Bid Director Candidate Information Pack
Introduction
We are the UK’s leading provider of on-campus residential and academic accommodation infrastructure. We have over 35,000 rooms in operation or under construction through long- term, bespoke partnerships with 15 leading UK universities. With approximately 1000 employees, since 1998 UPP has invested well over £3.5bn in the UK higher education sector and provided homes to over 400,000 students. Our unique, long-term partnership approach enables our university partners to develop their estates whilst reinvesting in their core services of teaching and research. We design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) new, on-campus residential and academic infrastructure, and complete estate transfers of existing accommodation, for concession periods ranging from 40 years to 125 years. By providing high-quality and affordable accommodation on campus we aim to deliver the very best student experience in partnership with universities.
We create an environment for students to live and learn, so that they can get the most out of their university experience.
1998
15
Company established
Long term partnerships with world-class universities
1000 Employees
35,000
Rooms
£3.5bn + 400,000
Students supported
Invested in the UK higher education sector
1 2 3 4 5 Our Priorities:
Our Purpose To collaborate with our university partners to reinvent the way that students live and learn at university by sustainably transforming the campus experience Our Vision To be the leading infrastructure and services partner to UK universities by delivering next-generation low carbon campuses Our Strategy To preserve and grow the value of our business through partnership, innovation and delivery Our Culture A commercially focused, high performing, customer and results orientated organisation that operates with energy, pace and passion
Preserve Preserving value by driving occupancy; actively managing our assets and investments, and elevating service delivery.
Grow Developing new business opportunities with existing and new university partners.
Partner Acting as a true, long-term partner working in collaboration with universities.
Innovate Innovating to co-create next generation sustainable campuses.
Deliver Focusing on operational excellence and strong service delivery.
Student Experience Great space and services with student experience built in. Our partnerships enhance the support and connection we have with the students who make their home with us. We currently manage the needs of more than 35,000 students every term and this means we never stop learning and we share our experience with our partners. We also know that every university is as unique as the thousands of students it serves and this ensures that we are never complacent, and never take a one size fits all view. Listening, responding, adapting Students can be demanding, and their needs constantly evolve. Independent qualitative and quantitative research helps us understand the evolving needs of students, and face to face focus groups and regular surveys with our residents enable us to check and adapt our approach quickly. As specialists, the quality of our teams and their in-depth understanding of the unique environment and the people for whom we provide services enables us to support universities, understand their aims and their strategy and together deliver tangible improvements to the student experience. Our design teams work to understand how students want to use space, and how they interact with each other, leading to seemingly small improvements to the specification of a bedroom, or major changes that impact on construction or technology. At UPP we aim to deliver great places to live, with student experience literally built in.
Transforming the Campus Experience At UPP we want to reinvent the way students live and learn at university by transforming the campus experience. Our new and clearly defined strategy for growth is based on our overarching mission to develop long-term partnerships, supporting universities in improving the quality of their physical infrastructure and services to students. In aligning the interests of both parties, our unique approach provides security in the delivery of revenues and, in turn, expected returns to investors. Our strategy seeks to protect and grow the value of our existing business, innovate our partnerships, and deliver the very best experiences to our student residents. Our strategy will: • Grow the number of partnerships we have with selected universities • Expand and innovate our next-generation product offer to universities • Enhance our experiential offer for our partners and their students • Empower our teams to deliver by building capability • Transform and optimise our Portfolio through strategic asset management • Drive a proactive and multi-channel approach to business origination • Develop an energetic performance culture with leadership at its heart • Embrace technology in our products and services and to improve our processes • Expand our complementary facilities management strategy
Our University Partners
1.
7.
13.
1,043 rooms University of York
1,840 rooms University of Kent
University of Durham
2.
8.
14.
University of Exeter 4,133 rooms
2,432 rooms Swansea University
Leeds Beckett University
479 rooms
3.
9.
15.
4,982 rooms University of Reading
2,223 rooms University of Nottingham
Oxford Brookes University
771 rooms
4.
10.
16.
1,310 rooms Loughborough University
1,764 rooms University of Plymouth
Nottingham Trent University
4,413 rooms
5.
11.
4,374 rooms Lancaster University
1,750 rooms University of Hull
6.
12.
1,711 rooms University of London
Imperial College London
1,364 rooms
UPP manages over 600 buildings on behalf of our University partners.
Sustainability
Today’s students are passionate about Net Zero, equality and social mobility, determined to fight hard for what they believe, from climate change to diversity to mental health and wellbeing. And like our university partners, we stand side by side with students in wanting a fair, inclusive, sustainable future for all.
SITE WASTE TO LANDFILL BY 2025 ZERO
UPP has long led the way in sustainability and responsibility.
15 % REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION INTENSITY BY 2025
Every day, we are driving new initiatives that make a difference in the communities within which we operate, from recycling white goods to fundraising for local community charities to helping students manage their personal carbon footprint more effectively. But we recognise there is more to do and that’s why our sustainability strategy sets out highly ambitious targets and commitments aligned to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). At UPP, we know these SDGs have the power to change our world for the better, to ensure our impact on both the planet and people is a positive one. That’s why we have incorporated alignment with the UN SDGs into our Environmental, Social and Governance strategy.
NET ZERO
25 % WORKFORCE TRAINED AS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS BY 2024
To find out more click here.
BY 2035
15 % REDUCTION IN ENERGY BY 2025
Bid Director Employer:
UPP Projects Limited
Business Unit:
Investment
Reports To:
Senior Bid Director
Direct Reports:
Senior Transaction Manager
Location:
London/Home
Roles and Responsibilities Business Development Activities • Play a critical role in the identification, creation and nurturing of new relationships that could lead to future business opportunities and represent UPP at business development opportunities. • Attend the Business Development Forum and support the Senior Bid Director in ensuring that new business opportunities are identified and evaluated appropriately, and that BD activities are coordinated across the business. • Own the cultivation of specified new relationships to create opportunities for growth. • Take part and represent UPP in targeted PR opportunities. • Own the project specific strategy that ensures a successful Preferred Bidder selection and subsequent financial close, including the win strategy when in competition. • Accountable for the technical, commercial, and legal input for the production of high- quality competitive bids. • Oversee the bid/pre-preferred bidder activities through to successful Financial Close. • Direct and approve the assembly and appointment of the UPP transaction team
Job Purpose Reporting to the Senior Bid Director, the Bid Director is a key role in delivering UPP’s growth plan implementing its business development strategy. The growth plan will deliver new business from existing and new Higher Education partners, across the whole of the UK. The Bid Director is responsible for the strategic leadership of new business transactions from inception to financial close. Transactions may include new build developments, estate transfers, forward-funded transactions, the re-financing of existing projects or property acquisitions and may be negotiated or competed. The Bid Director will lead and direct a project- specific transaction team, managing the individual transaction deliverables, ensuring UPP are best-placed to secure new business and subsequently efficiently reach Financial Close. Dependent on the nature and stage of live transactions the Bid Director is likely to be responsible for delivering more than one transaction at any one time. The Bid Director will support the Senior Bid Director in leading the team and developing strategies to support our growth plans and will be a key member of the Business Development Forum, where targeted engagements with new and existing partners are identified and monitored. The role requires a high level of personal and proactive relationship creation and management across the Higher Education sector, including partners, prospective partners, advisors, and supply chain. The Bid Director will act as a catalyst for continuous improvement and innovation in UPP’s products and services by actively reviewing UPP’s processes and competitive position and responding to this by consistently driving enhanced competitiveness. This role will be based in London with regular travel and overnight stays as required.
including supporting the Pre-Construction team in the procurement of a building contractor and professional consultants. • Build relationships with key stakeholders and lead dialogue and/or negotiations on behalf of UPP. • Oversee the negotiation of project documents beneficial to UPP including leases, project agreements, funding documents and FM and construction contracts. • Ensure that all transaction technical schedules accurately reflect the client and UPP requirements and will allow for the successful delivery of the project. Project Management & Reporting • Report to the Management Investment Committee (MIC) and Investment Committee on all aspects of the live transactions ensuring that all key risks are identified and mitigated appropriately. • Support and challenge the strategy behind the successful delivery of individual new transactions • Ensure a business-wide approach to
ensuring success and report on our win themes and evolving strategy to the Investment Committee and Executive Leadership Team at key milestones of the transaction programme. • For each transaction, ensure that appropriate project management controls are in place and effectively implemented • Oversee the development, and progress against a transaction programme and risk register for each transaction. • Ensure the timely production of a handover paper for UPP’s operational teams Leadership/People Management • Manage the bid/transaction team to ensure a degree of support and challenge in their day-to-day deliverables and to ensure a positive communication culture in the team that encourages personal development and reduces avoidable staff turnover. • Where line management responsibility is assumed, take ownership of direct reports’ employment including all pay, contract and scheduling decisions, as well as relevant end- to-end recruitment and selection process. • Offer structured advice, guidance and coaching to build a high performing team. • Build the capability of your team utilising the internal development offer and identifying additional external development opportunities where appropriate. Ensure realistic and stretching targets are set to drive individual and business performance.
• Create and lead a motivated and energised team, focused on working collaboratively with each other to grow our business development activities • Manager teams of multi-disciplinary professional consultants. • Act as a role model for our values and behaviours, ensure great performance is recognised and success is celebrated. Financial Management • Set and ensure compliance with approved bid budgets. • Ensure that the financial model has adequate and competitive inputs, reportable to the Investment Committee prior to a bid final submission and a Financial Close. • Assist the Senior Bid Director in setting accurate budgets, track spending against the approved budget and ensure any risk to overspend is effectively communicated. • Forecast and plan projects, securing the Other • Undertake other development and management activities as instructed by the Senior Bid Director • Any other duties as required to achieve preferred bidder status and subsequent financial close of a transaction. required resourcing levels to support business and project requirements.
Person Specification
• Strong understanding of construction procurement and associated pricing • Strong project management skills
Experience
Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability
Education/ Qualifications
Essential Criteria • Identification and optimisation of new business opportunities by proactive means • Proven track record in managing bids from inception to completion, including developing bid strategies, coordinating bid teams, and ensuring compliance with client requirements • The development and delivery of successful project finance transactions • Negotiation and delivery of project finance and/or property development contract documents • Negotiation and delivery of design and build contracts to fixed price and programme • Bid management through the competitive dialogue process Desirable Criteria • Bidding of PFI / PPP projects through the competitive dialogue process • Exposure to the purpose-built student accommodation sector in terms of stakeholder needs and preferences, best practice and latest innovations • Negotiating and completing loan agreements, their relationships with the financial model, satisfying all conditions precedents
Essential Criteria • Ability to create and nurture new relationships that can lead to new business opportunities • Understanding and meeting the needs of clients, ensuring that bids are tailored to their specific requirements and expectations • Confidently work within a team, plan and manage work activities and prioritise workloads • Effectively communicate and build relationships with senior executives within UPP, university and construction partners and professional consultants • Strong commercial acumen and negotiating skills • Ability to manage complex projects under time challenging conditions • Understanding of the due diligence process • Knowledge of the design process and requisite consents including planning and S106, S278, etc.
Essential Criteria • Graduate caliber and demonstrates relevant professional development Personal Qualities • Clear, effective and engaging communication skills • Genuine enthusiasm and drive to secure bids and win new business • A passion for creativity and innovation, constantly seeking new ways to make bids more compelling and competitive • Strong decision-making skills to make timely and effective choices • Strength and quality of leadership with the with ability to inspire and guide teams towards achieving project goals • High level of attention to detail to ensure accuracy and compliance in bid submissions • Effectively lead by example, remaining composed and effective under pressure • Ability to adjust to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges
Desirable Criteria • Proficient in MS Word, MS Project and Excel • Thorough understanding of project finance and development economics • Knowledge of facilities management costs, including performance measurement systems and payment mechanisms • A thorough understanding of sinking fund assessments and their formulation and their interrelationship through the whole life approach
The benefits of working at UPP
This is an exciting time to join a commercially focused, high performing, customer and results oriented organisation that operates with energy, pace and passion. We strive to develop a highly-engaged, skilled and collaborative organisation that is diverse and has an embedded culture that promotes equality of opportunity. We offer the opportunity for flexible working and an inclusive environment for our people. We have an ongoing commitment to making UPP a great place to work for our teams, and as a reflection of this, the Company has been awarded Gold accreditation by Investors in People (IiP). This internationally recognised accreditation is the sign of a great employer and a great place to work with a clear commitment to sustained success through people.
In addition to a competitive basic salary level and industry leading annual bonus potential UPP offer a diverse range of employee benefits, including:
Salary exchange pension – matched contributions of 5%
Private Medical Insurance – single cover with the option to add dependants
Private Health Insurance (Group Income Protection)
Life Assurance x4 salary
29 days annual leave, plus 8 days bank holiday
Holiday purchase option – up to 5 days (FTE)
Bonus Exchange
UPP Payroll Giving (Give as You Earn)
UPP Rewards (discount portal)
Employee Assistance Programme
Further information and application process
For a confidential discussion to learn more about the role and opportunity please contact the UPP’s appointed recruitment partner Dan Higgins.
Dan Higgins 07800 524 454 daniel.higgins@bidrecruitment.com
Applications should consist of a CV and supporting cover letter, and be sent to daniel.higgins@bidrecruitment.com
All candidates are also requested to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form which will be available upon submission of your application. Privacy Notice: Please note that by submitting your details, you are accepting that MRG and UPP is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. You will receive an ‘Applicant Privacy Notice’ if your application is progressed. This notice will make you aware of how and why your personal data will be used, namely for the purposes of recruitment, and how long it will usually be retained for.
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