4 jobs found

Senior Bid Manager The Opportunity An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Bid Manager to join a leading engineering and infrastructure contractor operating within the utilities, civil engineering and infrastructure sectors. This is a pivotal role within a lean and collaborative pre-construction team, taking ownership of a diverse portfolio of opportunities ranging from major strategic framework procurements to smaller, fast-paced project tenders. The successful candidate will lead bids from qualification through to submission, clarification and post-tender review, ensuring every proposal is compelling, compliant and delivered to the highest standard. The role offers significant exposure to senior stakeholders and the opportunity to influence work-winning strategy across a growing and ambitious organisation. Key Responsibilities Bid Leadership & Strategy Take ownership of opportunities from qualification through to submission and post-tender review. Develop bid strategies, governance plans and submission programmes appropriate to each opportunity. Produce deliverables schedules, responsibility matrices and bid plans. Facilitate kick-off, solution development and answer-planning workshops. Bid Management & Writing Manage multiple concurrent bids while maintaining quality and adherence to deadlines. Write, develop and edit high-quality submissions from first principles. Create persuasive, client-focused responses that clearly demonstrate value and differentiation. Stakeholder Management Build strong relationships across multidisciplinary teams and senior leadership groups. Lead workshops and interviews to extract key evidence, differentiators and project knowledge. Secure timely inputs and maintain accountability across contributors. Resolve dependencies and proactively manage risks to programme delivery. Coordinate external partners, supply-chain organisations and specialist contributors as required About You You will be an experienced bid professional with a proven track record of successfully managing complex opportunities within construction, infrastructure, utilities or engineering environments. Essential Skills and Experience Proven experience managing bids for a main contractor. Strong bid-writing, editing and proofreading capability. Experience managing multiple live opportunities simultaneously. Excellent organisational and project management skills. Ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders positively and effectively. Strong commercial awareness and understanding of how risk, programme and pricing shape winning solutions. Desirable APMP accreditation or equivalent bid management qualification. Previous experience within the UK water sector. Experience delivering bids across utilities, civil engineering, infrastructure or MEICA environments. Knowledge of major framework procurement processes. What's on Offer Opportunity to play a key role in the growth and success of a leading infrastructure business. Exposure to major framework and strategic opportunities. Collaborative and supportive working environment. Career development opportunities within a growing work-winning function. Competitive salary and benefits package. This role would suit an experienced Senior Bid Manager, Bid Manager, Proposal Manager or Work Winning Manager looking to take ownership of high-profile infrastructure and utilities opportunities within a fast-paced pre-construction environment.

Senior Bid Manager Location : Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire Type: Permanent, Full-Time, Mon-Fri, Hybrid (3 onsite, 2 WFH) Hours: 8am 5pm, 40hrs, 1hr lunch break Salary: £70k - £90k depending on candidate experience (+ car allowance) Role Purpose: The Senior Bid Manager will take full ownership of a varied portfolio of opportunities from qualification through submission, clarification and post tender review. The role will establish the bid plan, define responsibilities, manage dependencies and coordinate operational, technical, commercial and senior stakeholders against clear deadlines. Working within the companies lean pre-construction structure, the post holder will apply proportionate governance across major framework procurements and a high volume of smaller in-framework opportunities, maintain momentum across concurrent bids, resolve gaps and ensure every input, review and final output is complete, coherent, compliant and submission-ready. Role Responsibilities: Strategy/Planning: Take ownership from qualification onwards, agreeing the proportionate bid strategy, governance route and submission plan with the Head of Bid Management and opportunity leaders. Establish clear programmes, deliverables matrices, responsibilities, dependencies, review stages and decision points for each opportunity. Facilitate mobilisation, win-strategy and answer-planning workshops where appropriate, converting evaluation criteria and client requirements into practical response plans, evidence needs and stakeholder actions. Maintain senior oversight through disciplined progress reporting, early escalation of risks and clear recording of actions and decisions. Bid Management Writing: Lead and manage concurrent bids from qualification through submission, clarification and post tender review, remaining accountable for quality and timely delivery. Apply proportionate governance to a mixed portfolio, from major strategic framework procurements to fast-moving small and medium-sized in-framework opportunities. Set expectations, assign responsibilities, follow through on actions and challenge missed commitments so that inputs and decisions are secured to programme. Write, shape and edit high-quality responses from first principles, turning complex technical and commercial input into clear, persuasive, evaluator-focused narrative. For major frameworks, develop strategic, benefit-led qualitative responses that articulate the companies positioning, capability, governance and long-term value. For smaller in-framework opportunities, work at pace with operational and commercial teams to shape the proposed methodology, programme, resources, risk position and commercial strategy. Coordinate appropriate review stages and ensure all comments, gaps, contradictions and unsubstantiated commitments are resolved before submission. Edit contributions from bid writers and subject matter experts for consistency, accuracy, evidence, compliance and a single voice. Ensure every final submission is complete, coherent, compelling, professionally presented and delivered on time. Commercial and Technical Pre-Construction: Work as an integrated member of the pre-construction team, bridging bid, operational, technical and commercial inputs rather than acting only as a submission coordinator. Support operational teams to develop clear, credible and deliverable methodologies, using informed questioning to test sequencing, resources, logistics, interfaces, constraints and risk controls. Work with commercial colleagues to understand the pricing strategy, contractual requirements, assumptions, exclusions, risk allowances and value opportunities that shape the offer. Ensure the technical narrative, programme, resourcing, commercial position and client commitments remain consistent throughout the submission. Identify gaps, contradictions or unsubstantiated commitments and bring the right operational, technical or commercial specialists together to resolve them. Contribute to solution-development discussions and challenge proposals constructively, while recognising when specialist commercial or technical judgement is required from the subject matter experts (SMEs) Stakeholder Engagement: - Build productive relationships across operational, technical, commercial, engineering, planning, design, SHEQ, ESG, finance and support functions, including direct engagement with Directors and senior decisionmakers. - Use focused interviews and workshops to draw out credible methodologies, evidence and differentiators from subject matter experts. - Secure timely inputs, challenge missed commitments, resolve dependencies and escalate risks early while keeping stakeholders aligned to immovable deadlines. - Coordinate partners, suppliers and external specialists where required and coach contributors to improve the quality and timeliness of their input. Systems, content and continuous improvement - Support the development and upkeep of the company s bid library and knowledge hub. - Capture reusable content, case studies, CVs, project evidence and lessons learned following each submission. - Improve templates, controls and reporting tools and support appropriate digital and AI-enabled working practices. - Contribute to performance reviews, lessons learned and initiatives that improve bid efficiency and win rates. Candidate Knowledge & Skills required: - Experienced, hands-on bid professional with the judgement and resilience to manage several opportunities at different stages. - Excellent written and verbal communicator with strong bid-writing, editing and proofreading judgement. - Highly organised and comfortable taking personal ownership of submission quality, actions and deadlines. - Confident influencing senior and multidisciplinary stakeholders, challenging missed commitments and escalating risks early. - Commercially aware and technically curious, able to test assumptions and understand how programme, pricing, contractual obligations, risk and delivery methodology influence the bid. - Comfortable creating order from complex inputs and operating across functional boundaries in a lean pre-construction environment. - Able to recognise when specialist judgement is required and bring the right people together to resolve an issue. - Collaborative, persuasive and willing to coach writers and contributors to improve their output. - Calm under pressure and flexible around working hours during critical submission periods when necessary. Candidate Experience Required: - Proven experience managing and delivering bids for a main contractor. Direct UK water-sector bidding experience is a significant advantage; otherwise, relevant experience should come from civil engineering, infrastructure or electrical/MEICA contracting. - Strong experience controlling concurrent bids through clear programmes, deliverables matrices, action tracking, review schedules and disciplined progress reporting. - Experience working as part of a pre-construction team and helping operational, technical and commercial specialists develop credible methodologies covering sequencing, resources, logistics, interfaces, constraints and risk controls. - Demonstrable stakeholder-management and influencing experience, including securing inputs, challenging commitments, resolving dependencies and escalating risks under tight deadlines. Commercial awareness and a working understanding of how pricing strategy, programme, contractual obligations, assumptions, exclusions, risk and opportunity influence the proposed solution and written submission. - Strong experience writing responses from scratch, editing contributions and translating evaluation criteria and client requirements into compliant response strategies. - Experience leading both complex strategic or framework procurements and smaller, faster-paced project or in-framework opportunities. Candidate Qualifications: - High standard of written English, including persuasive writing, editing and proofreading. - Strong planning, organisation, stakeholder management and influencing skills. - Ability to interpret and connect commercial, technical and operational information without needing to be a qualified Quantity Surveyor or engineer. - Competence across Microsoft 365, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint. Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet immovable tender deadlines. - APMP accreditation or another relevant bid or project management qualification (desirable)

Your new company A well-established infrastructure contractor with a strong presence across the utilities sector is seeking an experienced Senior MEICA Estimator to support the delivery of a growing portfolio of projects. Operating on long-term programme, the organisation has secured a significant pipeline of work and is looking to strengthen its pre-construction team with an individual who can provide technical and commercial expertise throughout the tendering process. This role offers the opportunity to work on complex infrastructure projects within a collaborative and forward-thinking environment. Your new role As Senior MEICA Estimator, you will play a key role within the team, leading the preparation of accurate and competitive cost estimates for a variety of water and infrastructure schemes. Working closely with operational, commercial and technical teams, you will be responsible for reviewing tender documentation, assessing project risks and opportunities, developing cost plans, obtaining supplier and subcontractor quotations, and contributing to bid submissions. Projects will typically include utilities and associated MEICA installations. This is a largely remote position with occasional travel to regional offices as required. The initial contract will run through to 2027, with the opportunity to transition into a permanent role. What you'll need to succeed Proven experience in a Senior Estimator, MEICA Estimator, Estimating Engineer or Proposals Engineer position Strong background within the UK water sector Experience estimating projects involving water treatment, wastewater treatment, pumping stations, clean water or wider utility infrastructure works Demonstrable pre-construction and tendering experience Ability to interpret technical specifications, drawings and scope documents Strong understanding of MEICA systems and associated construction methodologies Experience working on framework agreements and long-term capital delivery programmes is desirable Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills CSCS White Card or equivalent Full UK driving licence preferred What you'll get in return Up to £600 per day (Inside IR35) Temp-to-perm opportunity Predominantly remote working arrangement Opportunity to work on significant water infrastructure programmes Long-term project pipeline and strong job security Collaborative and experienced delivery team with genuine career progression opportunities What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Ready to power the UK's biggest infrastructure projects? We're looking for an experienced Mechanical & Electrical Estimator to join a leading infrastructure specialist delivering major water and wastewater projects across the UK. This is more than just an estimating role. You'll be at the heart of project success, shaping winning bids, influencing project strategy, and helping deliver essential infrastructure that communities rely on every day. Working alongside experienced engineering, commercial and delivery teams, you'll take ownership of tenders from initial enquiry through to contract award, developing accurate cost estimates, assessing risks, engaging with suppliers, and identifying innovative solutions that add real value. What you'll be doing: Producing detailed Mechanical & Electrical estimates for major infrastructure projects Reviewing technical drawings, specifications and client requirements Managing supplier and subcontractor enquiries and evaluating quotations Identifying project risks and opportunities to maximise value Supporting bid submissions and project mobilisation activities Collaborating with engineering, commercial and operational teams to secure new work What we're looking for: Experience as a Mechanical & Electrical Estimator, MEICA Estimator or Proposals Engineer Water, wastewater, utilities or infrastructure sector experience Strong understanding of mechanical and electrical systems and installations Ability to interpret technical drawings and develop robust cost plans HNC/HND/Foundation Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent) Knowledge of NEC contracts and framework environments What's in it for you? Competitive salary and benefits package Long-term secured workload on major UK infrastructure schemes Clear career progression opportunities Private medical cover and life assurance Company pension scheme Ongoing professional development and training The chance to work on projects that make a real difference If you're an ambitious estimator looking to take ownership of high-profile projects and accelerate your career within a growing infrastructure business, we'd love to hear from you.