BD Manager

Senior Manager / Senior Program Manager - Bid Management & Pursuit Excellence

About the role

As a Senior Manager / Senior Program Manager - Bid Management & Pursuit Excellence, you will make an impact by leading strategic pursuits and managing the end-to-end bid lifecycle across complex opportunities. You will be a valued member of the sales and pursuit organization, collaborating closely with business leaders, account teams, delivery stakeholders, commercial teams, and industry practices to drive growth, win new business, and accelerate market expansion.

In this role, you will:

• Lead end-to-end bid management activities for strategic pursuits, including RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, and proactive opportunities.
• Partner with account, commercial, delivery, and practice teams to develop compelling value propositions, executive summaries, and differentiated client-facing content.
• Build and manage pursuit strategies, governance processes, timelines, and stakeholder communication throughout the opportunity lifecycle.
• Drive solutioning and pricing activities in collaboration with business and delivery teams to develop competitive and commercially viable proposals.
• Analyze portfolio performance through win-loss tracking, pipeline reporting, and pursuit analytics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and business growth.

Work model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring attendance at a Cognizant office or client location as needed.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

What you need to have to be considered

• 8-11 years of experience for Senior Manager level or 11-13 years of experience for Senior Program Manager level in bid management, pre-sales, pursuit management, or business development roles.
• Proven experience managing complex pursuits across application development, application support, and digital transformation engagements.
• Strong understanding of client requirements and the ability to create compelling proposals, executive summaries, presentations, and pursuit strategies.
• Hands-on experience with solution development, commercial modeling, and pricing activities for RFP, RFI, and RFQ responses.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders, including sales, delivery, commercial, and industry teams, to drive successful client outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in win-loss analysis, pursuit metrics reporting, pipeline management, and portfolio performance tracking.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills.

These will help you stand out

• Experience supporting pursuits across industries such as Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Insurance, Retail and Consumer Goods, Technology, and Communications.
• Experience developing proactive client presentations, capability pitches, and industry-focused growth initiatives.
• Knowledge of AI-enabled tools, accelerators, and automation solutions used throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
• Exposure to Enterprise Integration and Process Orchestration platforms and technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to practice growth initiatives, pipeline development, and strategic business planning.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

Suggested ATS Title: Senior Manager / Senior Program Manager - Bid Management & Pursuit Excellence
Job Category: Consulting or Sales & Marketing (depending on reporting structure)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Model: Hybrid