Senior Proposals Manager

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

A little more about your role...

At WSP UK & Ireland, we are looking for a strategic and motivated Senior Proposals Manager to join our team. Reporting to the Head of Bids, you 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. You 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. 

The position requires UK-wide travel.

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 Opportunity Director to develop customised solutions that meets the client's specific needs and helps them achieve their objectives. 

• Assist in opportunity 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. Role Accountabilities 

The post requires a person who will: 

• Provide leadership to their appointed bids to deliver the optimum quality / price solution, keeping the team well informed, organised and clear of their objectives in terms of the outputs required and their associated timelines. 

• Work collaboratively with Opportunity Directors, bid colleagues, operational managers, sector and commercial teams to develop and/or advise on the development of tailored solutions in response to tender invitations. 

• Work to understand client needs and advise on and develop the quality and integration of the solution, setting the standard of quality required. 

• Build relationships quickly to deliver efficient and effective working within newly created bid teams 

• Convert knowledge from operational and business development staff into winning solutions and proposals. 

• Analyse each bid to identify and share good practice with operational, bid and business development staff across the business, providing support to cross cutting initiatives and bids in order for WSP to achieve its corporate objectives. 

• Collate market and competitor information that will be useful to WSP in future propositions and bids. 

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate... 

• Qualified to degree level in an appropriate subject 

• APMP Foundation as a minimum 

• Accurate and proficient working knowledge in Microsoft office, Adobe suite, InDesign (desired) and graphics skills 

• Previous experience in a similar role in engineering and construction 

• Expert experience of producing tenders in the markets that WSP operates in the UK, Republic and Northern Ireland 

• An acknowledged senior bid manager with a demonstrable record of success in winning bids 

• Good awareness and understanding of bid governance and bid review processes. Expert bid writing and management skills, and commercial skills. 

• Thorough understanding of public and private procurement processes in the UK/Ireland 

• 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 

• A strong use of oral and written English, with the ability to present complex ideas in a straightforward and simple way 

• Exhibit and demonstrate behaviours and attitudes in accordance with WSP core values to create a team culture and promote excellent communications. 

• Support and promote a culture of continuous improvement. 

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself?

With us, you can. Apply today.