Senior Bid Writer

SMS Environmental; East Hagbourne; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental services provider in East Hagbourne is seeking a Senior Bid Writer to produce high-quality bid submissions and develop into a Bid Manager. The role offers significant growth opportunities through coaching and mentorship and involves managing and mentoring junior staff. Applicants should have strong bid writing skills and experience with tenders, ideally in water hygiene or facilities management. A hybrid working model is included after a six-month probation period, along with generous benefits.

Benefits

22 days' holiday plus bank holidays

Private Medical Care or Cash Plan

Enhanced Sick, Maternity, and Paternity Leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Staff discount scheme

Quarterly Core Values Champions Rewards

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Senior Bid Writer or a Bid Writer ready for advancement.
• Curiosity and ambition to develop into a Bid Manager.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of producing high-quality bid submissions.
• Coordinate inputs from multiple teams for submissions.
• Assist in planning and coordinate the full bid lifecycle.

Skills

Bid writing and editing abilities

Experience on tenders or proposals

Excellent organization and coordination skills

Stakeholder management confidence

Understanding of UK bid lifecycle and procurement processes

Proficiency with Google Workspace and bid management tools

Job description

Senior Bid Writer – with a clear pathway to Bid Manager
Harwell, Oxfordshire – up to £60,000
Hybrid Working

Are you a talented Senior Bid Writer ready to take the next step in your career — and looking for an employer who will actively invest in helping you get there?

At SMS Environmental, we’re offering the chance to join our growing business in a role designed to develop you into a future Bid Manager. If you’re ambitious, motivated, and eager to progress, this is the perfect next move.

SMS Environmental is a leading provider of water hygiene, water treatment, and facilities management services across the UK. We help clients maintain safe, compliant, and efficient environments — and we’re expanding fast.

What makes this role exciting

• A genuine development pathway to Bid Manager
• Hands‑on coaching, mentoring, and support from experts in the field
• The opportunity to gradually take on more strategic and commercial responsibility
• A role where your work directly supports the company’s growth
• A collaborative, friendly team that wants you to thrive
• You will manage and mentor a junior Bid Writer

What you’ll be doing

As a Senior Bid Writer, you’ll take ownership of producing high‑quality, persuasive, and commercially aligned bid submissions — while gradually stepping into the leadership, commercial, and strategic aspects of full bid management.

Your responsibilities will include:

Bid Writing & Coordination

• Producing compelling, clear, and compliant bid responses
• Coordinating inputs from technical, operational, compliance, finance, and sales teams
• Ensuring accuracy, consistency, and high quality across all submissions

Supporting Bid Management

• Assisting in planning and coordinating the full bid lifecycle
• Taking an active role in bid/no‑bid discussions
• Helping maintain the tender pipeline and documentation
• Supporting the development of bid tools, templates, and best practices

Developing Commercial & Strategic Skills

• Learning how to develop pricing strategies with guidance from the commercial team
• Contributing to executive summaries, win themes, and value propositions
• Supporting reviews, lessons learned, and continuous improvement activities

As you grow, you’ll take on more responsibility for leading bids, shaping strategy, and eventually overseeing the process end-to-end.

What you’ll bring

You’ll be an experienced Senior Bid Writer (or a Bid Writer ready for that step up) with:

• Strong bid writing and editing abilities
• Experience working on tenders or proposals, ideally in water hygiene, legionella control, or FM (not essential)
• Excellent organisation and coordination skills
• Stakeholder management confidence
• Understanding of the UK bid lifecycle and procurement processes
• Curiosity, ambition, and a desire to develop into a Bid Manager
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and bid management tools

Most importantly, you’ll bring the ambition to grow — and the drive to take on more responsibility over time.

What you’ll enjoy

• A clear development path to Bid Manager with dedicated support
• A collaborative, growing business where your work makes a visible impact
• 22 days’ holiday plus bank holidays (plus your birthday after two years)
• Private Medical Care or Cash Plan (after two years)
• Enhanced Sick, Maternity, and Paternity Leave
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discount scheme (worth up to £240 per month)
• Quarterly Core Values Champions Rewards
• Hybrid working (up to two days from home) after six‑month on‑site probation
• A modern, supportive working environment in Harwell