Bid Business Development Manager, Sustainable Ventures

We are looking for a Bid Business Development Manager to join our vibrant Commercial team. As Bid Business Development Manager for Sustainable Ventures, your core mission is to secure government and local authority funding for our startup innovation support programmes. Your role centres on fostering key relationships and overseeing the bid response process to ensure successful funding acquisition.

The Role 

Reporting into our Commercial Director, you will work closely with business unit heads, and partners, across the business to build and nurture commercial relationships. 

Key responsibilities:

• Relationship cultivation:
• Engage authorities: Develop and nurture strong connections with local authorities, governments and corporations to understand funding opportunities aligned with our startup support initiatives.
• Bid process management:
• End-to-end oversight: Lead the bid response process, managing internal resources and external writing agencies to craft and submit high-quality funding bids.
• Strategic planning:
• Bid strategy development: Formulate tailored strategies for each funding opportunity, outlining compelling value propositions aligned with program objectives.
• Agency collaboration:
• External partnerships: Manage relationships with writing agencies, ensuring alignment with our goals and optimising their contribution to successful bid responses.
• Documentation and compliance:
• Information coordination: Gather and organise essential bid information, ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines and standards.

Requirements

/ We expect you to have

• Proven track record in business development or bid management within Government/ Local Authorities
• Strong grasp of government funding processes and local authority dynamics 
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills to foster stakeholder relationships.
• Project management experience. 
• Strategic thinker with impeccable organisational abilities to handle multiple bids efficiently.

/ Desirable

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Sustainability, or related fields. Advanced qualifications are a plus.
• 2+ years relevant experience

Benefits

/ Additional details

• Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week. Flexible working (with minimum 3 days in the office).
• Remuneration: £49k - £54k per annum.

• Based: Sustainable County Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 7PB 

/ Benefits include

• 25 days Holiday + Bank Hols
• Monthly Wellness Day (for rest, recharge and relaxation)
• Paid Sick Leave
• Private Health Insurance Scheme
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Vehicle Lease Scheme
• Discounts on sustainable brands in our ecosystem
• Monthly Lunch & Learns

Additional benefits that follow longer term service:

• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave & Pay
• Monthly Sabbatical (every 5 years)

As you grow with us, you can access additional benefits, including a Learning & Development allowance; enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave & pay; and a monthly sabbatical every 5 years of dedicated service.

/ Diversity 

Our people are the heart of Sustainable Ventures. We’re an equal opportunity employer, committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can be themselves at work. The climate crisis is a social and inclusion issue, and we especially encourage applications from individuals underrepresented in the climate space. We welcome applicants with diverse experiences.

About Sustainable Ventures

We are Europe’s largest ecosystem of climate tech startups. Following our recent expansion of our Central London headquarters, we’re focused on our mission to develop 1000 new businesses by 2025, and expand our operations across UK regions.

Our impact on the planet’s climate and its natural resources is being felt more often and by more people than ever before. It is clear that significant changes must be made to achieve the targets set by the IPCC and reach Net Zero by 2050. This presents the world’s biggest challenge and it is something that SV has been addressing since 2011. We believe in the power of commercial innovation to address the twin challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.

Over the past 12 years we have expanded our services to cover: Investment with 45+ investments, Workspaces with 100+ member companies, and 500+ businesses supported to scale. These startups have created 5500 jobs and raised over £1bn of investment, a number of which have been acquired by corporates e.g. Ecar Club by Europcar, Zeigo by Schneider Electric, and Sennen by Octopus Energy.

We have also recently secured a strategic equity investment led by Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital. This investment will be applied to fund the Company’s growth plans, including the launch of regional locations across the UK and expanding the professional services provided to startups and scaleups. In addition, we’ll be working in partnership with Barclays, to leverage their experience as an advisor, bank and investor through developing a number of joint initiatives to accelerate the net zero innovation sector. 

/ Application instructions

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

/ Recruitment process

• 30 min phone screening interview
• Two-stage in-person interviews with the Commercial Director, and Board Director

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