Project Manager, Bids & Quotes

SUMMARY:

The Bids & Quotes Project Manager manages the end-to-end RFQ and proposal lifecycle for Thomas Scientific's largest contractual opportunities, functioning as the project owner who plans, coordinates, and drives each bid from intake through submission and award follow-up. This role builds and maintains project timelines, aligns cross-functional stakeholders across Finance, Pricing, Sales, Legal, and Executive leadership, and is accountable for on-time, fully compliant, and profitable proposal delivery. The Team Lead applies advanced data analysis, competitive pricing intelligence, and disciplined project management methodology to ensure proposal accuracy and profitability, while providing leadership, guidance, and support to the members of the Bids & Quotes team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary function of the Bids & Quotes team is to perform the following functions:

• Manage the formal RFQ tasks/response to all large, contractual business opportunities within Thomas Scientific. These functions are, but not limited to:

• Complete Read of RFQ package and understand various departments that need to be in order to fully respond to the bid in the time allotted

• Cross reference of 100% of the market basket to ensure there is a full and complete response to all pricing sections.

• Based on historical information, as well as information gleaned from RFQ the department will work with Finance and pricing department to develop a complete and encompassing discount schedule.

• Reach out to various manufacturers (based on volumes) and capture any rebated pricing to most accurately reflect profitability of contract.

• Use anticipated volumes from bid to determine overall profitability of the contract and modifications of pricing offers to customize contract proposal.

• Review with Finance and Commercial SVP to ensure profitability levels are met and gain written approval on final pricing and discount schedule.

• Interact with Sales Management, Executive Management, and Sales Representatives to give weekly updates and input to ensure we meet response deadline and have all necessary information.

• Ensure all related material required to submit bid are collected (such as CD-ROM pricing, pricing books, catalogs)

• Understand bid response requirement not limited to but including: Time it must be received by, the way in which they will accept response with various supporting material, understand the "Q&A" time and place for pre-Bid discussion prior to the bid being worked upon, all the necessary parties that are required to sign binding RFQ agreement, highlighting of all area requiring signature and/or initialing as the rules of RFQ dictate.

• Follow-up after Bid award to determine who the winner was and if Thomas did not win, where could we have improved.

• Maintain database of commonly asked questions which can be utilized in almost all bids to reduce workload.

• Own each bid as a discrete project: define scope, build and maintain a detailed project plan and timeline, identify critical-path tasks and dependencies, assign action items, and track progress to ensure on-time submission.

• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders across Finance, Pricing, Sales, Customer Service, Legal, and Executive leadership, serving as the central point of communication and accountability throughout the proposal lifecycle.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks (deadline, pricing, compliance, and resource constraints), proactively escalating issues and driving them to resolution.

• Build and maintain advanced Excel models and dashboards to analyze large pricing and volume datasets, evaluate discount scenarios, and report proposal profitability and bid-pipeline status to leadership.

• Leverage Epicor ERP and Salesforce to source historical pricing and account data, load and validate proposed discount schedules, manage opportunity records, and ensure data integrity across systems.

• Conduct post-award project reviews and capture lessons learned, continuously improving bid processes, templates, and the shared knowledge base to increase win rates and team efficiency.

• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• This position provides support to the other members of the Bids & Quotes team.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS-the physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position frequently requires sitting, finger dexterity, talking, hearing and visual acuity. It occasionally requires standing, walking and reaching. It rarely requires lifting (average weight 20#).

MENTAL DEMANDS

• Must be able to manage multiple projects and tasks
• Must pay close attention to detail
• This position has a predictable work schedule
• This position has frequent deadlines
• This position has a high level of decision-making ability
• This position works closely with others and requires exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• There is a lot of record keeping and routine paperwork

QUALIFICATIONS - EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in bids and quotes, contract administration, pricing, project management, or a related analytical role; prior experience leading projects or teams strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects against competing deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Project management certification (e.g., CAPM or PMP) or formal project management training is a plus.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with exceptional verbal and written communication abilities.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Exceptional Microsoft Excel skills are required. The successful candidate must be highly proficient with advanced functions (e.g., VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, SUMIFS), PivotTables, complex formulas, data modeling, and dashboard creation, with the ability to analyze and reconcile large datasets and translate them into clear, actionable insights.
• Working knowledge of Epicor ERP is required, including the ability to navigate the system to source pricing and order data, load and validate discount schedules, and support pricing and quoting workflows.
• Proficiency with Salesforce is required to manage opportunities, accounts, and pricing records, track the bid pipeline, and maintain accurate, up-to-date CRM data.
• Proficiency with the broader Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint); experience with Power BI or other data visualization and project management tools is a plus.

WORKING CONDITIONS-the work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position has no exposure to environmental conditions such as chemicals, or extreme weather conditions.

Benefits at Thomas Scientific

Thomas Scientific offers a competitive benefits package for full-time associates, including:

• Health, Dental & Vision - Coverage through Cigna, Guardian, and VSP, effective your first full month, with FSA/HSA options available.
• Financial Security - Company-paid life and AD&D insurance, voluntary short-term disability, and 401(k) with employer match.
• Time Off - Accrued PTO, 11 paid holidays (including your birthday), paid parental leave, and additional paid leave for life events.
• Professional Development - Up to $3,000 annually in tuition assistance.
• Additional Perks - Employee Assistance Program, wellness programming, legal and identity protection services, and a $1,000 employee referral bonus.

Full benefits details are provided during the hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Thomas Scientific, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment.