Proposal and Business Development Officer - Bidding/Tenders/RFPs
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Job summary
The primary objective of this role is to lead the end-to-end development of compliant, competitive, and commercially viable proposals.
Min Qualification:
Bachelors
Experience Level:
Mid level
Experience Length:
3 years
Job descriptions & requirements
Location: Main Office, Nairobi
Reporting to: CEO
Department: Business Development / Strategy
Employment Type: Full-time / Contract]
Background / Organizational Context
Our main office in Nairobi serves as the strategic hub for a group of companies operating across diverse sectors. Our primary growth strategy involves identifying and responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and tenders from various clients, including government agencies, private corporations, and development partners. In addition to managing reactive tender submissions, we proactively develop business concepts, strategies, and commercial models to position our group for future high-value opportunities. To strengthen our bid win ratio and enhance the commercial intelligence behind our proposals, we seek to recruit a highly analytical and detail-oriented Proposal and Business Development Officer.
Overall Objective / Purpose of the Role
The primary objective of this role is to lead the end-to-end development of compliant, competitive, and commercially viable proposals. The Officer will act as the central coordinator between our various companies, ensuring that all tender submissions are not only administratively compliant but also strategically priced and positioned to win. Furthermore, the role will support the management team in identifying market trends and developing concepts for future business opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
A. Tender & Proposal Management (RFP/RFQ)
- Opportunity Identification: Systematically monitor relevant procurement portals, newspapers, and client websites to identify tender opportunities aligned with the group's strategic objectives and scope of work.
- Bid/No-Bid Analysis: Lead the initial review of tender documents, presenting a clear analysis to management regarding commercial viability, capacity requirements, and strategic fit to facilitate informed bid decisions.
- End-to-End Coordination: Form and lead proposal teams, assigning tasks to technical experts across the different companies, setting internal deadlines (bid calendar),and ensuring seamless collaboration.
- Compliance Assurance: Scrutinize all tender documents to extract administrative, technical, and financial requirements. Develop and maintain a compliance matrix to guarantee 100% adherence and mitigate the risk of disqualification.
- Content Development: Draft, review, and edit high-quality technical proposals, methodologies, and executive summaries. Ensure the writing is persuasive, clear, and tailored to the specific client's pain points.
- Commercial Input: Collaborate with finance and technical leads to review pricing strategies, ensuring proposals are competitive yet profitable, applying basic economic principles to costing and market positioning.
- Document Control & Submission: Manage the document flow, ensuring the use of the latest versions of statutory documents, CVs, and certifications. Oversee the final formatting, printing, binding, and timely submission(physical or electronic).
B. Strategic Development & Market Intelligence
- Concept Note Development: Assist management in researching and drafting business concepts and strategies for future funding opportunities or unsolicited bids.
- Economic & Market Analysis: Conduct research on macroeconomic trends, sector-specific growth areas, and competitor activity within Kenya and the region to inform the group's business development strategy.
- Partner Mapping: Identify, vet, and establish relationships with potential sub-contractors, consultants, and joint venture partners required for multidisciplinary bids to enhance our technical capacity.
C. Database & Knowledge Management
- Proposal Library Maintenance: Establish and maintain a centralized, accessible digital repository for all standard proposal documents, including past proposals, CVs, project reports, and certifications.
- Lessons Learned: After each bid submission (win or loss),coordinate a debrief session with the proposal team, documenting key lessons learned and recommendations for process improvement.
- Template Development: Continuously improve and update standard boilerplate language, technical approaches, and company profiles to streamline future proposal development.
Qualifications and Experience
- Education (Essential): Bachelor's degree in Economics.
- Education (Desirable): A Master's degree in Economics,Finance, or an MBA will be considered a strong advantage.Acertification in project management or tender management(e.g., APS, CIPS) is a plus.
- Added advantage: Fluency in Somali language
- Experience: Minimum of 3-5 years of proven, hands-on experience in a similar role, specifically managing tenders, RFPs, or business proposals within a corporate, consulting, or multi-sector environment in Nairobi.
- Sector Knowledge: Familiarity with the regulatory and procurement landscapes in e.g. logistics, or NGO/donor funding is highly desirable.
Required Skills and Competencies
- Analytical Thinking: Strong ability to interpret tender data, analyze market trends, and apply commercial reasoning to bid strategies.
- Commercial Acumen: Understanding of pricing strategies, cost structures, and the economic factors that influence client decision-making.
- Writing Excellence: Exceptional command of written and spoken English, with the ability to synthesize complex technical information into clear, persuasive, and grammatically flawless prose.
- Meticulous Attention to Detail: Demonstrated ability to manage complex documents with zero tolerance for errors or omissions that could lead to disqualification.
- Deadline-Driven & Resilient: Proven track record of working under intense pressure, managing multiple proposals simultaneously, and consistently meeting tight deadlines.
- Coordination & Interpersonal Skills: Ability to influence and coordinate with internal technical experts and senior staff who do not directly report to this role.
- Technical Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Familiarity with graphic design software (Canva, Adobe InDesign) or proposal management software is an added advantage.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Submission Rate: 100% on-time submission of all assigned tenders.
- Compliance Rate: Zero disqualifications due to noncompliance, administrative errors, or missing documents.
- Win Rate: Measurable improvement in the ratio of proposals submitted versus contracts awarded.
- Pipeline Growth: Quality and quantity of new opportunities identified and added to the tracking system.
- Knowledge Management: Successful establishment and utilization of a centralized proposal database/library by end of probation period.
Key Deliverables (First 3 Months)
1. Conduct a comprehensive audit of the current proposal filing system and present a structured plan for reorganizing the database.
2. Successfully manage at least 3-5 tender submissions from receipt to submission with minimal supervision.
3. Develop a standardized bid tracking sheet and compliance checklist for use by the team.
4. Present a market intelligence report mapping potential partners and key clients for the upcoming financial year.
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