Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the pre-construction lifecycle for exciting civils projects across the South West.
- Company: Join a Tier 1 civil engineering contractor with a strong pipeline of infrastructure schemes.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on major civils projects and shape their success from the start.
- Qualifications: Experience in bid management or pre-construction within the construction sector is essential.
- Other info: Fast-paced environment with excellent career progression opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
A Tier 1 civil engineering contractor is looking to appoint an experienced Bid Manager / Pre-Construction Manager to lead the full pre-construction lifecycle across the South West. With a strong and growing pipeline of infrastructure and highways schemes, this role plays a critical part in securing and successfully mobilising new work.
Projects typically range up to £15m in value and span highways, infrastructure, and wider civils delivery.
The Role
You will take ownership of the regional tender pipeline, leading activity from early engagement through live tenders and post-award handover. Working closely with estimating, commercial, delivery, and supply chain teams, you will ensure bids are strategically aligned, well governed, and positioned for success.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading and managing the tender pipeline across the South West
- Aligning bid strategy with business objectives and available resources
- Overseeing bid content including CVs, case studies, social value and ESG submissions
- Managing governance, approvals, and internal sign-off processes
- Supporting subcontractor engagement and tender analysis
- Capturing and sharing client feedback to support continuous improvement
- Leading post-award meetings and early client engagement
- Ensuring smooth handovers into delivery and contributing to early-stage planning
About You
You will bring strong experience from the front end of construction projects and be comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Key requirements include:
- Proven experience in bid management, pre-construction, or estimating within construction, ideally civils or highways
- Strong client-facing and stakeholder management skills
- A commercial mindset with the ability to manage competing priorities
- Confidence working with CRM systems and structured governance frameworks
- Full UK driving licence
- Experience contributing to or leading business improvement or transformation initiatives
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys influencing projects at the earliest stages and wants to play a key role in shaping how major civils schemes are secured and delivered. If you are strategic, commercially minded, and enjoy building strong client relationships, this role offers genuine impact and progression.
Locations
Bid Manager - Pre-Construction in Devon, Exeter employer: Confidential Jobs
Contact Detail:
Confidential Jobs Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Bid Manager - Pre-Construction in Devon, Exeter
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry professionals, attend events, and join relevant online groups. The more people you know, the better your chances of hearing about opportunities before they even hit the job boards.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and recent work in civils and highways. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in what they do.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with the role of Bid Manager. Highlight your successes in managing tender pipelines and client relationships to demonstrate your value.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our platform.
We think you need these skills to ace Bid Manager - Pre-Construction in Devon, Exeter
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Bid Manager role. Highlight your experience in bid management and pre-construction, especially in civils or highways. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your past successes in managing bids and engaging with clients.
Showcase Your Teamwork Skills: Since this role involves working closely with various teams, make sure to highlight your collaboration skills. We love seeing how you’ve successfully worked with estimating, commercial, and delivery teams in the past.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Confidential Jobs
✨Know Your Bid Management Basics
Make sure you brush up on your bid management principles. Understand the full pre-construction lifecycle and be ready to discuss how you've successfully led tenders in the past. Highlight specific projects where you’ve aligned bid strategies with business objectives.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills
Prepare examples that demonstrate your client-facing and stakeholder management skills. Think about times when you’ve effectively engaged with different teams, like estimating or delivery, and how you ensured everyone was on the same page during the bidding process.
✨Be Ready for Technical Questions
Expect questions about your experience with CRM systems and governance frameworks. Be prepared to explain how you’ve used these tools to manage competing priorities and ensure bids are well-governed and positioned for success.
✨Demonstrate Continuous Improvement Mindset
Talk about any initiatives you’ve led or contributed to that focused on business improvement or transformation. Share how you’ve captured client feedback and used it to enhance future bids, showing that you’re always looking for ways to improve processes.