Bid Manager

Stepnell; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension 7%

Annual leave grows with service

Health coverage

Car allowance or company car

Employee referral scheme

Job summary

Stepnell in Nottingham is seeking a Bid Manager to own key pursuits across the full bid lifecycle, covering technical, commercial and strategic aspects. You will work with in-house teams, supply chain partners and external consultants to create compliant, compelling proposals tailored to client goals and procurement frameworks.

As a leader, you will guide bid writers and experts, drive work-winning strategies, and ensure high-quality governance and client engagement throughout the process.

Qualifications

• Proven Experience: Successful track record of managing construction or preconstruction bids across various public and private procurement routes.
• Strategic thinker: ability to analyse market data, understand client needs and translate into winning bid strategies.
• Strong communicator & motivator: excellent facilitation skills to lead and coach multi-disciplinary teams.
• Detail‑oriented & organised: manage bid timelines, budgets, tender administration and compliance.
• Adaptable & forward‑thinking: embraces new technology and knowledge management to stay competitive.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multiple bids of varying complexity across procurement frameworks.
• Develop work-winning strategies using CRM data, market intelligence and client insights.
• Direct and support regional bid teams, bid writers and SMEs; run bid launch events and sessions.
• Collaborate with preconstruction teams to refine cost strategies and lead quality reviews.
• Lead client interviews and represent Stepnell at engagement meetings.
• Capture feedback and continuously refine pursuit strategies and knowledge base.
• Utilise tender portals, publishing software (InDesign) and digital tools to optimise bid workflows.

Skills

Bid management

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Team coaching

Tools

InDesign

CRM systems

Job description

As a Bid Manager at our Nottingham office, you will be the leader and principal owner of key nominated pursuits throughout the full bid lifecycle—covering technical, commercial, and strategic facets.

Working across disciplines with in-house teams, supply chain partners, and external consultants, you will drive the creation of compliant, compelling, and winning proposals tailored to our clients' unique goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Pursuit Ownership: Lead and manage multiple bids of varying complexity across diverse procurement frameworks and types.
• Work-Winning Strategy: Evolve work-winning strategies using CRM data, market intelligence, competitor analysis, and client insights to unlock Stepnell’s Unique Selling Propositions (USPs).
• Team Leadership & Coaching: Direct and support regional bid teams, bid writers, and subject matter experts. Facilitate bid launch events, workshops, answer‑planning sessions, and regular review check‑ins.
• Commercial & Quality Governance: Collaborate closely with preconstruction teams to refine cost strategies, chair tender settlements, and lead quality "red reviews."
• Client Engagement: Lead presentation teams for client interviews and represent Stepnell at key client engagement meetings.
• Continuous Improvement: Capture operational and client feedback, conducting debriefs to continuously refine future pursuit strategies and update our Knowledge Bank.
• Tech & Innovation: Utilise modern tender portals, publishing software (e.g., InDesign), and emerging digital tools/AI to optimise bid workflows.

Who We Are Looking For

• Proven Experience: Successful track record of managing construction or preconstruction bids across various public and private procurement routes.
• Strategic Thinker: Ability to analyse market data, dissect client needs, and translate complex technical requirements into winning bid strategies.
• Strong Communicator & Motivator: Excellent facilitation skills with the confidence to lead, coach, and influence multi-disciplinary teams and senior authorisers.
• Detail‑Oriented & Organised: Skilled at managing bid timelines, budgets, tender administration, and compliance (including familiarity with the Procurement Act 2023 and framework guidelines).
• Adaptable & Forward‑Thinking: Enthusiastic about adopting new technology, workflow tools, and knowledge management practices to maintain a competitive edge.

Why Stepnell

At Stepnell, we’re passionate about empowering our people to thrive. We believe in building fulfilling and rewarding careers by investing in talent, nurturing growth, and inspiring innovation. With the prestigious Investors in People Gold accreditation, we’re proud to place our people at the heart of everything we do. Every team member is valued, and curiosity and collaboration are central to our team culture. We’re committed to enabling our people to make a real impact and drive meaningful change throughout our business.

To show our appreciation, we offer generous and competitive benefits including, an enhanced pension scheme with a Stepnell contribution of 7% to help secure your financial future, annual leave that increases with service and the flexibility to purchase more, a market leading employee referral scheme, and for eligible roles comprehensive health coverage, adjustable start and finish times and a car allowance or company car.

Join us in a collaborative and inclusive environment where your well‑being is our priority, and your contributions are truly valued.

About Stepnell

As a family‑owned business with over 159 years of history, Stepnell is built on stability, trust, and long‑term thinking. We make decisions with the future in mind for our people, our clients and our communities.

Our capabilities span construction, property, development, energy solutions, bespoke joinery and concrete repair, allowing us to offer services that meet a wide range of client needs. Operating through eight regional offices in Rugby, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Wantage, Bristol, Southampton, and Exeter and across three core business units, we maintain a strong local presence while delivering consistently high standards.

Today, repeat clients account for 75% of our turnover a testament to our reliability and the quality of our relationships.