Bid Writer

Senior Business Development Specialist

Portable is growing and we are looking for a passionate and motivated person to join our awesome Business Development, Marketing and Client Partnerships team. We are open to people based around Australia, most of the team are in Melbourne. 

We are a design and technology company that cares about people and the world. Our purpose is to seek out areas of social need and policy failure and make transformational change using design and technology. Our clients and partners are as passionate as we are, and are working in top government agencies and nonprofit organisations across the country. Our job is to help them define, design and deliver new products, services and ways of working.

There are currently 60+ of us working as researchers, strategists, designers, developers, producers and visionaries towards our mission from our office in Collingwood and remotely across the country. We’re a progressive, inclusive organisation, we’re growing and we’re seeking people who want to help us create impact in the world.

Our Business Development, Marketing, and Client Partnerships team is a vital part of the success of our business, as they are there to help us win work which aligns with our vision and mission. They do this by responding to tenders, building relationships with existing clients, and finding new people to connect with that align with our areas of interest. 

This role will see you apply your outstanding organisation and time management skills to help us win new work and extend existing partnerships. You will work right across our business with all sorts of interesting people to support them in responding to requests with proposals and tenders that are easy to understand, accurate and delivered on time. Your strong written and verbal communication skills help you achieve this, as well as when you are presenting to potential clients. 

You take pride in maintaining libraries of content and guidance that support you and others to craft high-quality, winning proposals efficiently. You are keen to learn the business, and then to guide it in developing responses with strong win themes and collaborative input.

You are an expert in successfully managing competing priorities and know when to drop one thing to pick something else up. But you always go back and finish what you started, and you help others do this whilst maintaining great working relationships. You are self starting and are not afraid to get on the tools and have a go. As well as working across the business, you work very closely with the rest  of the Business Development, Marketing and Client Partner team. You are part of this well oiled machine, ready to jump in and help where needed, and to celebrate successes when they come. 

• Worked with the Design As A Service team to create a proposal for a co-design process with a federal government department to help establish a new mental health body
• Met with one of our product teams to handover a project we just won
• Scanned our shared inboxes and request for tender lists for new interesting opportunities which reflect our capability and goals to share with the team
• Lead discussions with the Business Directors in qualifying new opportunities 
• Met with some new team members to understand their skills and experience, and craft their professional bios
• Met with potential clients to scope out new opportunities, or to receive feedback on unsuccessful tenders
• Spent some time exploring the cool cafes and shops in Collingwood with your colleagues, as well as hanging out with a couple of the office dogs, Taito and Dyson

• High quality tenders and proposals are efficiently planned, crafted and submitted on time
• You are able to work across the business to gather the right information, approaches to put together successful bids. You’re able to work with internal teams to define budgets, scope and options for clients. 
• Our CRM (Hubspot) has an accurate and relevant record of all contacts and opportunities, including deal values and pipeline information 
• More leads are qualified and enquiries from new contacts are followed up quickly
• Proposals and tenders we win are smoothly transitioned to delivery
• High quality case studies, reusable proposal content, templates and decks, and other key information is ready for use in winning work, and continually improved

• Have great customer service and develop a rapport with new clients and quickly understand their business needs
• Are a team player and are able to work well with others, receive direction, provide constructive feedback on approaches and learn from feedback given to you
• Have the confidence to learn and proactively guide the business and teams in understanding and responding well to client requests and deadlines
• Have excellent writing and storytelling skills, enjoy writing and proofreading. The Business Development, Marketing and Client Partnerships team do a lot of writing so this job isn’t for you if that is not your thing!
• Are a great listener with strong reading comprehension skills and an ability to effectively problem-solve. This job is all about reading and understanding large amounts of information, distilling the most important points and being able to figure out a solution.
• Are able and confident to attend meetings with potential new clients and present at competitive pitches to win new work
• Experience in writing proposals and responding to requests for tender, especially in the federal government, not-for-profit and/or grant space
• Are looking to take the next step in your career in business development, have experience in working in a very similar role at a design or technology agency, or you may have had experience in administration, customer service, digital production, sales or marketing roles

The salary range for this role is between $100,000 - $130,000 + super, depending on your level of experience. We are committed to building a diverse and equal team - people from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Flexible working options are available for this role including part time options.  

Other benefits include: 

• Flexible working conditions including working from home
• Bonus annual leave based on tenure
• Paid volunteering leave
• Option to purchase additional leave
• Employee share scheme 
• Annual professional development budget 
• Access to our Emerging Leaders program and a range of other professional development initiatives 

Still reading? Great! If this opportunity sounds appealing, please apply by clicking the link below and providing your resume and your cover letter. We are keen to hear why this is the right role for you, what you can bring and also to understand relevant experience which will set you up for success, so please be sure to mention these in your cover letter. This is crucial so please include it or we will be unable to review your application - we promise we read them!