Bid Manager

Reading, Berkshire
Stantec Consulting International Ltd.
Overview We’re looking for a talented Bid Manager to join our Central Bid Team, playing a key role in shaping and securing exciting opportunities across our Infrastructure and Buildings business. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence high-profile bids, work with diverse teams, and make a real impact on our continued growth and success.

About the Role As a key member of the Central Bid Team, the Bid Manager plays a pivotal role in driving successful work winning across our Infrastructure and Buildings business. Working closely with the Senior Bid Manager and guided by the Head of Bids, they bring enthusiasm and a proactive mindset, as well as structure and creativity to every opportunity.

This role offers the chance to shape and influence a diverse portfolio of regional and national bids across both public and private sectors in the UK. With a collaborative and solutions-focused approach, the Bid Manager provides a responsive, adaptable service building strong relationships, elevating bid quality, and helping position us for success in a highly competitive market.

The Bid Manager leads bids end-to-end, driving momentum throughout the tender lifecycle and partnering closely with the Bid Director to shape compelling, winning solutions. They challenge and support business leads and technical SMEs to think strategically, sharpen value propositions, and deliver high-quality, client-focused submissions.

With a strong focus on rigour and consistency, the Bid Manager ensures best practice processes are embedded and global governance requirements met at every stage from pre-bid through to submission and beyond. This includes managing EOIs, SQs, ITTs, and supporting impactful interview and presentation stages.

They also play a key role in supporting national frameworks and associated call-off and mini-competition tenders, where precision, compliance, and disciplined bid management are essential to success.

Your Impact

Pre-Bid:

• Familiarise self with the client portal for bid release and upload protocols
• Work with the business leads to ensure Client Relationship Management (CRM) tool entries are accurate, and reflect the correct bid status – to aid global and central reporting
• Drive discussions on teaming or supply chain partners to ensure key decisions are made
• Follow global governance processes throughout decision stages
• Capture Proposition/Win Themes prior to Kick-off
• Work with assigned Bid Writer to establish if a bid writing style guide, or delivery of a bespoke bid writing masterclass for question owners would be beneficial

Throughout the Bid:

• Organise for or download tender documents and distribute to core bid team members
• Ensure all client documentation, contract, specification, and tender documents have been received, read, and understood by you ready for cascade
• Digest and understand the question/scoring mechanisms
• Drive the Go/No Go Assessment meeting with Bid Director(s) and business leads
• Analyse client requirements, deliverables, defined deadlines and question owners with the Bid Director – build the bid programme
• Collaborate with designated bid team to establish wider analysis of the tender documentation to uncover what is important to this client and agree our discriminators, USPs and added value points
• Diarise, facilitate and lead the Bid Kick-off meeting
• Agree structure of response template
• Create templates including CVs and case studies
• Consider resource needed for bid writing and graphics and visuals e.g. org charts or infographics, and engage with Central Bid Team to evaluate and secure resource
• Create and manage the collaborative working platform e.g. SharePoint / Teams – ensuringfolder structures and version control is adhered to
• Consider required logistics for face-to-face workshops and meetings and book accordingly
• Work with Bid Director and Commercial Manager and relevant technical leads to gather and issue any clarifications required to the client
• Proactively drive actions across the team of contributors against the Bid Plan
• Own and update the Bid Plan, highlighting interdependencies. Monitor and report on progress weekly to the wider bid team
• Ensure commercial and contracts information is extracted and sent to the appropriate teams for prompt action. Consider and factor in any Service Level Agreements in place for some support functions
• Monitor client portal and disseminate and communicate client tender clarifications. Facilitate appropriate response actions
• Manage and facilitate Storyboard workshops
• Work with Bid Writer to identify key areas that authors may need support on
• Prepare and format proposal documents in line with Stantec brand and specific bid brand (MS Word/PowerPoint or Adobe InDesign) ensuring they are of a high and consistent quality
• Ensure documents are visually appealing making best use of space and ensuring content meets the guidelines and restrictions set by the client
• Create and help source visual graphics to complement our responses
• Source relevant images for bid/presentation covers and project profiles
• Manage the bid writing, collation, and review programme (e.g. aligning the bid strategy throughout the reviews)
• Organise meetings, issue clear instructions and diarise placeholders to all reviewers and question owners. Consolidate all comments and feedback and ensure version control is strictly adhered to throughout
• Drive solution development discussions, reminding contributors what is important to the client, e.g. discriminators, USPs and our added value points
• Engage with the Commercial Manager to ensure the development of the commercial submission includes input from the Bid Director
• Take the lead in ensuring content is compliant, quality checked and ready for upload
• Ensure all content is checked and ready for upload e.g. fact checked, cross-referenced, figures captioned, spelling, grammar, navigation etc. Involve Bid Writer, where relevant.
• Close out any actions from commercial sign off meeting with the Bid Director
• Upload the submission ensuring compliance checklist is followed
• Follow CRM guidance with reference to submitted bids

Post Bid:

• Monitor portal and act promptly on actions and any further clarifications or requests for information from the client
• Prepare for, and agree with Bid Director, who will lead further negotiations e.g. interviews
• Lead and manage an internal lesson learned workshop with wider bid team and disseminate feedback. Record and share lessons learned and best practice
• Engage with Central Bid Team to capture any new content for the Content Library
• Analyse and cascade any client feedback
• Schedule a formal client debrief meeting

About You

• Experience in a previous bidding/business development role
• Understanding of the bid process and the dynamics of a bid team
• Strong time and project management skills with ability to prioritise
• Problem solving and lessons-learnt attitude
• Experience with electronic portals
• Ability to work collaboratively with both internal and external clients
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Advanced Microsoft skills e.g. Office 365
• Previous experience in Adobe Creative Cloud, InDesign and Illustrator would be advantageous, as well as creative flair and an interest in infographic design
• A diligent, thorough approach with keen attention to detail
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple conflicting deadlines
• A self-starter with a ‘can do’ attitude
• Must be flexible around working hours (when required) to support strict bid timetables

Key Stakeholders

• Head of Bids
• Senior Bid Manager
• Wider Central Bid Team
• Bid Directors (assigned by business)
• Contributors/Question owners (assigned by business)
• Internal Subject Matter Experts (Lead Technical Authors)
• National Discipline Directors, Regional Business Leads
• Strategic Improvement teams e.g. Public & Private Sector, Frameworks Lead, Strategic Pursuit Director
• Commercial Managers
• Bid Reviewers
• Legal/Contracts/Risk Team
• Functional Service teams
• External Joint Venture Partners & sub-consultants

Why Join Us

• We put people first: We’re proud of our friendly, inclusive and collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and driven to succeed.
• We are driven to achieve: Named in the top 50 companies to work by Glassdoor 2025. Recognised by Corporate Knights as one of the world’s top 10 most sustainable companies 2025. Named ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘International Consulting Firm of the Year’ at the NCE Awards 2024.
• We do what is right: Industry leading training and development as well as paid for professional subscriptions. A professional progression plan, supporting you to become chartered with ICE.
• We are better together: A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network (see more on our ERGs here: Stantec Employee Resource Groups)
• Growth: We’re on an exciting growth journey across the UK & Ireland – we want you to be part of it!
• Great Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus schemes, enhanced pension plan, annual leave with the option to buy/sell additional days, private medical insurance . click apply for full job details