Bid Manager
Location: Aberdeen / Remote
Contract Term: 3 months
Start Date: Immediate
Job Purpose
This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role providing immediate support to live bids while strengthening the content and tendering infrastructure that will support ASCO's continued growth across critical infrastructure markets. The emphasis is on running bids well, writing strong content, maintaining momentum and getting into the detail.
Role Context
ASCO is on an exciting growth and transformation journey, expanding across critical infrastructure sectors and strengthening how we identify, pursue and win opportunities. The Bid Manager will add experienced delivery capacity for an initial three-month period, supporting both immediate tender deadlines and practical improvements that leave the team better equipped for future bids.
Key Responsibilities
- Take ownership of live bids and tenders from kick-off through to submission, establishing clear plans, actions, responsibilities and deadlines.
- Write, edit and shape high-quality tender responses, executive summaries, case studies, capability statements and supporting content that are clear, persuasive and client-focused.
- Coordinate inputs from subject matter experts and functions including operations, commercial, finance, legal, HSSEQ and procurement, challenging gaps and turning technical input into coherent bid content.
- Maintain bid plans, action trackers, compliance matrices, clarification logs, review cycles and submission requirements so stakeholders can see what is required and by when.
- Support win themes, differentiation and response strategy where required, ensuring the submission reflects the agreed approach.
- Build and improve the central bid library by creating, refreshing and organising reusable content, case studies, credentials and evidence in a controlled and accessible format.
- Review procurement portals and relevant routes to market, identify suitable opportunities and changes, and ensure actions are flagged promptly to the appropriate business stakeholders.
- Support practical portal administration, registration activity and information housekeeping where required to maintain tender readiness.
- Work across multiple service lines and sectors, prioritising competing deadlines and adapting quickly as bid activity changes.
- Contribute practical improvements to templates, content and tendering ways of working while remaining focused on delivery of live opportunities.
Experience, Skills & Behaviours
- Proven experience as a Bid Manager, Tender Manager or senior bid professional with a strong record of hands-on bid delivery.
- Relevant sector experience is required, ideally across energy, defence, nuclear, renewables, construction or wider critical infrastructure.
- Excellent bid writing and editing skills, with the ability to turn complex operational and technical information into concise, compelling responses.
- Experience coordinating multiple contributors and managing bids against challenging deadlines with minimal supervision.
- Experience using procurement portals to identify opportunities, manage tender activity and maintain accurate registrations or records.
- Strong attention to detail, compliance and document quality, with a disciplined approach to version control and submission requirements.
- Commercial awareness and a practical understanding of tender pricing, contracts and risk, sufficient to work effectively with commercial and finance specialists.
- A proactive, collaborative and delivery-focused approach; comfortable getting into the detail and taking responsibility for completing work.
Desirable Experience
- UK public sector tendering, frameworks or regulated procurement environments.
- Building or maintaining bid libraries, reusable content and evidence repositories.
- APMP qualification or equivalent professional bid training.
Qualifications
- Substantial practical bid experience will be prioritised over academic qualifications for this short-term assignment.
- Degree or equivalent professional experience relevant to bidding, commercial, communications or the sectors above.
HSSEQ
- Work in partnership with the HSSEQ function and comply with all applicable ASCO policies, procedures, laws, regulations and industry standards.
- Report incidents or breaches of policy or regulation to the appropriate manager and support a proactive approach to safe working.
- Fully support ASCO's Stop the Job policy and the company's integrated management system, including document control and continuous improvement requirements.