Building on my project lead experience as a BDO with Lifeline, I was promoted to Business and Service Development Lead with the following additional responsibilities: - Taking the lead on the bidding and tender process from start to finish, managing staff members and contributors at all levels, supervising tender budgets and ensuring quality standards and deadlines were met; - Supporting the successful implementation of new services across the North; - Representing the Business Development Unit at a variety of networking events across the UK; - Project managing a portfolio of new business opportunity projects within the public health field, including smoking cessation; nutrition and fitness; learning disabilities; sexual health and mental health.

Working for the North Directorate of a national substance use charity, I am responsible for co-ordinating and managing the bids and tenders process and supporting service managers with grants and funding applications.It is essential that I maintain an excellent knowledge of all local and national policy, strategy, guidance and best practice with regards to substance use, including keeping up to date with emerging challenges such as new psychoactive substance (NPS) or "legal highs".I am also required to be creative and forward-thinking to consistently produce high-quality, visually compelling and relevant bids. This involves undertaking extensive research about the organisation and areas for which I am bidding and ensuring that Lifeline's submission is individually tailored to meet the individual needs of the commissioner.Working alongside Heads of Directorate and service managers, I am also required to develop service and staffing models for prospective bids and liaise closely with the Finance Directorate regarding budgets and pricing. I also support the implementation of services we have won which includes supporting service set-up, TUPE processes and job matching.My role also includes producing and participating in tender presentations to commissioning and service user panels, ensuring each pitch is tailored to local needs.During my first year at Lifeline, I have also taken the lead on a project around Transforming Rehabilitation, attending networking events and meetings, and providing regular briefings for the Senior Executive Team around fast-paced and complex changes and reforms in the Ministry of Justice and Probation agendas.

Working for a leading not-for-profit organisation specialising in learning disability and mental health services, my role was to write successful bids and tenders, developing additional business and contracts for the organisation.Within this position, I was required to become rapidly familiar with the bidding and tender process from start to finish. This included formal expressions of interest, completing Pre-Qualification Questionnaires and writing comprehensive method statements demonstrating the organisation's capability to deliver a service. It was also essential that I developed an excellent knowledge of national policy, guidance and legislation relating to health and social care to ensure that our submissions were fully aligned with commissioners' needs and evidence-based best practice.The post also involved researching specific areas or local authorities and their individual needs, contributing to the content of presentations, developing and writing organisational policies and attending information and networking events.Throughout this role I demonstrated a professional attitude, excellent written and verbal communication skills and was a dedicated team player.

Within this role I advised members of the children and young people's workforce in England about statutory requirements, qualifications, training, career progression, integrated working, best practice and legislation in areas such as early years, residential care, foster care and learning and development support services.My responsibilities included maintaining up to date knowledge of the relevant government polciies and developments in legislation within these areas, as well as any new projects that are in the pipeline.I researched various aspects of the current children and young people's workforce agenda and the agendas of our stakeholders, including the Department for Education.