Bid Manager - 1st Stage

Wates Smartspace; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Construction is seeking a commercially astute Bid Manager to lead Stage 1 tender opportunities and shape winning submissions from Birmingham.

You'll coordinate design, estimating, commercial, planning, operations and supply chain to translate client requirements into compelling bids, while driving governance and delivering value for customers and communities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading bids within a Tier 1 contractor or major construction environment.
• Strong understanding of two-stage procurement, frameworks and negotiated opportunities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• The ability to lead cross-functional teams and bring people together behind a common objective.
• Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of pre-construction processes.
• Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• High-quality written and verbal communication skills.
• A collaborative, customer-focused approach with a passion for winning work.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Stage 1 bids from opportunity qualification through to submission and award.
• Develop bid strategies aligned to client drivers, procurement routes and market positioning.
• Coordinate input from estimating, design, commercial, planning, operational and supply chain teams.
• Drive programme compliance, governance and quality throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Build strong relationships with customers, consultants and key stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of project objectives and success criteria.
• Facilitate bid workshops, reviews, technical assessments and settlement meetings.
• Ensure bid submissions are compelling, customer-focused and clearly articulate our value proposition.
• Manage bid budgets, resources and timescales to achieve successful outcomes.
• Identify risks and opportunities, developing mitigation strategies and innovative solutions where appropriate.
• Promote our commitments to safety, sustainability, social value and quality throughout the work-winning process.

Skills

Bid management

Stakeholder management

Two-stage procurement

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

Bid Manager – Stage 1 Work Winning

Location: Birmingham with travel as required.

Reporting to: Pre-Construction Director

Shape Winning Opportunities from the Start

At Wates Construction, we're looking for a commercially astute and relationship-focused Bid Manager to lead our Stage 1 tender opportunities and help secure some of the UK's most exciting construction projects.

This is a pivotal role withinour pre-construction team, responsible for leading multidisciplinary bid teams, developing winning strategies and translating client requirements into compelling, high-quality submissions that set us apart from the competition. You'll be at the heart of our work-winning process, bringing together experts from design, estimating, commercial, planning, operations and supply chain to create solutions that deliver value for customers and communities alike.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Stage 1 bids from opportunity qualification through to submission and award.
• Develop and own bid strategies aligned to client drivers, procurement routes and market positioning.
• Coordinate input from estimating, design, commercial, planning, operational and supply chain teams.
• Drive programme compliance, governance and quality throughout the bid lifecycle.
• Build strong relationships with customers, consultants and key stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of project objectives and success criteria.
• Facilitate bid workshops, reviews, technical assessments and settlement meetings.
• Ensure bid submissions are compelling, customer-focused and clearly articulate our value proposition.
• Manage bid budgets, resources and timescales to achieve successful outcomes.
• Identify risks and opportunities, developing mitigation strategies and innovative solutions where appropriate.
• Promote our commitments to safety, sustainability, social value and quality throughout the work-winning process.

About You

You'll be an experiencedBid Manager, Pre-Construction Manager or Senior Work Winning professional with a proven track record of securing complex construction projects.

You'll bring:

Experienceleading bids within a Tier 1 contractor or major construction environment.

Strong understanding of two-stage procurement, frameworks and negotiated opportunities.

Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.

The ability to lead cross-functional teams and bring people together behind a common objective.

Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of pre-construction processes.

Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.

High-quality written and verbal communication skills.

A collaborative, customer-focused approach with a passion for winning work.

Why Join Us?

At Wates, you'll be part of an ambitious work-winning team that is helping shape the future of the built environment. We offer the opportunity to work on major projects, develop your career within a market-leading contractor and be part of a business committed to innovation, sustainability and creating thriving communities.