Core to the success of EiB is its people. The team of Professional Heads play a crucial role in leading teams of Bid Directors, Managers and Writers, with over 40 strategic work winning professionals at EiB. With their expertise, they provide guidance and direction to ensure our teams are reaching their full potential. With this in mind, it’s worth getting an insight to their roles and aspirations for 2024.

Professional Head of Bid Direction and Management, Sam Burns

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

Supporting the development of our senior, experienced team is incredibly rewarding. This ensures we stay ahead of best practice and continue to deliver an exceptional quality to our clients. We continue to develop a culture where we can share learning and innovations across sectors and plan how we can create the best possible team environment that supports individuals to the best of their ability, nurturing and celebrating diversity.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

We are currently working together to develop a framework for all bid managers and directors, which offers consistency throughout the team, and provides a benchmark for what we feel the industry standard should be. I’m excited to see how we progress over the next 6-12 months, knowing the pipeline of training and development we have in place. As part of our masterclass series, we will be looking at major projects that will significantly impact the UK infrastructure footprint, and how we can help shape solutions with our clients to ensure a better and more prosperous future for us, our clients, and the people we serve.

Professional Head of Bid Writing, Frances Farren

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

Since launching our new Professional Head Structure in August, our writers are functioning more efficiently as a team. We have developed new internal tools where our writers can share knowledge, good practice, and resources; or just catch up, share non-work stories, and improve wellbeing by helping colleagues to feel less siloed.

The most rewarding part of my role has been that the whole team appear keen to develop and learn from each other now that they have improved contact. My philosophy is ‘we leave no-one behind’, so we have set up a system where we provide mentoring and support for people on lone bids, or for less experienced writers, to ensure we all reach deadlines at the same time, with the right quality.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

I am looking forward to seeing our team expand further. With a Deputy Professional Head of Bid Writing now in place, we can share the load and benefit from the ideas and experience we are both keen to bring to the team. We will be looking at targeted training and development for both writing and behavioural skills, to ensure we continue to provide a first-class service to our clients and contribute to EiB’s continued growth.

Professional Head of Graduate Development, Rebecca Amps

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

As Professional Head of Graduate Development, I lead the EiB graduate programme working alongside our Graduate Mentor Stacey Macdonald. This has proved hugely successful, with EiB graduates nominated at the APMP Awards in the Best Newcomer category for four years running. For some of our graduates, this is their first role in bidding. The most rewarding part of my Professional Head role is contributing to their continual professional development as they gain experience within the industry.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

I am most looking forward to recruiting and training our newest cohort of graduates, contributing to the expansion of the EiB team. Our graduates join our team with exceptional writing skills, receiving dedicated support to develop their natural skills and competencies, enabling them to flourish as successful bid writers who drive success for our clients.