Bid Writer

Coventry; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent Employers Pension

30 days Annual leave

Holiday Purchase Scheme

Life Assurance 4 x Salary

BUPA Cash Plan

CU Reward Scheme

Job summary

Coventry University Group is seeking a driven Bid & Tender Manager to oversee end-to-end tender responses for apprenticeships and higher education projects. You will manage tender portals, coordinate cross‑departmental inputs, and craft compliant, compelling proposals that highlight win themes.

Reporting to the Head of Apprenticeships (Governance), you will also handle cost calculations, maintain historical bid data, and represent the group at external events while keeping deadlines and quality

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience with commercial bid writing.
• Experience in preparing and writing bids, tenders, or proposals.
• Strong communication, editing, and stakeholder engagement abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end tender response projects and win themes.
• Maintain tender portals, review opportunities, and bid/no-bid decisions.
• Manage project plans, milestones, and cross‑department collaboration.
• Write, edit, and proofread high-quality compliant tender documents.
• Handle finance/cost calculations and store bid history for future use.
• Network with external stakeholders and represent the group at events.

Skills

Exceptional communication

Analytical mindset

Self-management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

CU Apprenticeships Limited (CUA),CUA Management and Support

Competitive starting salary range from £36,072 up to £41,001 (dependent on experience) with the potential to progress. A discretionary range for candidates with exceptional experience can be discussed/considered.

Mode

Full Time, Fixed Term until 16/08/2027

Our Mission

Coventry University Group is a global education group with a mission of Creating Better Futures. Driven by our passion and belief that through education, equity, and innovation our students, people, and communities are empowered to transform their lives and the world around them. Our people are at the heart of what we do and are key to our success, we each play a key role in making a difference and embrace the challenge to improve the lives of our communities.

This role is based within CU Apprenticeships Ltd, a sister company of Coventry University and part of the Coventry University Group.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Apprenticeships (Governance), your responsibilities will span opportunity scanning, you will drive end-to-end tender response project management, and proposal writing. You will maintain relevant tender portals, review past opportunities, and manage the internal bid/no-bid decision process. This role is pivotal to accelerate the growth of our Higher and Degree Apprenticeship portfolio.

You will project manage bid responses byestablishingclear milestones, mapping out project plans, and securing cross-departmental support to ensure deadlines are met. Importantly, you will take lead responsibility for writing, editing, and proofreading high-quality, compliant tender documentation that clearly highlights our win-themes.

The role also involves managing finance and costing calculations,maintaininga database of tender responses, and analysing outcomes to improve future performance. In addition, you will actively network with external stakeholders, represent the university group at external events, and stay updated on developments in the apprenticeship and higher education sectors.

Our Successful Candidate

The ideal candidate is a target-driven professional with a successful track record in preparing and writing commercial bids, tenders, or proposals. You should be educated to degree level (or hold equivalent relevant experience) and possess significant commercial experience within a customer-service oriented environment.

To excel in this role, you will need:

Exceptional Communication Skills: Highly developed writing ability alongside superb presentation, networking, and relationship management skills to influence stakeholders.

Analytical & Technical Aptitude: The capacity to evaluate quantitative and qualitative data, combined with high IT literacy and strict attention to detail foraccuraterecord-keeping.

Strong Self-Management: The ability to work cohesively in teams, meet tight deadlines, and handle sensitive matters with tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.

Prior experience within Higher Education, work-based learning, or apprenticeships isnot essential but would behighlyadvantageous.

The Benefits

As a staff member of Coventry University, you will have a access to a wide range of industry leading rewards and benefits which includes:

• Excellent Employers Pension Contribution
• 30 days Annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• New Holiday Purchase Scheme up to 5 additional days
• Life Assurance 4 x Salary
• BUPA Cash Plan
• CU Reward Scheme – Discounts across a range of High Street/ Online Retailers

Our Culture

As a global Education Group, equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded within the fabric of our organisation and are a key focus of our core values. We harness the power and potential of the diverse cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and experiences of our students, colleagues, and partners to create opportunities for all.

Full Job Description & Person Specification

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