Senior Proposals Manager

This is a key role in securing profitable business for WSP by managing our most important bid projects across our Civils and Roads business. Reporting to the Head of Work Winning they will play a pivotal role leading and managing the pursuit process, collaborating across teams to delivery high quality client focused proposals, from the initial capture planning process through the full bid lifecycle.

Once assigned to a bidding opportunity, the Senior Proposal Manager will take charge of managing and supporting the bid team, communicating with clients and partners, organising review and approval meetings, and submitting the proposal. They will lead the formulation of winning strategies, client solutions, tender planning, and response delivery, and ensure successful handover to the delivery team upon winning the opportunity.

A little more about your role…

In addition to their bid responsibilities, the Senior Proposal Manager will lead the formulation of winning strategies, client solutions, tender planning, and response delivery. They will also champion best practices in work-winning through personal projects, coaching, and training initiatives, overseeing the management and development of any staff under their management.

Key Responsibilities

• To lead and manage complex and high value strategic bids as bid manager or other senior support roles as required depending on size and complexity of the bid. 
• To ensure that the appropriate bid governance and bid review processes are followed.
• Provide input to the strategic bid capture planning process
• Work with client and the Prospect Director to develop customised solutions that meets the client's specific needs and helps them achieve their objectives.
• Assist in prospect qualification throughout
• To understand internal and external customer requirements and provide resource expertise, providing support, management and leadership of strategic bids 
• To provide challenge to operational, technical, commercial and financial proposals to facilitate the development of solutions that provide greatest benefit for the businesses while delivering customer requirements and needs
• Work with the bid authors /solution architects to convert knowledge from operational and business development staff into winning solutions and proposals.
• Support lessons learnt from bids. Analyse each bid, including customer feedback, to identify and share good practice with operational, bid and business development staff across the business and suggest improvements to process and team dynamics.
• Train and coach colleagues on the bid process and associated skills
• Collate market and competitor information that will be useful to WSP in the future.
   

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…

• Good experience of producing tenders in the markets that WSP operates in.
• An acknowledged senior bid manager with a demonstrable record of success in winning bids
• A good awareness and understanding of bid governance and bid review processes. Good bid writing and management skills, and commercial skills.
• Qualified to degree level in an appropriate subject
• Member of relevant professional institution preferable but not essential
• APMP Foundation as a minimum
• Thorough understanding of procurement process
• Strong and effective verbal and written communication, team player, collaborative
• Robust project management skills with a meticulous approach to detail and quality 
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritise. 
• Adopt a pro-active approach, use initiative and take responsibility for own actions
• Ability to assimilate large volumes of information and understand, plan and manage associated workflows
• Develop strong relationships and rapport with external clients and internal colleagues
• Excellent people skills to lead, encourage, motivate and enthuse others 
• A passion for quality and continuous improvement with a focus on delivery
• Confidence to delegate to all levels, where required