Bid Writing and Business Development Lead

Do you feel passionately about improving the life chances of children, young people and families? Are you excited to drive growth of the charity’s research and design consultancy by identifying and securing new opportunities for funding and impact? Do you have the skill and experience to lead our responses to six figure competitive bidding processes?

Dartington Service Design Lab is an internationally respected social research and design charity focussed on using evidence to help those working with children and young people have a greater impact. We have over 60 years of experience working across the public and voluntary sectors to improve the lives of children and young people. 

We are seeking an individual experienced in developing bids in response to tenders and other partnerships. The role will lead the end-to-end bidding process, from identifying and nurturing suitable applied research, service design and consultancy opportunities and invitations to tender, developing compelling proposals (involving the wider team as required), managing bid submissions, adherence to compliance requirements and deadlines, and supporting the team with preparation for interviews. Successful candidates will have at least three years’ experience in a bidding or business development role, within the social research, consulting or charity sector. Key responsibilities are outlined in the job description document.

If we’re going to design impactful supports for children and families, we need to ensure our team is inclusive. Dartington Service Design Lab encourages applications from all backgrounds and strives to have a team with diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We are committed to progressing an anti-racist approach in all areas of our work. Join us if you are passionate about social justice. 

Don’t meet every single requirement outlined in the Job Description? Studies have shown that women and racially minoritised groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single requirement. Dartington Service Design Lab is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person to help us achieve our impact for children and young people. 

The successful candidate will enjoy a varied and independent role - working with great colleagues and partners on a wide range of business development opportunities. The work is rarely routine. We are often experimenting and trying to innovate with those who we work with. We value empathy and collaboration and a focus on using evidence for social good.

As a team, we operate remotely across the UK. The successful candidate may be based anywhere in the UK. Our staff tend to work from home or when appropriate, together in local co-working spaces, and normally, every quarter we meet as a whole team in our beautiful Devon office.

The post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.