Senior Bid Manager

Kier Group; Falmer; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kier Group is seeking a Senior Bid Manager to join the Southern Water Framework team based in Falmer. The role is hybrid with a regional Falmer office and travel to projects within the region.

You will lead high-value infrastructure bids, coordinating design, commercial, procurement and estimating workstreams to secure Stage 2 instructions and handover to delivery. A strong track record in bids and stakeholder influence is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex, high-value infrastructure bids across full lifecycle.
• Proven ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams (technical, commercial, design, procurement, proposals).
• Track record of bid governance, approvals and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead LOT 1 Water and LOT 2 Waste opportunities through Stage 1 to Stage 2.
• Own the Infrastructure Opportunity Roadmap and milestones.
• Integrate design, operations, programme, commercial and estimating workstreams for tender submissions.
• Manage post-tender activity: clarifications, dialogue, presentations and negotiations.
• Handover tender commitments and risks to delivery teams.

Skills

Infrastructure bids

Multidisciplinary teams

Stakeholder management

Contract strategy

NEC contracts

Communication skills

Driving licence

Digital tools

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Job description

We're looking for a Senior Bid Manager to join our Southern Water Framework team based in Falmer.

Location: Hybrid working with a regional office based in Falmer, along with travel to projects & clients in the region

Hours: 40 hours per week - some flexibility on hours available if desired, just let us know when you speak to us.

We are unable to offer certificates of sponsorship to any candidates in this role.

Our Southern Water Framework is seeking an experienced Senior Bid Manager to lead complex, high-value and strategically important opportunities across the framework on securing Stage 2 Instructions. You will bring multidisciplinary teams together and develop differentiated, deliverable solutions that support sustainable and profitable growth. Working alongside the Framework Manager and Head of Estimating, you'll lead opportunities across the full work-winning lifecycle, from early positioning through to contract award and handover to delivery.

What will you be responsible for?

As a Senior Bid Manager, you'll be working within the Southern Water Framework team, supporting them in securing work that aligns with our strategic priorities and delivery capability.

Your day to day will include:

• Leading the portfolio of LOT 1 Water and LOT 2 Waste projects through Stage 1 ECI to successful Stage 2 Notice to Proceed, setting clear direction and pace throughout
• Owning the Infrastructure Opportunity Roadmap, setting milestones, leading key meetings and maintaining momentum as requirements evolve
• Integrating design, operational, programme, commercial and estimating workstreams to deliver compliant, client-focused and evidence-led tender submissions
• Leading post-tender activity through to contract award, including clarifications, competitive dialogue, presentations and negotiations
• Conducting structured handovers to delivery teams, ensuring tender commitments, risks and client expectations are clearly transferred and understood

What are we looking for?

This role of Senior Bid Manager is great for you if you hold:

• A strong track record of leading complex, high-value infrastructure bids through the full lifecycle
• Experience within a Tier 1 contractor or comparable major-project environment, leading multidisciplinary teams across technical, operational, estimating, commercial, design, procurement and proposals functions
• Evidence of developing and delivering successful win strategies for competitive tenders, frameworks or strategic partnerships
• Experience of bid governance, assurance and senior stakeholder approvals, with the confidence to challenge, influence and make clear recommendations
• Strong understanding of infrastructure procurement and delivery models, NEC forms of contract and commercial risk, including how contract strategy, programme, risk allocation and delivery assumptions influence tender evaluation, commercial performance and successful project delivery
• Visible and collaborative leadership, with the ability to bring together, motivate and hold multidisciplinary teams to account
• Strong communication, negotiation and presentation skills, with the confidence and influence to engage effectively with senior internal & external stakeholders
• Commercially astute, with a clear understanding of contract, programme, cost, risk and delivery drivers
• Strategic and creative thinking, with the ability to analyse evidence, challenge convention and turn ideas into differentiated and deliverable solutions
• Highly organised and decisive, able to maintain pace, manage competing priorities and lead teams through demanding deadlines and change
• Confident using digital and AI-enable tools responsibly to support research, collaboration, planning, analysis and production, and proactive in helping the business adopt new approaches that improve how we work
• Full driving licence

We're all about finding potential here at Kier, and transferrable skills are always welcome! So, even if you don't tick every box, please apply and we can have a chat.

Rewards and benefits

We're proud to be able to offer our brilliant people a wide variety of benefits that you can tailor to your needs. You can see more information of benefits here.

Diversity and inclusion

Making Kier a diverse and inclusive place to work is a huge priority for us. We're proud of the steps we've taken so far, but we know we must always do more. Our employees are key in shaping Kier's diversity and inclusion initiatives and our people have made a huge impact on how we work, by using their experiences to shape our policies. You can see our D&I action plan here. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We look forward to seeing your application to #joinkier.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

Senior Bid Manager

Company: Kier Group Salary: Not specified Hours: Full-time Location: BN1 9PY Job type: Permanent Posting date: 23 Oct 2026 Closing date: 6 Nov 2026

Summary

We're looking for a Senior Bid Manager to join our Southern Water Framework team based in Falmer.

Location: Hybrid working with a regional office based in Falmer, along with travel to projects & clients in the region

Hours: 40 hours per week - some flexibility on hours available if desired, just let us know when you speak to us.

We are unable to offer certificates of sponsorship to any candidates in this role.

Our Southern Water Framework is seeking an experienced Senior Bid Manager to lead complex, high-value and strategically important opportunities across the framework on securing Stage 2 Instructions. You will bring multidisciplinary teams together and develop differentiated, deliverable solutions that support sustainable and profitable growth. Working alongside the Framework Manager and Head of Estimating, you'll lead opportunities across the full work-winning lifecycle, from early positioning through to contract award and handover to delivery.

What will you be responsible for?

As a Senior Bid Manager, you'll be working within the Southern Water Framework team, supporting them in securing work that aligns with our strategic priorities and delivery capability.

Your day to day will include:

• Leading the portfolio of LOT 1 Water and LOT 2 Waste projects through Stage 1 ECI to successful Stage 2 Notice to Proceed, setting clear direction and pace throughout
• Owning the Infrastructure Opportunity Roadmap, setting milestones, leading key meetings and maintaining momentum as requirements evolve
• Integrating design, operational, programme, commercial and estimating workstreams to deliver compliant, client-focused and evidence-led tender submissions
• Leading post-tender activity through to contract award, including clarifications, competitive dialogue, presentations and negotiations
• Conducting structured handovers to delivery teams, ensuring tender commitments, risks and client expectations are clearly transferred and understood

What are we looking for?

This role of Senior Bid Manager is great for you if you hold:

• A strong track record of leading complex, high-value infrastructure bids through the full lifecycle
• Experience within a Tier 1 contractor or comparable major-project environment, leading multidisciplinary teams across technical, operational, estimating, commercial, design, procurement and proposals functions
• Evidence of developing and delivering successful win strategies for competitive tenders, frameworks or strategic partnerships
• Experience of bid governance, assurance and senior stakeholder approvals, with the confidence to challenge, influence and make clear recommendations
• Strong understanding of infrastructure procurement and delivery models, NEC forms of contract and commercial risk, including how contract strategy, programme, risk allocation and delivery assumptions influence tender evaluation, commercial performance and successful project delivery
• Visible and collaborative leadership, with the ability to bring together, motivate and hold multidisciplinary teams to account
• Strong communication, negotiation and presentation skills, with the confidence and influence to engage effectively with senior internal & external stakeholders
• Commercially astute, with a clear understanding of contract, programme, cost, risk and delivery drivers
• Strategic and creative thinking, with the ability to analyse evidence, challenge convention and turn ideas into differentiated and deliverable solutions
• Highly organised and decisive, able to maintain pace, manage competing priorities and lead teams through demanding deadlines and change
• Confident using digital and AI-enable tools responsibly to support research, collaboration, planning, analysis and production, and proactive in helping the business adopt new approaches that improve how we work
• Full driving licence

We're all about finding potential here at Kier, and transferrable skills are always welcome! So, even if you don't tick every box, please apply and we can have a chat.

Rewards and benefits

We're proud to be able to offer our brilliant people a wide variety of benefits that you can tailor to your needs. You can see more information of benefits here.

Diversity and inclusion

Making Kier a diverse and inclusive place to work is a huge priority for us. We're proud of the steps we've taken so far, but we know we must always do more. Our employees are key in shaping Kier's diversity and inclusion initiatives and our people have made a huge impact on how we work, by using their experiences to shape our policies. You can see our D&I action plan here. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We look forward to seeing your application to #joinkier.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme