Proposal Manager, Business Development

Business Development & Proposal Manager

Purpose of the Role: The Business Development & Proposal Manager plays a pivotal role in managing the end-to-end proposal process, ensuring LUCI Creative effectively competes for and secures new business opportunities. This role involves developing and executing bid strategies, leading proposal development, and proactively identifying new business opportunities through various channels.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Business Development

● Proactively build and develop a network of relevant contacts that align with LUCI Creative's strategic goals.

● Represent LUCI in meetings with prospective clients, partners, and stakeholders, including participation in conferences and industry events.

● Establish strong working relationships with subcontractors and partners when pitching in collaboration with other companies.

● Track, monitor and and assess relevant RFPs from various sources.

● Develop reports to deliver analysis on what is in the pipeline, what is being pursued, and its impact on the company.

● Coordinate content across LUCI's business development assets in partnership with the Executive Director of Growth & Strategy, Chief Creative Officer, and others.

● Proactively develop opportunities to represent LUCI at major national and international conferences, events and thought leadership publications.

● Utilize and manage CRM tools to systematically track all leads, from initial contact through the bidding process.

● Establish a LUCI collateral portfolio that is suitably ordered and appropriately presented.

Bid Strategy, Planning, and Management

● Collaborate with leadership and business development teams to develop winning strategies for new opportunities.

● Assess the feasibility and strategic alignment of potential bids with LUCI's business objectives.

● Engage with potential clients during pre-bid discussions and clarifications.

● Develop bid plans, timelines, resource allocation strategies, and assign responsibilities to key stakeholders.

● Research market trends, competitors, and client requirements to inform bid development.

● Lead and coordinate the bid process, ensuring deadlines are met.

● Work with cross-functional teams (sales, marketing, finance, operations, creative, etc.) to gather input for proposals.

● Manage stakeholder and project partner engagement and alignment throughout the proposal lifecycle.

● Ensure all bid submissions comply with regulatory, contractual, and client requirements.

● Identify and mitigate risks related to pricing, delivery capabilities, and compliance.

● Act as the main point of contact for bid-related communications internally and externally.

● Manage the calendar of pitches to prioritize work and facilitate delegation within the Senior Management Team.

● Oversee the development of high-quality, compelling proposals, ensuring compliance with industry standards and internal guidelines.

● Facilitate post-pitch follow-ups, collecting feedback and conducting commercial analysis.

● Work with the Executive Director of Growth, Managing Director, and Director of Operations to develop competitive pricing models. Business Development & Proposal Manager | Job Description Page 1 Business Development & Proposal Manager

● Implement a Client Relationship Management-driven workflow to track interactions with clients, advocates, suppliers, and collaborators.

● Maintain accurate records of past bids, lessons learned, and performance metrics for continuous improvement.

● Manage bid databases for easy retrieval of previous proposal content and responses.

Lead Generation and Opportunity Tracking

● Identify new business opportunities through industry channels, industry-specific publications, and partner relationships.

● Evaluate potential leads and align them with LUCI's capabilities and strategic goals.

● Develop and implement processes for management reporting and data analytics (qualitative and quantitative measures of business development activities) in association with the Head of Growth as part of long-term corporate change programs

● Regularly update the leadership team on lead status, strategic fit, and next steps to ensure efficient resource allocation.

Must have skills:

● Strong knowledge of, and interest in, the sector, with an awareness of sector trends.

● Thoughtful, self-starter with positive attitude and strong levels of motivation

● Ability to work independently and with initiative at the same time being able to collaborate as a team worker with ‘open’ approach

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills

● Ability to represent and promote LUCI within the sector and build the company's reputation as a thoughtful provider of narrative design services

● Experience of networking, presenting and engaging confidently in formal and informal situations with clients from a wide range of organisational and cultural backgrounds

● Capacity to write and present ‘think pieces’ of relevance to sector and the company’s work

● Ability to build and support client relationships

● Ability to work under pressure and to strict external deadlines

● Discretion and tact in handling commercially sensitive information

● High level working competency in Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign) and Microsoft Office.

Experience Required:

● Proven experience in business development within a design, architecture, cultural, or brand development environment.

● Track record of developing new business opportunities across the sales pipeline.

● Experience working with CRM systems, including data analytics and reporting.

● Strong knowledge and interest in the sector of Cultural and Location-Based Experiences, with an awareness of industry trends.