Senior Bid Writer

About the Role

Job Purpose: The primary objective of this role is to develop and submit winning tenders that deliver business growth for the charity and enhance our reputation with commissioners. The role will also ensure the creation and update of a strong bid library that includes a comprehensive set of method statements, case studies and other evidence that can be used as a foundation for developing tenders. Working in a highly competitive, results‑driven culture, the role holder will meet all deadlines, achieve annual targets set, whilst also contributing to the wider organisational objectives.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• To hold overall responsibility and accountability for the quality of tenders, PQQs, EOIs and framework proposals – the role holder will have an exemplary standard of writing and will lead on all bid content with input from SMEs.
• Ensure all tenders are based on a detailed understanding of the customer context so that each tender is tailored to the customer beyond the questions posed.
• Review all bid submissions for quality and accuracy, amending where necessary. This includes taking on feedback from third‑party bid writing companies where used.
• Adhere to the compliant, and timely execution of tender activity in accordance with procurement regulations, standards, recognised industry best practice.
• Mentor other colleagues in Business Development including bid writers to improve the effectiveness of their written work.
• Conduct thorough research on potential competitors, and industry trends to ensure that AFG tender responses reflect contemporary practice and terminology.
• Ensure that lessons are learnt from all tender feedback and incorporated into an ongoing tender improvement plan.
• In collaboration with the marketing team create a range of case studies that will form part of a comprehensive bank of materials within the AFG evidence library.
• Work closely with the Marketing Team to produce literature, videos, and other such material to accurately portray AFG’s compelling value proposition and service models.
• Create and regularly update a strong bid library that includes a comprehensive set of method statements, case studies and other evidence that can be used as a foundation for developing tenders.
• Identify differentiators, win themes, key messages and content for proposals and presentations.
• Ensure that the tender process and procedures is clearly documented and understood by internal stakeholders and is shared every six months.
• Ensure all proposals align with the organisation's values, goals, and growth objectives and are in the AFG style as set out in the brand guidelines.
• Lead the end‑to‑end bid process from opportunity review and bid or no bid recommendation through to submission, clarification responses, presentation support where required and post tender feedback.
• Manage bid kick‑off meetings, response plans, compliance checks, review stages and submission timetables to ensure all deadlines are met and risks are escalated early.
• Coordinate, challenge and support subject matter experts and senior stakeholders across operations, quality, finance, HR, marketing and corporate services to secure accurate, timely and high‑quality content.
• Assess tender opportunities for strategic fit, delivery risk, competitiveness and alignment with AFG growth priorities, providing clear recommendations to the Director of Business Development.
• Maintain oversight of the live bid pipeline and provide regular progress updates on bid status, key risks, priorities and resource requirements.
• Lead the development of win strategies, tailored value propositions and compelling service narratives that clearly evidence quality, outcomes and social value.
• Lead on final submission checks, including formatting, document control, portal completion and submission confirmation.
• Lead structured post‑tender reviews, analyse commissioner feedback and use learning to improve future bid quality, process discipline and win rates.
• Support mobilisation handover by ensuring key commitments, service solutions and submission assumptions are clearly communicated to operational teams following contract award.
• Coach colleagues involved in bid development to improve the organisation’s overall bid readiness, content quality and response consistency.
• Keep up to date with current best practice in tendering relevant to AFG’s market.

Person Specification

Experience:

• Five years’ experience as a bid writer within the Health and Social Care sector.
• Proven track record of winning tenders within Health and Social Care.
• Experience of mentoring other bid writers.
• Understanding of the commissioning process within the Health and Social Care sector.
• Experience of maintaining a knowledge base of reusable material (method statements, case studies, other evidence).
• Experience of accessing and understanding tendering portals and relevance of tenders to AFG.
• Tender process management and workflows to ensure key targets and deadlines are met.
• Experience of communicating regularly and effectively with teams and individuals at all levels, whilst remaining diplomatic, confidential, and approachable.
• Proven experience of leading the end‑to‑end bid process from opportunity review and bid or no bid recommendation through to submission, clarification responses and post‑tender review.
• Experience of leading complex public sector tenders, frameworks, mini competitions and ITTs with multiple contributors.
• Experience of coordinating senior stakeholders and subject matter experts across operations, quality, finance, HR, marketing and corporate teams.
• Experience of developing win themes, tailored value propositions and persuasive service narratives.
• Experience of managing multiple live bids and conflicting deadlines while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Experience of analysing tender feedback and improving bid performance, reusable content and process discipline over time.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Good understanding of the market in which AFG operates covering both learning disability and mental health.
• Good understanding of tendering best practices and what constitutes a winning submission.
• Command of IT (advanced Word, and intermediate Excel and PowerPoint) at a level to ensure the production of high‑quality work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build long‑term rapport and networks with key stakeholders.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to plan, prioritise and drive bid activity from start to finish.
• Ability to assess tender opportunities for strategic fit, delivery risk and likelihood of success.
• Ability to challenge, edit and strengthen draft content from contributors at all levels of the organisation.
• Strong analytical and commercial judgement, with the ability to turn complex operational information into clear, compelling responses.
• Ability to lead bid meetings, manage review stages and present clear recommendations to senior colleagues.

Values & Attitudes:

• Team player
• Calm and unflappable
• Commitment to excellence in tender submissions and a focus on continuous improvement.
• Highly organised.
• Proactive and accountable.
• Resilient under pressure.
• Committed to continuous improvement and raising bid standards across the organisation.

Qualifications and Training:

• Degree level qualification or equivalent relevant experience in bid writing, tender management or proposals.

With our extended flexible working options, you can choose to work your 35 hours per week on a 9‑day fortnight or a 4.5‑day week basis, supporting our employees with their work‑life balance. This role is Band III as per our structure.