Northeast (Darlington & Sedgefield) | Hybrid Working | £47,693 - £59,693
About the Role:
CPI is seeking a Bid Development Manager to support the development of a pipeline of public funded collaborative R&D and innovation projects in the Pharma and HealthTech sectors from concept through to submission and contracting.
This is a highly visible role that sits at the intersection of science, innovation, and business development. Working with technical teams, industry partners, funding bodies, and external stakeholders, you will be responsible for turning innovative ideas into successful funding proposals that drive growth and capability across the organisation.
While bid writing is an important aspect of the position, this is much more than a proposal-writing role. You'll be actively building networks, identifying funding opportunities, developing consortia, coordinating stakeholders, and helping shape future innovation programmes from concept through to submission and delivery.
What You'll Be Responsible For:
Opportunity Identification & Network Building
Identify funding opportunities across programmes such as Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, and other collaborative funding schemes
Build and maintain strong relationships with industry, academic, healthcare, and innovation partners
Attend conferences, networking events, and brokerage activities to identify new opportunities and generate leads
Develop a deep understanding of funding landscapes, emerging technologies, and market trends within Pharma and HealthTech Bid & Proposal Development
Lead the development of collaborative R&D proposals from concept to submission
Coordinate technical, commercial, and strategic inputs from stakeholders across the business
Manage proposal writing, review, and submission activities
Ensure bids are compelling, compliant, accurately costed, and aligned with organisational strategy
Identify and manage commercial, technical, and reputational risks throughout the proposal process Consortium Development & Stakeholder Management
Build and coordinate multi-partner consortia
Facilitate discussions between partners to develop innovative project concepts
Influence and motivate stakeholders to contribute effectively to proposals
Work collaboratively with technical teams, legal, finance, project management, strategy, and business development colleagues to achieve successful outcomesPipeline Management & Commercial Delivery
Manage opportunities through the CRM system and maintain accurate records and reporting
Contribute towards agreed business development and funding targets
Support contracting activities alongside legal teams
Work closely with project delivery teams to ensure smooth transition from award through to project executionContinuous Improvement
Capture lessons learned from submitted and awarded projects
Support development of future funding strategies and bid pipelines
Share best practice across teams and contribute to ongoing process improvement
About You
You are a commercially aware professional with a passion for innovation and a strong ability to bring people together around a common goal.
You'll bring:
A degree in a scientific or business-related discipline with industrial experience within Pharma, HealthTech, MedTech, Life Sciences, or healthcare-related sectors
Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills
An ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneouslyHighly desirable:
Previous bid development, proposal management, grant funding, or business development experience
Experience developing collaborative R&D projects or consortium-based funding applications
Familiarity with InnovateUK, Horizon Europe, or similar funding programmes
Experience working within research, innovation, or technology environments
Proven technical or scientific writing skills
We're particularly interested in candidates who combine a scientific background with strong business acumen, but we'd also welcome applications from individuals who have developed commercial or bid management expertise and have exposure to the Pharma or HealthTech sectors.
Why Join CPI?
Play a key role in developing future innovation programmes within Pharma and HealthTech
Build relationships with leading businesses, universities, healthcare organisations, and funding bodies
Work on impactful projects that help bring new technologies and therapies closer to market
Collaborative and supportive working environment
Competitive salary (£47,693 - £59,693)
Location & Working Pattern
Hybrid working arrangement
Primarily aligned to CPI's Darlington and Sedgefield sites
Increased on-site presence during onboarding to support relationship building
Monday-Thursday: 08:30 - 17:00, Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
The Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys combining science, strategy, relationship-building, and commercial thinking. You'll help shape future innovation projects, influence significant funding opportunities, and play a key role in bringing together the right people, partners, and ideas to deliver meaningful impact across the Pharma and HealthTech sectors
Guidant, Carbon60, Lorien & SRG - The Impellam Group Portfolio are acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy
Salary description
£47693.00 - £59693.00 per year