Tender and Contracts Manager

At Hft, our vision is to create a future where learning disabled people can live the best life possible. We do this by coming together to campaign for positive change, provide personalised support and create solutions that enable people to live independently. We’re looking for an experienced Tender and Contracts Manager to join our Business Development team and play a key role in helping Hft win new business, retain existing contracts and grow our income. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys bringing together commercial thinking, exceptional writing, project management and stakeholder engagement. You’ll take ownership of the end-to-end tender process, from identifying opportunities and making go/no-go recommendations through to submission and post-tender review. You’ll also manage the income contract lifecycle, ensuring our contracts are well governed, compliant and effectively managed from award through to renewal. What you'll be doing You’ll be the central point of contact for tendering and contract management activity across Hft, working with colleagues across finance, operations, legal, governance, marketing and communications, as well as external partners. Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the full tender lifecycle, from opportunity identification and go/no-go decisions through to contract award.
• Monitoring procurement portals and relevant platforms to identify new business opportunities.
• Coordinating internal and external contributors to ensure high-quality, timely submissions.
• Writing, editing and quality-assuring compelling tender responses that directly address evaluation criteria.
• Translating complex operational, technical and commercial information into clear and persuasive narratives.
• Developing strong value propositions, win themes, case studies and supporting evidence.
• Maintaining a central bid content library and ensuring our tender materials remain accurate, current and effective.
• Developing supporting tender documentation, including methodologies, pricing narratives, mobilisation plans and social value commitments.
• Managing the full income contract lifecycle, including awards, variations, amendments, renewals and change control.
• Maintaining an accurate contract register and monitoring key dates, obligations, risks and milestones.
• Working closely with finance and governance colleagues to ensure appropriate oversight, approval and risk management.
• Providing clear reporting and insight to senior leaders on the tender pipeline, contract portfolio, risks and commercial commitments.
• Leading post-tender debriefs and using feedback and lessons learned to continually improve our approach.
• Helping to build Hft’s organisational capability through training, guidance and support for colleagues involved in bid and tender activity. What we're looking for We're looking for an experienced bid, tender or proposal professional who can combine excellent written communication with strong commercial and project management skills. You'll ideally have:
• At least 3 years' experience in a bid, tender or proposal management role.
• A proven track record of managing end-to-end tender processes and producing successful submissions.
• Experience of managing contract variations, renewals and change control.
• Experience managing multiple bids and live contracts against demanding deadlines.
• Excellent written, editing and proofreading skills, with a strong eye for detail.
• The ability to understand complex procurement and contractual documentation and turn requirements into clear actions.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to influence and coordinate colleagues at all levels.
• Sound commercial judgement and the ability to identify and escalate contractual and financial risks.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to remain calm while managing competing priorities.
• An understanding of governance, delegated authority, risk and audit requirements.
• Knowledge of UK public procurement legislation, including the Procurement Act 2023. If you're an experienced bid and contract professional looking for a role where you can make a real difference, influence strategic decisions and help shape how an organisation approaches growth and commercial opportunities, we'd love to hear from you