirements

• Degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Management, Public Health, Medicine, project-related discipline or any subject.
• At least three years of experience in successfully leading teams within a bid environment.
• Proven track record of improvement and achievement - processes and people
• Keen understanding of numbers, spreadsheets, VOP/invoices, rates, cash flow, milestones, negotiations, and pricing audits.
• Ability to write strong proposals and experienced estimator
• Excellent communicator (written and verbal) with local and international customers and with an appreciation of cultural differences
• Ability to persuade and influence others
• Ability to lead team by example, with the ability to foster and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Strong business/commercial acumen
• Keen attention to detail
• Commercially sound judgement
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong financial skills

Desirable

• Leadership qualification (CMI or ILM)
• Experience with an integrated project management / ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning)
• Experience in bidding roles in the Medical, Biochemistry, Biomedical, Public Services, Global Health, Humanitarian, NGOs, Public Health and Social Care industry
• MBA, Professional Qualification or formal leadership Qualification (CMI, ILM)

What will you be doing?

We are excited to announce an incredible opportunity for a talented Head of Bids and tenders to join our passionate team at the Africa Health Organisation (AHO) Since 1999, we've been dedicated to delivering health and social care to millions across Africa and the Diaspora, and now we're ready to elevate our impact further.

This year, we're embarking on a mission to broaden our funding strategy by incorporating bids and tenders. Our goal is to engage with the governments in Africa and the UK, the public sector, and the public, providing essential practical and emotional support to those facing chronic conditions. We need a visionary like you to help us achieve our goals.

We're seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Bids who can develop and execute a winning strategy to secure the necessary financial backing. There are numerous exciting possibilities ahead, including central government tenders, local and statutory opportunities. We're eager to explore them all.

In this pivotal role, you'll plan and execute our bids and tender writing efforts, ensuring that our bid proposals not only shine but also come to life in meaningful ways. If you're a bid writer who thrives on creativity and collaboration, we want to hear from you Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to inspire and mentor volunteers within our bid and tender team, making a positive impact together. Join us on this exciting journey