Lead Application Engineer - Bid Manager

Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company in; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Watlow is seeking an experienced Bid Manager to lead proposals for engineered process heating systems, coordinating engineering, sales, applications, operations, supply chain and finance to deliver compliant and competitive bids.

You will own each bid from RFQ receipt through award, including strategy, sizing, testing plans, and commercial deviations, with close collaboration across multiple functions to win profitable business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical or chemical preferred) or related technical field.
• 7+ years in industrial sales, applications, estimating or proposals with 3+ years leading bids for engineered-to-order equipment.
• Experience bidding to EPC contractors and major oil and gas or process operators.

Responsibilities

• Review RFQs and ITBs; lead go/no-go decisions based on fit, risk, capacity and margin.
• Build win strategies with sales, including customer drivers, competitor positioning and pricing approach.
• Manage bid schedules; run kickoff meetings and review gates.
• Break down customer specs into compliance matrices; coordinate sizing, design and code review.
• Prepare deviations, clarifications and exceptions; assemble complete proposal packages.
• Develop pricing with estimating and finance; review terms and Incoterms; escalate high-risk terms.

Skills

Bid management

Proposal development

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical reading (P&IDs, datasheets)

Deadline management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field

Tools

None

Job description

About the Role

Watlow is looking for an experienced Bid Manager to lead proposals for our engineered process heating systems. These are sold to large industrial customers, EPC contractors and end users in oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, power generation and energy transition markets. You will own each bid from receipt of the RFQ through award. You'll coordinate engineering, sales, applications, operations, supply chain and finance to deliver compliant, competitive proposals that win profitable business.

Products You'll Support

• Circulation and inline process heaters, including explosion-proof and hazardous-area designs, both medium and low voltage
• Engineered heater skids and packaged systems
• Medium and Low Voltage Control Panels
• Associated sensors, controls and instrumentation

Key Responsibilities

Bid strategy and qualification

• Review incoming RFQs and ITBs, and lead go/no-go decisions based on fit, risk, capacity and margin.
• Build win strategies with sales, including customer drivers, competitor positioning and pricing approach.

Proposal development

• Build and manage bid schedules. Run kickoff meetings and review gates.
• Break down customer specifications, datasheets and project specs (e.g. Shell DEPs, Aramco SAES, ExxonMobil GPs) into compliance matrices.
• Coordinate thermal and electrical sizing, design, and code review with applications engineering.
• Prepare clear technical and commercial deviations, clarifications and exceptions.
• Write and assemble complete proposal packages: technical, commercial, schedule, documentation and inspection/test plans.
• Work with counterparts in legal, finance, supply chain, quality and engineering to prepare effective bid proposals in a timely manner

Commercial and risk management

• Develop pricing with estimating and finance, covering material, labor, engineering hours, documentation, testing and freight.
• Review commercial terms: liquidated damages, limitation of liability, warranties, payment milestones, bonds and guarantees, and Incoterms. Escalate high-risk terms to legal and leadership.
• Get internal approvals under the Delegation of Authority process.

Customer engagement

• Serve as the main contact for EPC procurement and engineering teams during the bid.
• Lead clarification meetings, technical bid evaluations (TBEs) and commercial negotiations.
• Support bid presentations and vendor qualification (AVL) activities.

After award and continuous improvement

• Hand won projects over to project management, with the full scope, risks and commitments documented.
• Track win/loss data and debrief customers. Maintain proposal templates and a content library.
• Report on pipeline and bid performance

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical or chemical preferred) or a related technical field
• 7+ years in industrial sales, applications, estimating or proposals, with at least 3 years leading bids for engineered-to-order equipment
• Experience bidding to EPC contractors and major oil and gas or process operators
• Working knowledge of relevant codes and standards, such as:
• NEC 500/505, UL/CSA, ATEX and IECEx for hazardous areas
• ASME Section VIII and PED for pressure vessels
• NFPA 70/79 and IEC for electrical and controls
• Ability to read P&IDs, process datasheets and electrical schematics
• Strong understanding of commercial terms and contract risk
• Excellent writing, organization and deadline management across several bids at once

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with electric process heating, fired heaters, heat exchangers, or skid-mounted systems
• Knowledge of electrification and decarbonization applications, such as replacing gas-fired heaters with electric heat, hydrogen and CCS
• APMP or PMP certification
• Experience with international bids, including local content, export compliance and multi-currency pricing

Key Competencies

• Leads cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Has commercial judgment: knows when to push back, clarify or walk away
• Pays close attention to detail and specification compliance
• Stays calm and organized under tight deadlines
• Is customer-focused and builds relationships with EPC buyers and engineers

Travel

Up to [15–25]% for customer meetings, bid clarifications and site or facility visits.