Senior Proposals Manager

Job Description

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

This is a key role in securing profitable business for WSP by managing our most important bid projects across our Civils and Roads business. Reporting to the Head of Work Winning, the Senior Proposal Manager will play a pivotal role leading and managing the pursuit process, collaborating across teams to deliver high‑quality, client‑focused proposals from the initial capture planning process through the full bid lifecycle.

Once assigned to a bidding opportunity, the Senior Proposal Manager will take charge of managing and supporting the bid team, communicating with clients and partners, organising review and approval meetings, and submitting the proposal. They will lead the formulation of winning strategies, client solutions, tender planning, and response delivery, and ensure a successful handover to the delivery team upon winning the opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex and high‑value strategic bids as bid manager or other senior support roles as required, depending on size and complexity of the bid.
• Ensure that the appropriate bid governance and bid review processes are followed.
• Provide input to the strategic bid capture planning process.
• Work with the client and the Prospect Director to develop customised solutions that meet the client’s specific needs and help them achieve their objectives.
• Assist in prospect qualification throughout the process.
• Understand internal and external customer requirements and provide resource expertise, supporting and leading strategic bids.
• Challenge operational, technical, commercial and financial proposals to facilitate the development of solutions that provide the greatest benefit for the business while delivering customer requirements and needs.
• Work with the bid authors/solution architects to convert knowledge from operational and business development staff into winning solutions and proposals.
• Support lessons learned from bids. Analyse each bid, including customer feedback, to identify and share good practice with operational, bid and business development staff across the business and suggest improvements to process and team dynamics.
• Train and coach colleagues on the bid process and associated skills.
• Collate market and competitor information that will be useful to WSP in the future.

Qualifications

• Good experience of producing tenders in the markets that WSP operates in.
• An acknowledged senior bid manager with a demonstrable record of success in winning bids.
• Good awareness and understanding of bid governance and bid review processes. Good bid writing and management skills, and commercial skills.
• Qualified to degree level in an appropriate subject.
• Member of a relevant professional institution preferable but not essential.
• APMP Foundation as a minimum.
• Thorough understanding of procurement process.
• Strong and effective verbal and written communication, team player, collaborative.
• Robust project management skills with a meticulous approach to detail and quality.
• Strong time‑management skills and ability to prioritise.
• Adopt a pro‑active approach, use initiative and take responsibility for own actions.
• Ability to assimilate large volumes of information and understand, plan and manage associated workflows.
• Develop strong relationships and rapport with external clients and internal colleagues.
• Excellent people skills to lead, encourage, motivate and enthuse others.
• A passion for quality and continuous improvement with a focus on delivery.
• Confidence to delegate to all levels, where required.

Benefits

• Work‑life balance: hybrid working policy offering the flexibility to work from home two days a week, with opportunities to collaborate in modern offices across the UK.
• Inclusivity & Belonging: welcoming applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences, supporting an inclusive culture of belonging.
• Health & Wellbeing: Thrive programme, Virtual GP service, reasonable workplace adjustments, Gymflex scheme, and a comprehensive menopause support package.
• Flex your time: “WSP My Hour,” part‑time and flexible working arrangements, and the option to purchase additional leave or use bank holiday entitlement.
• Your development: investment in training, mentoring, and chartership opportunities.

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria; please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.

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