Bid Specialist

Based in Karachi, Pakistan (preferred) or Portugal (working GCC hours), this full-time role at j. awan & partners offers a unique opportunity to lead the development of a sustainable tender pipeline across eight diverse service lines. As the largest home-grown GRC advisory firm in the GCC, the company operates with over 50 compliance specialists across multiple global offices, serving clients such as government entities, regulators, banks, and insurers. The Bid Specialist will focus on identifying, qualifying, and managing formal procurement opportunities, ensuring no relevant tenders are missed and that submissions meet the highest standards of compliance and accuracy.

Key Responsibilities

- Coverage and Discovery: Maintain and update an internal coverage register that tracks procurement portals, supplier networks, and corporate procurement departments. Configure alerts and aggregator feeds by service line, monitor mailboxes, and log all relevant solicitations in the CRM system to ensure 95%+ opportunity capture.

- Supplier Access and Registration: Manage the Supplier Access Program by engaging with procurement departments of target clients, completing vendor registration and due diligence, and maintaining current portal profiles and category codes. Ensure zero lapses in registrations and growing approved supplier status.

- Qualification and Briefing: Thoroughly review tender documents including addenda, screen out non-qualifying opportunities, and prepare concise briefs with clear Yes/No recommendations for practice stakeholders. Achieve over 80% agreement on recommendations and prevent late disqualifications.

- Bid Coordination and Packaging: Initiate every approved bid with a compliance matrix and response structure, manage clarifications and addenda, and compile all required documents according to tender instructions. Secure necessary sign-offs and ensure submissions are uploaded before deadlines with zero administrative rejections.

- Bid Performance and Improvement: Track bid outcomes with detailed reason codes, request debriefs on lost tenders, and analyze win rates, cycle times, and competitor intelligence. Publish monthly reports with actionable recommendations and continuously improve processes.

- Vendor Procurement (Secondary): Conduct RFQs and quotation comparisons, maintain the vendor register, track renewals, and collect vendor certificates, dedicating up to 15% of capacity to these tasks.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Law, Finance, or a related discipline. Practical output and results are valued over formal credentials.

- 4-6 years of experience in bid management, tender coordination, or procurement within professional services, consulting, or financial services sectors.

- Proven hands-on experience with GCC e-procurement platforms and supplier networks, including successful vendor registrations with corporate procurement departments.

- Strong commercial judgment to confidently recommend Go/No-Go decisions based on thorough tender analysis.

- Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple bids concurrently, ensuring compliance and timely submissions.

- Familiarity with GCC procurement processes, government and financial institution requirements, local content rules, and bid bonds.

- Analytical mindset to interpret bid data and maintain accurate records in CRM and tracking systems.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- Experience with platforms such as Etimad, Dubai eSupply, Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate, Monaqasat, or SAP Ariba.

- Background in GRC or regulatory advisory environments.

- Arabic reading skills are a strong advantage.

- Certifications or exposure to APMP Foundation, CIPS, or Lean methodologies.

- Advanced proficiency in Excel; familiarity with HubSpot and Power BI is beneficial.

- Competitive salary with performance bonuses linked to tender pipeline growth, supplier access, and submission quality.

- Opportunity to build and scale the firm’s tender channel with clear progression paths to Bid Manager or Head of Bids and Tenders.

- Direct engagement with senior leadership including the Group Director and partners.

- Comprehensive medical insurance, paid leave, and additional benefits provided as part of the employment package.

This role requires a proactive, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement in bid management.