Bid Manager in Bletchley

Bid Manager – Rail Engineering & Technology Consultancy

Location: Milton Keynes or Derby – Hybrid Working

Employment Type: Full-Time

Reporting To: Director

The Opportunity

We are recruiting an experienced Bid Manager to lead the end-to-end bid process for a growing engineering and technology consultancy operating across the UK rail sector.

This is a key strategic position responsible for securing new business across engineering consultancy, digital transformation, infrastructure, asset management, systems integration and technology services.

The successful candidate will manage complex public and private sector tenders, with a strong focus on rail frameworks, mini-competitions and consultancy service agreements.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full bid lifecycle from opportunity identification through to contract award.
• Lead bid kick-off meetings, submission plans and bid programmes.
• Coordinate technical, commercial, legal, finance and operational contributions.
• Manage multiple concurrent bids while maintaining quality and deadlines.
• Review tender documents and identify compliance, commercial and delivery risks.
• Produce compelling executive summaries, methodologies and value propositions.
• Ensure submissions meet all client requirements and procurement regulations.
• Manage clarification questions and client communications.
• Coordinate bid reviews, approvals and final submissions.
• Lead submissions for major rail, engineering and consultancy frameworks.
• Manage framework call-off opportunities and mini-competitions.
• Maintain visibility of framework renewals and procurement pipelines.
• Develop framework-specific bid strategies and resource plans.
• Monitor framework performance, utilisation and renewal dates.
• Work closely with Business Development to qualify new opportunities.
• Support Bid/No Bid decisions, client presentations and tender interviews.
• Maintain a live opportunity pipeline and bid tracker.
• Monitor procurement portals including FTS, Network Rail and Crown Commercial Service.
• Develop and maintain a central bid library.
• Produce and update case studies, capability statements, CVs and standard responses.
• Coordinate input from engineering, technology and commercial specialists.
• Lead lessons‑learned reviews and improve bid processes.
• Support mobilisation following successful contract or framework awards.

Essential Experience

• Proven bid management experience within rail, engineering, infrastructure or consultancy.
• Strong experience leading successful framework submissions.
• Good knowledge of UK public sector procurement processes.
• Experience producing complex, high-value tender submissions.
• Excellent written communication, organisation and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to work to demanding deadlines.

Desirable Experience

Experience bidding for organisations such as Network Rail, HS2, Transport for London, TOCs, FOCs, ROSCOs or wider transport authorities would be highly advantageous.

Knowledge of signalling, telecoms, E&P, rolling stock, systems engineering, digital rail, infrastructure or asset management would also be beneficial.

What We Are Looking For

You will be highly organised, commercially focused and confident coordinating multidisciplinary teams. You must be able to produce persuasive written responses, challenge technical contributors and manage several deadlines without compromising quality.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing rail consultancy and play a central role in developing its framework portfolio, bid capability and future growth