Bid Manager

IFS develops and delivers enterprise software for customers around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. We offer applications that enable companies to respond quickly to market changes and use resources in a more agile way to achieve better business performance and competitive advantages. IFS’s products are known for being user friendly, modular in their design and flexible enough to support the customers in their way of working according to their established processes. IFS was founded in 1983, currently has over 4,000 employees, and supports more than ten thousand customers worldwide from a network of local offices and through our growing ecosystem of partners.

In 2020, IFS acquired Clevest Solutions Inc., the leading provider of mobile workforce management and advanced network deployment solutions in the utilities vertical. The Bid Manager Specialist will support the Clevest line of business within IFS. Clevest’s mobile applications and platforms enable gas, water, and electric utilities to scale their workforce in the field and leverage the latest technologies in their day-to-day work. We enable utilities to transform their field operations by rapidly automating and optimizing any field work activity or process to improve response time and effectiveness. Our platforms offers utility operations personnel in both the office and field improved location and situational awareness for faster, more intelligent decision-making, greater safety and easier regulatory compliance.

 JOB SUMMARY

The Bid Manager works directly with internal stakeholders such as Sales, Consulting, Support and other local, regional and global supporting resources to support in winning deals by leading RFx processes. 

The Bid Manager organizes and oversees proposal writing, editing, graphics and production efforts in response to RFx. The Bid Manager prepares executive summaries and cover letters.

 Typical tasks include:

• Analyzing the documentation from the prospect and understanding the clients’ specific requirements; identifying a strategy for completion; raising red flags/areas of concern/potential risks
• Working with the Sales team to devise a successful strategy for winning a bid, including pinpointing the unique selling points (key differentiators) of IFS
• Creating a project plan and setting key internal milestones, making assignments, ensuring correct resources are available
• Leading the bid project team during the bid process, conducting cadence calls, and ensuring internal deadlines are met
• Researching, writing, editing
• Compiling final responses
• creating a bid that has the professional flow, look and feel aligned to IFS brand and marketing objectives, with a consistent ‘voice’ across all documents
• Adding and/or writing new content to a repository of bid responses for future reference

Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of our team is currently working from home.  The onboarding and training for this role will be done remotely and business travel has been restricted until further notice. 

Required Skills & Experience:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of proposal management experience, preferably with a technology company
• Proven skills in writing and editing content within a complex, technical business environment
• Proven interviewing, analysis, and project management skills
• Proven ability to cultivate consensus, multitask, and be flexible and responsive to quickly changing demands
• Ensuring quality and consistency of the company’s branding in proposal materials.
• Maintaining compliance and adherence to proposal document deadlines and requirements.
• Dynamic interpersonal skills to interact with all levels of management
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint as well as MS Teams, SharePoint, and Adobe documents

 Qualifications:

•  Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, or a related discipline required
• Strategic thinker with excellent organizational and analytic skills and strong attention to detail
• Exceptional communication skills and emotional intelligence with a demonstrated ability to work in a self-directed manner under deadlines in a dynamic work environment
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple ongoing projects in a rapidly growing, fast-paced, interactive, results-based team environment
• APMP Certification would be considered an asset

 How to apply

Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter (in Word or PDF formats only) outlining your experience as it relates to the above responsibilities and qualifications 

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