Specialist – Government Procurement and Bid Management

About Pahlé India Foundation

Pahlé India Foundation (PIF), headquartered in New Delhi and established by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, operates as a think-and-action tank. It collaborates with central and state governments, multilateral agencies, and institutional partners to conduct policy research, provide implementation support, and offer advisory services across sectors such as tourism, trade, statistics, infrastructure, and governance. The Northeast regional office located in Guwahati manages engagements in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Meghalaya.

Position Overview

The role requires an experienced professional to spearhead PIF's engagement in Expressions of Interest (EOIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and tenders from government departments, multilateral and bilateral agencies, PSUs, corporates, foundations, and other entities. This specialist position focuses on execution—identifying opportunities, managing PIF's registrations on procurement portals, and leading the preparation and timely submission of compliant and competitive bids. Although based in Guwahati, the role supports bidding efforts nationally as opportunities arise.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and update PIF's profile on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to ensure eligibility for bidding on relevant opportunities.
• Secure and maintain enlistment and empanelment with central and state government departments, PSUs, multilateral agencies, and institutional vendor panels, including NICSI empanelment for IT and e-governance engagements.
• Continuously monitor GeM, CPPP, various state e-procurement portals, multilateral agency sites, and sector networks to identify EOIs, RFPs, and tenders pertinent to PIF’s mandate and maintain a live pipeline for review.
• Lead the end-to-end development of technical and financial proposals in response to EOIs/RFPs, collaborating with programme teams, assembling CVs and project references, and preparing cost sheets compliant with QCBS, CQS, LCS, or single-source methods.
• Ensure submissions comply fully with tender requirements, including documentation, notarization, bid securities, digital signatures, portal protocols, and meet deadlines.
• Support contract negotiations post-award to finalize terms, deliverables, and payment schedules, and hand over contracts for execution.
• Build and nurture relationships with procurement officers and institutional donors for early intelligence on upcoming bids and clarifications.

Additional Duties Specific to PIF

• Apply working knowledge of General Financial Rules, CVC guidelines, QCBS/CQS/LCS evaluation methodologies, and NICSI processes to shape proposals that perform well in evaluations.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure invoicing aligns with contract milestones and to anticipate and resolve billing issues common in multi-year government projects.
• Maintain an updated database of internal and external experts’ profiles and references to quickly assemble qualified bid teams.
• Develop and preserve a repository of past proposals, technical content, company profiles, and financials to reduce turnaround times on future submissions.
• Facilitate liaison with district and state government offices and relevant institutional teams regarding bid clarifications, pre-bid meetings, and presentations.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Graduate or postgraduate degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Public Policy, Law, or a related field; additional certifications in public procurement or GeM are advantageous.
• 3 to 7 years of practical experience in bid management, business development, or proposal writing targeting government, multilateral, or institutional clients, preferably in think tanks, consulting firms, PSUs, or development organizations.
• Proven experience registering and bidding on GeM, including preparing responses evaluated under QCBS or similar frameworks.
• Familiarity with General Financial Rules, CVC guidelines, and state-specific procurement regulations, with experience in Northeast Indian state government processes considered a plus.
• Excellent English drafting capabilities, keen attention to detail, and ability to coordinate cross-functional teams under tight deadlines.
• Proficiency with MS Office/Google Workspace and comfort in navigating e-procurement portals.

What PIF Offers

• A strategic role blending policy expertise with government and institutional procurement across Northeast India and nationwide.
• Opportunity to establish and develop PIF's bid management function within a respected policy organization.
• Competitive salary aligned with experience and PIF’s compensation structure.