Pursuits & Bids Senior Specialist

Arup; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Share

Learning opportunities

Health and wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Arup in Malaysia is seeking a Pursuits & Bids Senior Specialist to manage bids of moderate complexity and support larger pursuits, working closely with Bid Directors and multidisciplinary teams to deliver compelling, client-focused proposals.

You will shape strategies, coordinate schedules, ensure compliance, lead proposal reviews, and guide contributors to maintain quality and momentum across Southeast Asia, while coaching colleagues and driving continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering, architecture, commerce, marketing, communications or equivalent professional experience
• Five+ years’ relevant experience in a pursuits & bids role within AEC or similar sector
• Demonstrated experience managing bids of moderate complexity and supporting more strategic pursuits
• Experience across pre-positioning and bidding lifecycle, including bid delivery at a country/office level
• Strong proposal planning, writing, editing and quality-review skills for coherent, persuasive submissions
• Strong knowledge of bidding trends, procurement methods, client evaluation approaches and competitor dynamics
• Experience working with technical and marketing teams to deliver high-quality proposals and manage multiple stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Shape pursuit strategies and translate them into bid plans and win themes
• Manage key stages of the bid process: schedules, compliance, proposal development, reviews, submission delivery
• Coordinate structured proposal reviews, gather feedback and drive actions ahead of submission
• Guide contributors, ensuring quality and momentum across the pursuit
• Develop expertise across the lifecycle and coach colleagues across Southeast Asia

Skills

Bid management

Proposal writing

Stakeholder coordination

Quality review

Team coaching

CRM

SharePoint

Microsoft Office

AI tools

Education

APMP Foundation-level certification

APMP Practitioner-level certification (desirable)

Tools

CRM

SharePoint

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

AI-enabled tools (e.g., Copilot)

Job description

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

The Marketing, Communications and Business Development (MCBD) team plays an important role in enabling Arup’s work winning through high-quality, client-focused pursuits and submissions. The Pursuits and Bids team works collaboratively with technical teams and business leaders to develop compelling proposals that respond to our clients’ needs and demonstrate the value Arup can bring.

The Opportunity

As a Pursuits & Bids Senior Specialist, you will manage bids of moderate complexity and support larger, strategically important pursuits, working closely with Bid Directors, Bid Managers and multidisciplinary teams.

• Shape pursuit strategies and translate them into structured bid plans, clear win themes and compelling, client-focused proposals
• Manage key stages of the bid process, including schedules, compliance, proposal development, reviews and submission delivery
• Facilitate structured proposal reviews, coordinate feedback and ensure actions are addressed ahead of submission, while supporting presentation and interview preparation
• Work closely with technical teams and stakeholders, guiding contributors and helping maintain quality and momentum throughout the pursuit

Develop your expertise across the pursuit and bidding lifecycle, with opportunities to support bids across Southeast Asia, coach less-experienced colleagues and contribute to continuous improvement

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

Is this role right for you?

A degree in engineering, architecture, commerce, marketing, communications or another relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience

• Five or more years’ relevant experience in a pursuits and bids role within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry or a similar sector
• Demonstrated experience managing bids of moderate complexity and supporting more complex or strategically important pursuits
• Experience across the pre-positioning and bidding lifecycle, including bid delivery at a country or office level
• Strong proposal planning, writing, editing and quality-review skills, with a focus on coherent, persuasive and client-focused submissions
• Strong working knowledge of bidding trends, procurement methods, client evaluation approaches and competitor dynamics relevant to the market
• Experience working with technical and marketing teams to deliver high-quality proposals and manage multiple stakeholders and priorities
• Experience facilitating structured proposal reviews and supporting presentation and interview preparation
• Experience providing day-to-day guidance, reviewing outputs or coaching less-experienced pursuits and bids colleagues
• Good commercial awareness and sound judgement in relation to bid resources, risk, compliance and delivery
• Experience using CRM, bid sites, SharePoint or similar collaboration and reporting systems
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and relevant collaboration and proposal-development applications
• Proficiency in using approved AI-enabled tools, including Microsoft Copilot, for research, content development, review and quality assurance

APMP Foundation-level certification or equivalent bid management experience is advantageous; APMP Practitioner-level certification is desirable

Able to manage multiple concurrent bids, coordinate stakeholders and maintain output quality under tight deadlines

What we offer you

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Aima Rashid on [e-mail] to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/

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