Job Description:

Bid Manager, International Tenders
Essex (hybrid, 3 days a week in the office) | £45,000 to £50,000 + uncapped commission | Permanent, full time

We’re working with a long-established international procurement and export business that wins all of its work through competitive tenders. The tenders are funded by the World Bank, UN agencies, the regional development banks and other donors. They cover the supply of goods and equipment to projects in well over 100 countries, in sectors like health, education, agriculture, construction and security.

The business is growing and needs an experienced Bid Manager to own its tenders from the first read through to award. It’s a hands-on role. You’ll decide which tenders are worth chasing, find the suppliers who can deliver, price the bid and get compliant submissions in on time. They’d also like someone who has seen how bids are run elsewhere and can bring some of that thinking with them.

What you’ll be doing

• Reviewing incoming tenders, weighing up fit and margin, and making bid/no-bid recommendations

• Finding and qualifying manufacturers and suppliers who can meet the specification, price and delivery terms

• Building the commercial side of each bid, including supplier costs, logistics, margin and final pricing

• Preparing compliant submissions in the exact format the funder and buyer ask for

• Planning each bid to its deadline and keeping several live tenders moving at once

• Handling clarifications with buyers during the tender and evaluation

• Improving the bid process, templates and ways of working

• Using the team’s existing AI tools for research and supplier searches, while keeping every submission accurate

Over time the role could also take on procurement, contract management and project delivery after award.

What they’re looking for

• Around five years of bid or tender management, with end-to-end ownership of bids

• Confidence pricing a bid and protecting margin

• A sharp eye for detail (in this market a small compliance slip can rule a bid out)

• Experience negotiating with suppliers or partners on price, specification and delivery

• Comfort reading technical specifications for equipment you may not have come across before

• Clear, professional writing for international buyers and suppliers

Experience of World Bank, UN, EU, ADB, AfDB or other donor-funded tenders would help. So would a background in export sales, international procurement, sourcing, or supplying equipment into Africa, Asia, the Middle East or Latin America. None of this is essential, and the team will take you through their specialist processes. French, Spanish or Portuguese would be a bonus, as would APMP certification.

What’s on offer

• £40,000 to £50,000 base, depending on experience

• Uncapped commission

• Hybrid working, three days a week in the Essex office

• 23 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

• Workplace pension

• Free onsite parking

• Varied international work with a business that has clear plans to grow