Wates Group
Bid Manager - 1st Stage
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Bid Manager – Stage 1 Work Winning
Location: Birmingham with travel as required.
Reporting to: Pre-Construction Director
Shape Winning Opportunities from the Start
At Wates Construction, we're looking for a commercially astute and relationship-focused Bid Manager to lead our Stage 1 tender opportunities and help secure some of the UK's most exciting construction projects.
This is a pivotal role within our pre-construction team, responsible for leading multidisciplinary bid teams, developing winning strategies and translating client requirements into compelling, high-quality submissions that set us apart from the competition. You'll be at the heart of our work-winning process, bringing together experts from design, estimating, commercial, planning, operations and supply chain to create solutions that deliver value for customers and communities alike.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage Stage 1 bids from opportunity qualification through to submission and award.
- Develop and own bid strategies aligned to client drivers, procurement routes and market positioning.
- Coordinate input from estimating, design, commercial, planning, operational and supply chain teams.
- Drive programme compliance, governance and quality throughout the bid lifecycle.
- Build strong relationships with customers, consultants and key stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of project objectives and success criteria.
- Facilitate bid workshops, reviews, technical assessments and settlement meetings.
- Ensure bid submissions are compelling, customer-focused and clearly articulate our value proposition.
- Manage bid budgets, resources and timescales to achieve successful outcomes.
- Identify risks and opportunities, developing mitigation strategies and innovative solutions where appropriate.
- Promote our commitments to safety, sustainability, social value and quality throughout the work-winning process.
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About You
You'll be an experienced Bid Manager, Pre-Construction Manager or Senior Work Winning professional with a proven track record of securing complex construction projects.
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You'll Bring
- Experience leading bids within a Tier 1 contractor or major construction environment.
- Strong understanding of two-stage procurement, frameworks and negotiated opportunities.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- The ability to lead cross-functional teams and bring people together behind a common objective.
- Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of pre-construction processes.
- Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
- High-quality written and verbal communication skills.
- A collaborative, customer-focused approach with a passion for winning work.
Why Join Us?
At Wates, you'll be part of an ambitious work-winning team that is helping shape the future of the built environment. We offer the opportunity to work on major projects, develop your career within a market-leading contractor and be part of a business committed to innovation, sustainability and creating thriving communities.
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