Audio Visual Bid Engineer

My client works with many of the world's leading Enterprise customers. Their solutions are re-experienced by millions every day, removing the distance, delivering a message, powering business, celebrating fandom, and even saving lives. Leveraging the best in technology and ongoing advisory services to transform businesses connecting people, technology, and experiences.

The position will be based from home, with occasional travel to client sites and the Head office in Egham. The Audio Visual Bid Engineer supports my client's sales team by owning the technical response to RFPs, sales opportunities, and requests. They are responsible for the management, costing, and technical verification of RFPs and AV quotations, proposals, tender responses, and conceptual designs, from initial enquiry through to successful appointment.

The Audio Visual Bid Engineer forms part of the Bid team with a focus on clients across EMEA. Working closely with a team of Account Executives, the team provides technical guidance in the sales process, helping to define solutions to our end clients' challenges. The team will define the design of each project, produce technical estimates and budgets, and present them to the end client in proposal form. Once appointed, the bid team works to ensure a smooth transition from sales through to the deployment teams, ensuring all documentation is shared, and working alongside the assigned Project Managers and Design Engineers to set the project up for success.

A key responsibility is the ability to interpret a client's brief or ITT/RFP document and build a fully itemised equipment list for their AV systems. This requires a deep understanding of AV systems, working through video, audio, control, and AV software, with the ability to think both conceptually and with a detailed technical mindset. A good understanding of AV deployments is then required to apply a sensible and measured approach to defining the project budget.

The Bid Engineer is required to support our client engagement activities. During the discovery phase of each opportunity, the Engineer will take part in client meetings, on-site surveys, presentations, etc., as required, acting as the technical advisor and often in a consultative manner. This is often supported by written documentation in the form of scoping briefs, functional narratives, and clearly defined Scope of Works.

This position requires an AV thought leader with good business and financial acumen and organisational skills. This role interacts with the account executives and client teams on a regular basis, so exceptional communication skills and a sound knowledge of AV and UC systems and design are a must. This role will report to the Sales Engineering Manager, working closely with the Sales Engineering Team Leader.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Working directly with the clients, Account Executives, and Project Managers to produce AV designs, budgets, and proposals.
• Conceptualise system designs and determine system requirements.
• Provide technical expertise and coordination information to support the architecture, installation, and planning of audio, video, and control solutions.
• Review RFP documentation and validate the design, raising requests for information (RFIs) as needed.
• Develop the Bill of Materials (BOM) and supporting documentation.
• Develop costings, project budgets, and estimations.
• Create detailed technical responses, covering our proposed technical solution and explaining our technology choices.
• Assisting with creating delivery methodologies for RFP responses.
• Attend Mid-Bid meetings and Post-Bid interviews to present our technical solutions and capture any amendments required.
• Developing high-level system designs, including schematics when required.
• Develop detailed PDF markups for spatial coordination when required.
• Generate functional system descriptions and Scope of Works documentation.
• Research, identify, and recommend technology options for clients and projects.
• Developing AV system standards to meet client needs and expectations.
• Assist other members of the team with peer reviews and technical advice when required.
• Providing an insightful and detailed handover to the Project Managers and project delivery teams.
• Attend appropriate manufacturer trainings, lunch and learns, and online education.

Professional, Behavioural, and Performance Expectations

• Take a proactive approach to quickly identifying progress blockers and communicating these to relevant parties and the line manager.
• Take a proactive approach to managing multiple requests simultaneously, ensuring that all new requests are evaluated and progressed upon assignment.
• Take ownership of identifying financial, project, and safety risks of each opportunity, ensuring manageable risks are mitigated, and higher risk items are communicated to management.
• Ensure that detailed notes are collected and shared from meetings clearly and helpfully.
• Commitment to meeting performance targets and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Be responsive to ad-hoc communication from both internal and external staff.
• Participate in internal team progress, weekly, and catch-up calls.
• Participate in client-facing calls, ensuring that professional expectations are met.
• The position bears the responsibility to develop long-lasting client partnerships and work with team members to maintain the account on all levels.
• Demonstrate astute commercial awareness, collecting data to make sound commercial decisions.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Engineering Manager - EMEA.

Education/Certifications: AVIXA CTS certification, AVIXA CTS-D preferred.

Required/Desired Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience responding to consultant-led RFPs.
• Minimum of 3 years of AV system design.
• Very strong business analysis skills, problem-solving techniques, and follow-up.
• Make decisions and solve problems while working under tight deadlines.
• Prioritise and organise successfully.
• A clear understanding of project phases: Program, Conceptualisation, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, Construction, and Commissioning.
• A thorough, demonstrable understanding of the construction process, installation, and integration, as well as architectural and construction drawings and specifications.
• Detail-oriented, independent, self-starter.
• Exceptional time management skills with a track record for meeting deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to analyse complex issues and communicate concise succinct messages.
• High level of problem-solving and technical troubleshooting skills.
• Interest in emerging technologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with experience presenting to executives and leadership teams.
• Ability to balance priorities and shift quickly.
• Ability to identify and mitigate risk.

Benefits:

• Private Healthcare from the day you join (with the option to add family members as a salary sacrifice).
• Option to purchase 5 days annual leave per year.
• Additional days holiday each year after 2 years service up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Yearly Specsavers voucher.
• Yearly Flu jab.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Bike to Work Scheme.
• Electric car charger points in the office if required.
• Ad-hoc team events.
• Pension.