Job Summary:
The Deal Manager is responsible for supporting the firm’s most high-value, strategic deals across the following scope of responsibilities:
- Manage execution of pursuit process, including critical path, timeline, and interdependencies
- Assess competitive situation and help develop differentiated win strategy focused on client priorities while protecting EY’s interests
- Develop power map and tactics to navigate client buying process
- Provide ‘glue’ to focus and guide extended pursuit team through structured sales approach and proposal development
- Collaborate with extended pursuit team define, package and articulate compelling client offer across scope, solution, price, and terms
- Plan storyline/key messages and prepare extended team for orals.
The Deal Manager is expected to be a beacon of pursuit excellence, bringing vast knowledge, tools, and resources from across the firm and their own professional experience to proactively keep the pursuit on track and moving towards a winning outcome.
Deal Managers will develop foundational deal acumen, leadership, and insight by supporting Deal Leads and/or Deal Manager - Associate Directors on high-value and/or Strategic deals, respectively.
Essential functions:
Some or all of the below accountabilities will be applicable depending on the scope of the role:
Project Management – Organizes, documents, and drives all pursuit workstreams and activities throughout the pursuit lifecycle.
- Executes the firm’s Gold Standard Pursuit Process (GSPP) using gold standard tools and enablers to manage the pursuit from qualification through close
- Establishes deal infrastructure, including TEAMS site, calendar, action tracker, team roster, notebook, etc. with support from the Deal Coordinator as needed
- Develops and maintains the pursuit plan/action tracker and calendar, making certain that all pursuit activities are assigned ownership, tracked and executed according to schedule
- Ensures all pursuit deliverables (e.g., meeting documents, proposals, presentations) are developed on schedule submitted on time and with the highest quality
- In coordination with the Deal Leader, sets up and runs a regular cadence of deal status calls with support from Deal Coordinator, as needed. Supports the Deal Leader in developing status call agendas and debriefs
- Supports Deal Leader in developing and distributing internal status updates for leadership and others as necessary
- Engages and oversees support resources as necessary/appropriate, including proofers, SMRs and insights professionals, Pursuit Resource Center, additional creative services, etc
- Act as the knowledge steward for the pursuit, capturing knowledge and contribute to the development and embedding into EY artefacts that can be used to support pursuits
Written communications - Crafts articulate and client-centric content across all pursuit deliverables, most notably the win themes and proposal document.
- Responsible for the development of all client-facing, written deliverables (e.g., meeting documents, proposals, presentations) that adhere to the firm style guide in collaboration with the Creative Designer for design and formatting
- In collaboration with other pursuit team members (e.g., Deal Leader, Engagement Partner, Client Partner), develops client-centric win themes that underpin the entire deal strategy. Ensures the win themes are reflected consistently throughout all client communications and deliverables
- Authors original content when critical and/or necessary (e.g., cover letter, executive summary) and leverages relevant firm resources to source non-critical, boilerplate content when appropriate
- Responsible for making sure the final proposal document tells a consistent, winning story and flows as if written in one voice
Deal strategy – Leverages gold standard process/tools, innovation, insight, and resourcefulness to help create a differentiated and winning deal strategy.
- Supports discussions/meetings around deal strategy, actively contributing to critical deal meetings such as kick-off, win strategy, orals prep, etc
- Supports the Deal Leader in the constant qualification of the deal and navigating the deal through firm governance, quality, and approval processes (e.g., Approval to Pursue, Approval to Contract)
- Suggests creative ideas that enhance our win strategy or ability to differentiate
Other
- Builds collaborative relationships with pursuit teams, including Service Line, Account and Business Development leaders as well as Senior Managers, Managers and Staff
- Shares lessons learned, best practices and innovation from pursuits and other experiences with teammates, the broader BD community, and the global firm as appropriate
- Supports team strategic and/or operational initiatives to develop new or enhance existing best practices, tools, or enablers
Analytical/Decision Making Responsibilities:
Some or all of the below responsibilities will be applicable depending on the scope of the role:
- Must be able to operate in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Influences/challenges the pursuit team to optimize the chances of winning
- Demonstrates versatility and poise in a constantly evolving environment with a wide variety of social styles and interests
- Solution-oriented and makes sound recommendations and decisions
- Champions best-practice pursuit tools and processes, while remaining open to new and better ways of doing things when appropriate
Knowledge and Skills Requirements:
Some or all of the below knowledge and skills requirements will be applicable depending on the scope of the role:
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
- Excellent project management and organizational skills with high attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
- Has a strong ability to influence and direct others
- Self-motivated, resourceful, and able to work from own initiative with limited supervision
- Has a strong understanding of the business development and/or pursuit environment
- The Deal Manager supports opportunities with a great deal of firm leadership exposure/involvement thus the Deal Manager must exhibit strong interpersonal skills
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of fundamental deal commercial and negotiation principles
- Effective executive-level presentation skills; demonstrated ability to interface with all levels of domain and EY leadership, as well as clients at a senior level
Supervision Responsibilities:
- Works with considerable autonomy while often managing the work of others (e.g., Deal Coordinator, Creative Designer, Design Manager, etc).
- May serve as a “Peer Buddy” to new joiners
Other Requirements: e.g., travel, overtime, time zone flexibility
Embraces shared philosophy that “great teams” execute a consistent set of behaviors aligned with being a:
- Trusted Strategic Advisor – Build Trust and credibility by proactively providing forward-thinking insights and guidance to help pursuit teams develop and execute a winning pursuit strategy
- Gold Standard Champion – Execute EY’s “gold standard” pursuit process with discipline and expertise to improve consistency and use of leading practices in EY’s approach to winning
- Win-Win Advocate – Drive internal and external clients towards outcomes that deliver compelling and sustainable results for both the client and EY
- Creativity and innovation Driver – Inspire and challenge teams to differentiate EY through innovative strategies, experiences, and deliverables that compel our clients to choose EY
- Inspirational Change Agent – Invest in developing world-class talent, methods, tools, and capabilities to deliver better results, create exceptional experiences, and develop transformative leaders and teams
- As the job involves responding to clients' needs and varying time zones, long/flexible hours are regularly required
Education :
University/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification required, preferably in a related field such as BusinessAdministration, Sales, Marketing, English, Public Relations, or Journalism
Experience:
- 7 – 10 years of relevant experience in pursuits, business development, marketing or project management, preferably in a professional services environment
- Must have communications and proposal writing experience, including the ability to provide relevant writing samples
- Business proficiency in English, both spoken and written. Arabic language skills are a plus.
Certification Requirements:
- APMP, PMP certification is considered advantageous
- Completion of Miller Heiman methodology courses within 1-2 years of hire
- Expected to remain current on EY training and curriculum (e.g., Account Management Framework (AMF); Culture, Change and Communications (CCC); Badges; among others)