Senior Bid Writer - Strategic Bids

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

WSP is looking for a Senior Bid Writer to craft proposal narratives on our large, complex multi-disciplinary bids in areas of strategic growth including energy transition, healthcare, advisory and defence. If you want to work alongside industry-leading experts in one of the largest bid communities in the UK, collectively representing over 120 bid professionals, and help further innovate our ways of winning–this is your opportunity.

The Senior Bid Writer works with bid teams to expertly articulate WSP’s solutions and value propositions, crafting competitively differentiated narratives and ensuring a consistent voice in our submissions. They exhibit a deep understanding of customer drivers, knowing the value sought from procurements and how the proposal will be evaluated. Through a structured process, they work closely with technical leads to plan, develop and refine ‘complete, compliant and compelling’ responses to provide clients with the confidence that our proposals will achieve their objectives.

Our Strategic Bid Team is one of the largest and most respected in the UK, contributing directly to WSP’s reputation as an award winning global professional services firm. Our team is APMP qualified as a minimum and works collaboratively to continuously improve our best-in-industry team. You will bring challenge, creativity and expertise to this evolving capability and champion writing excellence across WSP as a key member of our strategic team.

This is a senior level role within our work winning function, suited to an ambitious individual who brings energy, imagination and drive, with a proven track record of producing high scoring responses on large, complex bids. The hybrid role will be based in one of our four key locations: London, Birmingham, Manchester or Bristol, and requires some UK-wide travel. We offer an attractive benefits package with competitive salary based on experience.

A little more about your role…

• Understand internal and external client requirements in order to lead development of quality solutions and author strategic bids across WSP UK.
• Lead content planning of key responses to dissect, analyse and fully answer questions, considering client drivers and reflecting our value proposition.
• Develop responses from initial content planning, through drafting and quality reviews to final production and submission. This includes authoring, developing, reviewing new and tailoring existing material.
• Use and develop WSP’s in-house style guidance, mentor bid team members and coach subject matter experts in best practice writing for bids, client presentations and sales collateral.
• Support bid capture, planning, review, governance, feedback and continuous improvement processes as required.
• Build and maintain close links with our network of bid professionals and subject matter experts, identifying and collating areas of best practice, improvement and innovation, and clearly articulate these areas into strategic bids.

What we will look for you to demonstrate…

• Insightful, analytical and articulate, you excel at shaping tailored strategies, narrative approaches and responses that directly address an opportunity’s unique requirements.
• A strong will to win, underpinned by genuine passion for writing and flexibility to work closely with bid and technical experts to conceptualise and develop tailored, strategic responses.
• Understanding and application of bid writing best practice and an appreciation for the full bid lifecycle.
• Minimum of seven years relevant experience in a similar role.
• Experience of producing bids in markets in which WSP operates, including Transport & Infrastructure, Earth & Environment, Property and Buildings, Industry & Energy, and Defence.
• An acknowledged bid author with a demonstrable record of success developing solutions and translating them into winning written proposals.
• Command of written English, with excellent long-form content development, writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Able to choose the right approach to develop bid responses to meet client requirements and reflect business capabilities.
• Ability to build relationships quickly to deliver effective working within newly created bid teams and communicate and influence at senior levels.
• Qualified to degree level in Engineering or other appropriate subject, e.g. English degree preferred; other subjects such as History, Marketing and Journalism or similar considered.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all. Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world. With us, you can. Apply today.

We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 72,800 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Work-life balance: At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.
• Inclusivity & Belonging: We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP.
• Health & Wellbeing: We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.
• Flex your time: To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part-time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.
• Your development: We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.