Senior Bid Writer

Location/s: London, Croydon or Birmingham; UK
Recruiter contact: Steven Johnston

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. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit 
We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview of the role

Based in the Transportation business unit you will have a technical profile spanning bid response production. The Bid Writer will be responsible for preparing winning bid responses. You will use your facilitation and people skills to craft appropriately pitched technical input into compliant submissions that hit the evaluation criteria, address client hot buttons and showcase our win themes. You will review bid feedback and learn from client and other comments to drive continual improvement in bid production.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Working with subject matter experts across the business to drive, lead and assist in the writing and production of best in class bid quality answers that meet the quality and scoring criteria of high value and complex bids, tenders, proposals including PQQ and ITT responses
• Analyse tender documents, evaluation criteria and client requirements
• Coordinate contributions from multiple stakeholders and ensure responses are accurate, consistent and submitted on time
• Challenge and improve technical content to ensure it demonstrates value to the client
• Ensure all bid responses are compliant with the requirements of the tender
• Ensure responses demonstrate measurable outcomes and benefits
• Direct generative AI tools to produce structured first drafts grounded in approved content, then substantially rework the output to embed win themes, client-specific insight and evidence
• Verify every fact, figure, case study and claim in AI-assisted content against source material before it enters review, treating unverified AI output as a compliance risk
• Deliberately differentiate, identify and eliminate generic, AI-default language so responses could only have been written for this client, by this business
• Working with Mott MacDonald’s practice leaders and technical and regional directors to develop the narratives for client-facing material including bid submissions
• Leading on storyboarding sessions as outlined in the Company’s Business Management System to develop bid answers
• To carry out relevant research and liaise with appropriate departments and specialists to obtain relevant information/details to allow written solutions to be developed and considered
• Taking part in bid reviews, listening to and responding to feedback
• Supporting the management of bid production
• Assisting with the development of bidding strategy and delivery processes based on continual improvement including capturing of benefits, added value and innovation
• Facilitate communication during and after bids are submitted both internally and externally
• Ensuring feedback is understood and implemented
• Sharing best practice across the business to enhance quality submissions
• Taking note of industry developments and evolving client drivers to align bid responses with client project strategic goals and objectives
• Contributing to a knowledge bank of bid material, evidence and responses to facilitate strategic development of quality responses
• Acting as a champion of and acts credibly in accordance with the organisation’s values (PRIDE)

Candidate specfication

• Degree standard education

Plus a strong combination of the following:

• Experience in the Transportation sector and or other Engineering sector
• Excellent report and bid/proposal writing skills- with a specific focus on attention to detail
• A track record of writing high-scoring responses in competitive bids, with evaluator feedback or scores to evidence it
• Evidential experience of developing winning proposals
• Ability to prioritise and able to work under pressure
• Ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues and potential clients, with a particular focus on sharing best practice with colleagues
• Ability to demonstrate a flexible approach to work which may involve flexible working hours

Desirable:

• Professional qualification i.e. APMP, CIM, CEng or equivalent
• Ability and experience of bid management and response processes, such as Shipley

We want someone who:

• Has an excellent command of both written and spoken English
• Has a talent for writing bid responses that answers a client’s brief
• Has an ability to listen and interview subject matter experts with an output that marries words to grab attention and get the message across effectively
• Has first class personal and communication skills with the person being confident to engage with senior directors of the business
• Skilled in AI-assisted writing: prompt design and critically, editing AI output into distinctive, evidence-rich, high-scoring responses
• Able to articulate a clear personal method for verification and for avoiding the homogenised tone of unedited AI text
• Confident interviewing senior subject matter experts, and resilient writing to tight deadlines across parallel bids
• Is imaginative, persuasive and persistent
• Pays meticulous attention to detail, is accurate and can work to demanding deadlines
• Experience in the adoption of AI to enhance
• Ability to work under pressure

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. 

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as 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.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

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.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

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.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day 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.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

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.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 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.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

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.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network. 

  If you're a service leaver, veteran, reservist or member of a military family, you can connect with our people through Armed Forces Careers - Connectr to ask questions, gain career insights and learn more about opportunities at Mott MacDonald.

• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

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