Senior Bid & Tender Writer

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of over 23,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

We're moving from strength to strength, expanding our global reach and growing both organically and through strategic, high-quality mergers and acquisitions. By bringing together diverse expertise and perspectives, we're enhancing our unique culture and values, whilst continuing to expand our capability to innovate, and deliver exceptional solutions for our clients.

The Role

This role is responsible for the written content of high‑value tenders, RFPs and pitch documents, supporting large, strategically important new business opportunities.

Working closely with senior New Business leaders and subject‑matter experts, you will shape persuasive, client‑specific responses that clearly articulate value, manage risk and support long‑term client relationships.

This is a writing‑first role, focused on narrative quality, clarity and rigour rather than visual design.

What you’ll do

Bid & Tender Writing

• Write first‑draft and final responses for RFPs, ITTs and major tender submissions.
• Translate technical and specialist input into clear, compelling client language.
• Structure proposals to tell a coherent, persuasive story aligned to client priorities and evaluation criteria.
• Coordinate and synthesise input from senior stakeholders and subject‑matter experts.
• Ensure submissions are accurate, compliant and meticulously detailed.
• Manage deadlines, version control and final submissions across multiple live opportunities.
• Capture tender debrief feedback and apply learning to future bids.
• Support the refinement of the firm’s wider value proposition and messaging.

Presentation & Design Support

• Contribute to PowerPoint decks and pitch documents, focusing on narrative flow rather than design execution.
• Review presentations to ensure consistency between written responses and visual materials.
• Support structuring of executive summaries and key messages for senior audiences.

Who we’re looking for

• Proven experience writing bids, tenders or proposals in a professional services environment.
• Exceptional written communication skills and very strong attention to detail.
• Strong Word capability and confident use of PowerPoint (content‑led rather than design‑led).
• Comfortable working in high‑pressure, deadline‑driven environments.
• Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and technical contributors.
• Structured, resilient and calm under pressure.

Backgrounds that work well include:

• Bid / Tender Writer
• Legal or consultancy New Business professional
• Proposals or RFP specialist

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define.

Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges.

And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality type’. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other, in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference, at work and beyond

We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.