About the Role
The Commercial Operations Manager owns a portfolio of new business opportunities end to end, from pitch through to contract, and begins to manage junior team members. This role blends process discipline with the creativity and client-facing confidence needed to lead pitches. This is a 15 month Fixed Term Contract.
Responsibilities
- Own the bid lifecycle for assigned opportunities end to end, from initial opportunity assessment through to submission and post-bid debrief.
- Lead selected pitch workstreams and RFI/RFP responses from brief through to submission, engaging specialist teams and international contacts where relevant.
- Write and shape compelling, technically accurate proposal content, including executive summaries, management plans and case studies, that answers the brief and reflects current market context.
- Lead pitch rehearsals and debriefs, setting the standard for how the team prepares and improves between opportunities.
- Own the credentials and case study library for an assigned sector or client set, ensuring materials stay current and impactful.
- Use the opportunity tracker and Synergist reporting to prioritise where time and resource are spent across the pipeline.
- Collaborate on the negotiation of SOWs and work orders with clients, escalating MSA-level or high-risk terms to the Commercial Operations Director or legal counsel.
- Review contracts for commercial red flags (termination, pass-through costs, payment terms, liability) and manage redlines with Commercial Operations Director and legal counsel.
- Support on service upsells for existing clients, working with delivery teams to scope any additional value Right Formula could add.
- Develop and pitch new sponsorship opportunities for existing clients, including ideas flagged by Senior Commercial Operations Executives, taking them from concept through to client conversation.
- Mentor junior team members, reviewing their work and supporting their growth.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of Right Formula's pitch process, templates and commercial documentation standards.
Requirements
- Proven experience running bids or pitches end to end, from opportunity assessment through submission to post-bid debrief.
- Strong proposal writing skills, with the ability to produce clear, technically accurate content — executive summaries, management plans and case studies — that answers the brief.
- Experience leading pitch workstreams and RFI/RFP responses, coordinating specialist and international contributors to deadline.
- Commercial contract literacy: able to review SOWs and work orders, spot red flags around termination, pass-through costs, payment terms and liability, and know when to escalate to senior or legal counsel.
- A track record of identifying and pitching upsell or new sponsorship opportunities within existing accounts, working with delivery teams to scope the value.
- Confident client-facing presence, comfortable leading pitch rehearsals, debriefs and negotiation conversations.
- Experience mentoring or reviewing the work of junior colleagues and getting the best out of specialist teams without formal authority.
- Disciplined use of pipeline and reporting tools to prioritise time and resource across a portfolio of opportunities.
- Organised and calm under pressure, holding standards through tight deadlines and late changes without passing stress down to the team.
Skills
- Proposal writing
- Bid leadership
- RFI/RFP response
- Commercial contract negotiation
- Client-facing communication
- Mentoring
- Pipeline management
- Time management
- Stress management
Location
- UK
- US
Work Type
- Hybrid working
- Fixed Term Contract
Experience Level
- Manager
Benefits
- Flexible hours with core working hours between 10am – 4pm
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Gym & Retail Discounts
- Enhanced Employer Pension contribution
- Mental Wellbeing Day & Volunteer Day in addition to annual leave
- Sabbatical Leave in conjunction with long-service
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Private Healthcare (after successfully passing probation)
- £500 per annum individual training budget (after successfully passing probation)
- Cycle to work scheme (after successfully passing probation)
- Payroll giving (after successfully passing probation)
- Season Ticket Loan (after successfully passing probation)
- Work From Anywhere Allowance (after successfully passing probation)
About the Company
- At Right Formula, we enable brands to push the limits of sports marketing through a unique blend of expertise, ingenuity and agility that we call the Right Formula.
- Our complete 360-degree service offering takes brands from partnership identification through to the delivery of fully integrated marketing strategies.
- With offices in the UK and the US, we support clients worldwide, helping them to accelerate growth through the power of sport.
