Senior Bidding / Business Development Manager for Immigration, Germany
Posting Start Date: 5 Aug 2026
Location: (Flexible) Essen, DE
Company: Serco Plc
Job Introduction
From accommodation and reception centres to housing, welfare, social care and integration services, we are committed to helping European governments sensitively assist asylum seekers upon arrival, support them through the duration of their stay and help them integrate into their local communities.
We are also responsible for operating secure detention centres on behalf of government immigration departments. Our facilities and services ensure the safe and caring detention of people who require repatriation to their home country and whose asylum applications have been rejected.
Key purpose
Leads the Bidding and Business Development (BD) team in Immigration Germany, and provide direction to the BD function for the immigration market in line with the business unit’s vision, goals and strategies. Leading the Bidding team for Immigration Germany securing the Create and implement a BD strategy for high growth and margin improvement. Own the delivery of the immigration market sales targets to ensure successful implementation of the business plan, secure contract wins and revenue growth. Deliver on our commitments to provide high quality services that create sustainable value for our customers, employees and shareholders. Ensure that all business opportunities are properly qualified and reviewed in order to maximise opportunity, profitability and manage/control business and financial risk.
Key accountabilities
Winning Good Business:
- To contribute as a member of the business unit’s senior management team in the formation of the business’ strategies and plans.
- To put in place robust strategies and plans for the immigration business stream, aligned to Serco Group and divisional strategies, that will deliver the objectives of the Business Unit and selected countries.
- To deliver profitable contract wins and success for a large investment opportunity pipeline.
- To lead and engage in the development of a network of senior relationships with customers, potential customers, partners and stakeholders in order to anticipate and meet customer’s existing and future needs and enhance Serco’s reputation.
- Develop innovative products and services that can be integrated with others from across the business to meet the needs of our chosen and emerging market.
- To ensure a business development strategy is in place and deliver the growth aspirations of the contracts in line with the commitment to the Business Unit targets.
- Maximise opportunities for growth in current and new capabilities.
- To develop and maintain a network of relationships with customers, potential customers in the sector, partners and stakeholders to develop the credibility of Serco.
- To represent and promote the ‘Serco Way’ to customers, stakeholders, the community and the public, fostering a partnership approach to relationships.
- To provide leadership to a matrix team of key internal stakeholders, such that all understand and adopt the strategy and plans and are motivated to achieve their objectives in a timely and professional manner.
- To develop a deep understanding of the needs of the immigration sector across a range of areas to ensure that Serco can develop winning propositions that will delight the customer. In particular, to develop “upstream” opportunities and shape opportunities before they reach tender stage to maximise Serco’s ability to win.
- To ensure that the winning contracts are optimally structured, reviewed, managed and operated according to the bid, ensuring country General Managers (GMs) are fully engaged.
- To ensure that all bids are financially viable and that the best financial model is adopted throughout the bid process in order to achieve profit and cash targets meeting corporate and legal requirements.
Key Accountabilities (Continued)
A Place People are Proud to Work:
- To provide support and leadership to the business development team such that all employees are fully engaged with and adopt business strategy/plans and values so that the plans are successfully delivered and our people behave internally and in the communities in which we operate in accordance with the Governing Principles.
- Ensure they share the company’s strategic objectives and that they have clear plan to implement it in country. Support potential recruitment in coordination with the local management.
- Where necessary to recruit, professionally manage and develop outstanding BD employees and to ensure the business opportunities are staffed with talented motivated people who play to their strengths to meet the business needs and are motivated to improve the business.
- Understand, own and be a passionate and proactive role model for our Governing Principles and ensure that they are fully embedded throughout the business stream.
Executing Brilliantly:
- Work with other divisions and countries to identify and deliver cross-selling opportunities that benefit Serco as a whole.
- Implement and adhere to Serco’s agreed common processes and systems to maximise value for Serco and the customer.
- To ensure the bids produced ensure our customers receive ethical delivery, effective service and great value.
- Ensure the business delivers a level of service and value that enhances the Serco brand and fosters the development of long-term partnering relationships.
- Identify opportunities to satisfy customer requirements through inter-operability throughout our organisation.
Profitable & Sustainable:
- To deliver the business unit sales target.
- To ensure a business development strategy is in place and deliver the growth aspirations of the contracts in line with the commitment to the Business Unit and divisional targets.
- To ensure effective financial management is in place to deliver the sales target within budget
Essential technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualifications
Knowledge:
- Excellent knowledge of government and quasi-government sales processes; and it would be advantageous to understand European government sales processes.
- Deep knowledge of the various sales mechanisms available to Government to take an opportunity to market (ITT, Competitive Dialogue, Negotiated Procedure etc).
- Excellent knowledge of how to use company governance processes to translate potential sales opportunities into successfully run and profitable operations.
- Deep knowledge of the European and international immigration market
Experience:
- Experience of leading and motivating teams (especially matrix management teams).
- Experience of proactively engaging customers to improve relationships for the long-term and continue to drive value.
- Evidence of developing, and executing, a clear strategy for account management which results in increased, profitable, market share.
- Recent and relevant experience of working with key accounts and customers across public sector.
- Strong track record of developing effective collaborations and partnerships and building consensus in cross-cultural and cross-functional environments.
- Experience in the immigration sector background would be beneficial.
Essential technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualifications (Continued)
Skills:
- Excellent relationship building and stakeholder management skills, at very senior levels within government, OEMs, ESA and partner/subcontractors.
- Highly impactful, articulate; with the ability to influence at all levels and with evidence of building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external customers and key business stakeholders.
- Knowledge/experience of key current and potential stakeholders in the market.
- Strong analytical skills with ability to assimilate information quickly and communicate key messages simply and effectively to the business to aid decision making.
- Sound strategic thinker with the ability to operate with a hands-on, pragmatic approach when required.
- Strongly values led individual with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.
- Self-aware yet highly resilient individual capable of challenging and being challenged.
- Commercially astute and financially aware with proven strategy development and execution capability.
- Extensive experience of successful leadership of marketing, sales, BD and human capital.
- Demonstrated strong communication skills to include interpersonal, written, staff level and executive level business briefings.
- Strongly values led individual with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.
- Self-motivated and self-aware yet highly resilient individual capable of challenging and being challenged.