Proposal Bid Manager in Birmingham

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Overview Of The Role

Be part of our award‑winning win community: Over the last three years Mott MacDonald has invested in its win teams and approaches to enable our Europe and UK (EUNA) region to meet exciting growth ambitions across the full breadth of its engineering, management and consultancy offering. We have introduced visibility and rigour around opportunity planning; built and restructured our professional win capability; led by example whilst supporting a diverse pipeline of pursuits through capture and bidding phases; trained and coached technical colleagues in pursuit best practice; and embedded a roadmap of win‑based improvements. This targeted approach to capturing future leads and convincing clients through compelling proposals has underpinned a number of major pursuit successes and led to our win community being recognised as the Association of Proposal Management Professional’s ‘Bid and Proposal Team of the Year’ in the 2024 to 2025 Global Gala.

Our existing professional win resources are structured through five unit‑facing teams which support pursuits across our advisory, buildings, energy, transportation and water and environment sectors. We have several vacancies for proposal bid managers to join these established unit teams. The individual will report to a Win Team Lead who oversees the day‑to‑day management of the unit’s bidding professionals, and be an integral part of a likeminded community of bid managers, co‑ordinators and graphic designers who lead proposals, share best practice and drive improvement. As an experienced hire, line management and coaching responsibilities are anticipated in due course.

Key Responsibilities And Duties Include:

• Working with unit teams to support capture planning in advance of pipeline pursuits.
• Supporting capture planning on specific pursuits to maintain momentum, develop customer‑focussed solutions and build preparedness.
• Undertaking research and intelligence gathering (internally and externally) to identify competitors and opportunities for differentiation.
• Working with those who will be involved in bid and project delivery stages to develop clear bid strategies, storyboards and win themes.
• Suggesting appropriate bid team structures for each pursuit – working with technical leads and win teams to assign suitable individuals.
• Taking a hands‑on role as Proposal Bid Manager to drive a rigorous and professional process on a diverse range of pursuits.
• Seeing that appropriate proposal governance, best practice and review processes are understood, embedded and followed.
• Agreeing and promoting a clear proposal plan to drive the delivery of each submission (including activities, programme, deliverables etc).
• Seeing that there is communication across the proposal team to maintain understanding (including kick‑off, workshops, stand‑ups etc).
• Managing proposal team performance and delivery – taking early actions where necessary to overcome concerns.
• Overseeing and contributing to the writing of compelling responses which convince the client.
• Seeing that a clear plan is in place for compelling high‑quality responses – through storyboarding, templates and review cycles.
• Taking ownership of the authoring of specific answers – leading by example to demonstrate the expectation for written responses.
• Managing and participating in storyboard, draft and production reviews to see that responses are clear, compelling and high scoring.
• Supporting post‑submission activities to capture lessons and knowledge – seeing these are used and shared to benefit future pursuits.
• Supporting the regional win community in identifying and embedding best practice approaches throughout our win activities.
• Joining up with other proposal bid managers across the community to share best practice and learn within job families.
• Working with region‑wide colleagues in small teams to identify and implement improvements to existing win approaches.
• Actively participating in the region‑wide win community by joining monthly webinars and annual forums as required.
• Supporting the development of bid co‑ordinators and wider ‘safe hands’ within our technical teams.

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Experience of managing pursuits within the infrastructure industry.
• Understanding of public and/or sector procurement processes (inc frameworks, open competition tenders, design and build etc).
• First‑hand knowledge of implementing techniques for planning, managing and controlling bids in line with evolving best practice.
• Collaborative behaviours in diverse team settings – ability to build and manage strong relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Strong and effective verbal and written communication skills – produces quality deliverables with attention to detail.

Desirable:

• APMP qualification and membership – ideally at (or working towards) foundation.
• Wider proposal and behavioural training – eg Shipley, Miller Heiman, Mindflick etc.
• Proficiency in relevant software/systems (CRM, knowledge management, AI etc).
• Persuasive and persistent – able to communicate their views and approach in a way which wins over stakeholders.

UK Immigration:

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working:

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion:

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility:

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We Offer Some Fantastic Benefits Including:

• Financial wellbeing: We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%. Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary. Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long‑term illness or injury. Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• Employee Ownership: Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success. Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• Health and wellbeing: Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues. Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments. Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues. A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Lifestyle: A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme. Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Enhanced family and carers leave: Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave. Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Learning and development: Primary annual professional institution subscription. A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self‑development options.
• Networks, communities, and social outcomes: Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.

Location(s): Birmingham, Glasgow, Southampton, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Newcastle Upon Tyne, London, Manchester, Croydon.

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Various

Discipline: Business development

Job Ref: 13032

Recruiter Contact: Pranjali Ahuja