BID PROFILES & DESCRIPTIONS

FIND OUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK IN VARIOUS BID AND TENDER ROLES

We have put together some bid and tender job profiles to help you decide on the level of personnel you need for your project, or if you're looking for a bid writer or bid manager job, to give you a good idea of what you will be expected to be able to do.

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Bid Manager Profile Bid Writer Profile

Bid Graphic Designer Profile Bid Coordinator Profile

Bid Director Profile

BID MANAGER JOB PROFILE See all current available Bid Manager roles

A BID MANAGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SMOOTH MANAGEMENT OF THE ENTIRE BID PROCESS

A Bid Manager is sometimes also referred to as a Bid Coordinator – the job title used is usually in line with the nomenclature used within an organisation (some companies like to avoid the word ‘manager’) – and doesn’t affect the actual job description.

Essentially, the role is that of a Project Manager but is specific to the bid process, so don’t think that you can co-opt a Project Manager who is at a loose end! The initial evaluation of an opportunity to compete for a contract through the production of a bid. The Bid Manager must co-ordinate all parties involved in the bid process to ensure everyone is aware of the level of contribution expected of them and knows when their deadlines are. They will ensure all timelines are met and that the bid submitted is as complete and accurate as possible, whilst also best reflecting your company’s services and abilities.

The Bid Manager is responsible for the quality of all aspects of the bid, including written documentation and presentations. They ensure all bid documentation is clear, concise and - crucially - compelling. They source and co-ordinate design input to ensure the visual standard of all documentation and presentation material is first class and eye-catching.

THE PERSON

The ideal Bid Manager should be highly motivated, innovative, customer focused and have a ‘can do’ attitude. They should be an experienced manager, able to motivate and inspire others; able to obtain a high level of work from the team to ensure all deadlines are met efficiently and that the bid is of the highest quality possible. Sometimes the bid team can be comprised of a variety of different personnel, including those seconded from other departments or areas of the business and it is vital that the Bid Manager is able to supply interim line management to these contributors.

Excellent communications skills are a must, both verbal and written – the importance of being able to converse and liaise with all bid contributors is key and being able to ‘speak their language’ is vital to get the most from everyone, ensuring the bid is as good as it possibly can be.

Any bid should be thorough and accurate so it makes sense that your Bid Manager should be a highly capable individual, with a keen eye for detail, consistency and accuracy.

SUMMARY OF SKILLS

Experience of working in a bid team previously (the degree of experience you require will be reflected in the salary and the ideal candidate will expect and will impact the ‘level’ of candidate you attract)
Excellent communicator
Effective and experienced manager
A high attention to detail
Highly motivated
Deadline driven
Thrive in a busy environment
Able to motivate a team
Experience in your business sector
Proven bid team involvement
Can demonstrate effective bid writing skills (even if they will not be writing the actual bid documentation)

BID WRITER JOB PROFILE SEE ALLl CURRENT AVAILABLE BID WRITER ROLES

SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS A PROPOSAL WRITER, DOCUMENT WRITER, PROPOSAL EDITOR OR BID AUTHOR.

The job title used can vary according to industry but the role and responsibilities will be similar and all the titles will indicate writing as the main objective of the role.

A Bid Writer will usually work under the supervision of a Bid Manager or Bid Coordinator and will assist them in developing a proposal structure. The role also requires reviewing and editing previously written content where necessary, working with other bid team members to produce written bid responses and presentation collateral in line with deadlines.

The role won’t only involve writing content for use in the bid, but also presentations and all supporting documentation, ensuring a cohesive and consistent approach.

THE PERSON

The ideal candidate for this job should be able to write effective, concise and compelling content while under the pressure sometimes associated with deadlines. The ability to work as a team and to get accurate, high quality information from all bid stakeholders in order to produce bid collateral is essential.

Usually a Bid Writer will have a background or experience in a journalistic environment, be it a past role or a qualification (degree or equivalent). Experience of journalism helps a Bid Writer to construct a bid which pulls together factual information gleaned from a variety of sources in a format which is both interesting and comprehensive.

Not only should a Bid Writer have excellent writing skills, but they should be able to work with other bid team members to help give them the necessary skills and confidence to write and produce materials themselves.

SUMMARY OF SKILLS

Excellent communicator
A high attention to detail with an excellent editing and proofing ability
Excellent literacy skills, with an extensive vocabulary
Possibly a journalism background
Deadline driven with effective time management skills
Thrive in a busy environment
Ability to multitask and prioritise workload
Experience in the required business sector
Proven bid team involvement
Can demonstrate effective bid writing skills

BID GRAPHIC DESIGNER JOB PROFILE See all current available Bid Graphic Designer roles

THE ROLE WILL TAKE MANY DIFFERENT TITLES, DEPENDING ON THE ORGANISATION BUT THE MAIN RESPOSIBILITIES WILL BE VERY SIMILAR.

It will be the responsibility of Bid Graphics to work with the rest of the bid team to create engaging and eye-catching imagery and visuals which will make the bid stand out.

THE PERSON

The ideal person for a role like this will be a highly accomplished Graphic Designer, used to taking briefs and working to deadlines, producing high quality and precise imagery and collateral. The ability to use your own initiative is a must to be able to embellish a brief to achieve the highest standard of work that not only meets the guidelines set out but also maximises the impact of the message being conveyed in the bid.

It would be essential to have experience of working within brand guidelines to produce high quality, consistent materials which form a cohesive set of collateral.

Many organisations would look for this role to be occupied by an individual educated to degree standard in a discipline like graphic design or similar, but in many cases a requirement like this can be outstripped by experience and a first class portfolio of work, it will depend very much on the organisation and the level and expectations of the role.

SUMMARY OF SKILLS

Confident and accomplished in the use of a variety of graphics packages (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) as well as presentation software
Depending on the level of the role, may be required to lead brainstorming sessions in order to get the most out of the brief and requirements
Deadline driven
Excellent attention to detail – able to produce error free work
Able to multitask and manage multiple projects simultaneously
Experience of working to brand guidelines

BID DIRECTOR JOB PROFILE SEE ALL CURRENT AVAILABLE BID DIRECTOR ROLES

Typically reports to: Board level director, Sales Director, Commercial Director.

A bid director is primarily a leader who can inspire a bid manager and their team to effectively collaborate to produce a compelling and winning proposal. A bid director is often also the point at which several communication streams coalesce, for example the client, the bid team, the commercial team, perhaps a JV partner, and the senior board of a company. This role is especially critical in complex, high-value bids.

A bid director will typically have substantial experience in bid leadership and team leadership and has confidence in accomplishing the following:

Providing clear direction and motivation to the bid manager and bid team
Leads the Bid/No Bid process and bid governance
Leads the development of the service/product solution, key win themes and strategy
Obtains approval for the bid budget and maintains oversight of the spend
Maintains the “big picture” view of what is needed to win the bid
Champions the bid with senior leadership within the business, division/group
Provides first layer of challenge to the technical and commercial solution
Works closely with the commercial team to ensure the bid achieves the required approvals / governance
Works closely with sales and/or client account managers to ensure client intelligence is available, is accurate and useful
Considers the market threats and competition in the bid response
Oversees the Bid Manager regarding updates on progress of the bid
Ultimately, takes ownership and resolves issues regarding the responsibilities of the bid team and the progress of the bid
Is party to the outcomes of any bid review gates and ensures the implementation of any revisions

BID COORDINATOR JOB PROFILE See all current available Bid CO-ORDINATOR roles

Reports to: Business Development Manager/ Bid Manager/Bid Director

The key function of this role is to project manage the smooth running of the bid process from the first identification of a bidding opportunity through to submission. It is usually a support position to the Bid Manager and bid team generally. A bid coordinator role, while administrative in nature, is often an interim post to gain experience before moving to a bid writer role.

Typical duties will be likely to include:

On identification of a ‘go’ bid, in discussion with the Bid Manager, organise the setup of a bid kick-off meeting
Discuss the meeting agenda and attendees required and circulate, arrange room or conference call
Coordinate all the bid related activities with the entire bid team from kick off to bid delivery
Manage lines of communication between various bid stakeholders
Ensure that clarification questions are posted in good time and responses are communicated
On advice from the Bid Manager arrange further scheduled meetings of the bid team at key stages if necessary, depending on the size and complexity of the bid
Engage with the identified Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Bid Writers who will be responsible for responding for providing content in response to the tender document
Set up, populate, update and publish a bid tracker to ensure the bid team are aware of the schedule
Follow up with the Bid Writers and SMEs - prompting with updates where timelines are lagging
Escalating issues regarding delayed SME contributions to the Bid Manager/Bid Director
Ensure co-ordinated, centralised, management of the template and the bid content
Support Bid Writers with collating and formatting content into the template
Manage bid document version control
Source and coordinate any graphic design input, arrange printing of any hard copies
Ensuring a bid delivery plan is in place and that the team is aware of their role in the bid delivery and have availability
Keep accurate historic bid records (outcomes, win, losses) and produce KPI reports for the wider business
Manage and maintain the contents in the bid library
Respond to pre-qualification questionnaires

A bid coordinator role is a critical bid-related function and good, confident coordinators are highly valued members of the overall bid division or team.