Head of Proposals (Energy) in Newcastle upon Tyne

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.

A little more about your role: The Head of Proposals is responsible for leading a team of bid professionals to produce high quality, compelling proposals that respond to clients’ needs expressed during the capture and bid phases of a procurement. Reporting to MD Energy UK&I, the Head of Proposals is responsible for managing and resourcing a pipeline of opportunities in support of the work winning area of their business. The role will require UK wide travel.

Core Functions:

• Develop and implement a clear approach to bidding across the business Unit specific to market needs.
• Work with Strategic Growth Directors and KCM teams to qualify a pipeline of prospects so that team resources are appropriately allocated for proposal development.
• Lead the proposal team in the development and production of high quality and competitive proposals and presentations.
• Ensure prospects are developed in accordance with WSP corporate governance arrangements.
• Create a high performing team culture that attracts, retains and gives opportunity to our people.
• Develop our people to have the skills to lead or be part of high performing proposal teams.
• Act as One WSP demonstrating enterprise behaviours integrating and resourcing teams as one bid function.
• Support the implementation of the Bid Transformation programme including, AI implementation, GCC mobilisation, and all technical roadmaps across people, capture, writing, management and pricing.

What we're looking for you to demonstrate:

• Demonstrate and embody WSP's guiding principles to create a positive team culture.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to lead, motivate, inspire and delegate others.
• Strong command of oral and written English, able to present complex ideas in a straightforward manner.
• Passionate about quality and continuous improvement, with a focus on delivery.
• Robust project management skills with effective time management and prioritisation skills.
• Proactive and self-motivated, taking initiative and responsibility for own actions.
• Ability to quickly assimilate and understand large amounts of information, plan and manage associated workflows.
• Develop strong relationships with external clients and internal colleagues via a collaborative leadership style.
• Thorough understanding of public and private sector procurement processes.

Role Accountabilities:

The Head of Proposals will be responsible for leading a team of bid professionals in delivering winning solutions to our clients. The successful candidate will:

• Exhibit and demonstrate behaviours and attitudes in accordance with WSP core values through effective team working with transparent and open communication.
• Lead their team in working with their business to deliver the best quality/price solution, keeping the bid team organised and focused on their objectives and timelines.
• Collaborate with the capture/business development function, bid colleagues, operational managers, sector and commercial teams to understand the prospect pipeline and plan for proposal delivery.
• Ensure that proposal managers gain a deep understanding of client needs and use this knowledge to inform the development of their proposals.
• Lead by example, demonstrating the importance of delivering high-quality solutions that meet client needs.
• Foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement within the team, encouraging bid managers to continuously refine their skills and knowledge.
• Collaborate with other departments and stakeholders to ensure that the solution being proposed is the best possible fit for the client.
• Continuously monitor and assess the quality of the proposals being developed by bid managers, providing feedback and guidance as needed to ensure that the standard of quality is consistently met.

Qualifications:

• Qualified to degree level in an appropriate subject.
• APMP Practitioner.
• IT Literate, particularly with Microsoft 365 applications and Copilot.

Knowledge / Experience:

• Good experience of producing proposals in the markets that WSP operates in.
• An acknowledged senior bid manager operating at the higher end of the Bids & Proposals pathway with a demonstrable record of success in winning bids.
• A sound awareness and understanding of bid governance and bid review processes.
• Excellent bid writing and management skills, and commercial skills.
• Demonstrable experience of managing change and continuous improvement maturing teams and processes.

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team. Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all. Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself? With us, you can. Apply today.