Bid Manager - Rail

Location: Derby or London

Job Description
With offices throughout the UK, SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit has an extensive history of supporting clients in the UK and overseas.

Our breadth of expertise encompasses all aspects of Rolling Stock, Rail Infrastructure, Systems, Consulting & Assurance and Projects whilst our depth means we are equally comfortable at advising on current and innovative technologies such as High Speed, ETCS and Electrification. We strive to maintain legacy technologies in the most cost effective manner, as well as providing strategic support for franchising, concession and due diligence.

Through our strategic, engineering and technological solutions we focus on exceeding client expectations and have a proven track record of helping our clients businesses succeed.

Working as a member of the central Bid Team, the Bid Manager will manage, co-ordinate and produce proposal (RFI, ITT, RFP etc.) responses whilst assembling a proposal team with the relevant service or business knowledge required to win. The role will support the completion of complex PQQs. This is a highly networked role that requires an ability to work under pressure, to challenging deadlines and to ensure that all bids have the right ‘look and feel’.

Posted in either our Derby or London office, the Bid Manager, working closely with the Client Account Managers (CAM), will work to fully understand the client's requirements, developing bid strategies and winning themes with the proposal team. Key aspects of the role are to ensure that the winning themes come across well and provide a compelling argument, to enhance the quality of bids and to increase SNC-Lavalin's chance of winning work. The post holder will have proven ability in planning, producing and delivering compliant proposals within a complex business environment.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned

• Delivery of compliant, professionally produced proposals within customer defined timeframes
• Create, manage and maintain effective cross-functional, interdepartmental relationships to ensure SNC-Lavalin delivers the most valuable service to customers
• Act as ‘Significant Bid Leader’ as defined in company procedures to ensure successful bid completion. Alternatively, nominate appropriate bid leaders and support the process
• Strive to minimise the cost of bidding, ensuring that costs for bids are controlled effectively
• Work with the CAMs to ensure that proposals are correctly priced, risks are minimised and are adequately mitigated. Ensure any contingencies are adequate but not excessive. Work closely with the Contracts Manager to ensure appropriate conditions of contract exist
• Act as ‘mentor’ (providing guidance, direction and support) to other Significant Bid Leaders
• Work closely with Sales and Marketing and Operational teams in the UK to enhance the quality of proposals. Support regional offices with bidding when required
• Actively contribute to a continuous improvement culture
• Coordinate and review / edit proposal input from stakeholders
• Ability to write standard non-technical bid material
• Ability to coach subject matter experts in persuasive writing and proposal best practice
• To take full ownership and responsibility of bids assigned to you.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Experienced in scheduling and running proposal kick-off meetings, leading storyboarding sessions, facilitating key review meetings / final document review, coordinating proposal governance / sign off, document production and delivery of the completed proposal
• Significant Bid Leader and assignment allocator, or equivalent skills and experience to be able to be trained as such
• Good project management capability, including the ability to work under pressure to deliver bids against challenging deadlines
• Excellent written English is essential for the development of clear, concise proposals.
• Advanced Microsoft proficiency, including MS Project
• Ability to work flexibly and sometimes outside of ‘normal’ hours so that the bid produced is of high quality
• Knowledge and experience of successful rail bidding into public and private sector organisations.

Desirable Experience & Skills

• Chartered Engineer
• Certified to APMP Foundation / Practitioner Level, PRINCE2 or similar
• Capability in the use of In Design software advantageous
• Training in or appreciation of Shipley Bid Management methodology (or similar)

Why SNC-Lavalin?
We offer a professional but nurturing environment for you to better develop in your career whilst exposing you to a wide variety of transport projects. We also offer competitive salaries, enhanced pension contributions, 33 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), private medical and dental insurance, gym membership subsidies, flexible working hours and a host of other benefits supporting a range of lifestyles.