Bid Writer

Job Introduction

We're looking for a Bid Writer to join our high performing and ambitious Business Development team, you’ll be responsible for the generation of high quality written tender material for multiple soft, hard and integrated facilities management contracts within our Healthcare segment.

To be successful in this role you’ll produce easy to read, compelling, specific, impactful, evidenced written material that clearly articulates the benefits of the Sodexo proposition in meeting client’s specific needs and enables Sodexo to win new contracts and retain existing clients.

You’ll be integral to the growth and retention of our business and delivering our Healthcare segment sales strategy and you’ll work collaboratively to prepare and review bid submissions for quality, accuracy and potential improvement and work.

This is an exciting role in a growing business segment, there will be plenty of scope for you to challenge yourself professionally, with support to continue to develop in a well-supported and structured environment. There will be opportunities to progress within Healthcare and the wider Sodexo team.

This is a home-based position, you'll use technology to keep in touch with and collaborate with your team.

Role Responsibility

• Produce high scoring proposal content that clearly articulates the benefits of Sodexo’s solution to meet specific client needs in pursuit of or to aid retention of facilities management contracts
• Author tender responses in answer to specific tender questions and in line with guidance provided in the tender scoring matrix, or in line with market best practice where not provided
• Storyboard responses in line with agreed opportunity win strategy, ensuring client specific win themes and broader Sodexo Healthcare and corporate benefits are clearly articulated
• Review, critique and challenge existing written material, edit and make improvements with a focus on continual improvement
• Actively seek out high quality content from internal and external sources to constantly improve Sodexo’s proposal quality as part of a commitment to continuous improvement
• Liaise with Bid Manager and Graphics team to ensure strong connection between the written word and graphical presentation, seeking to use info-graphics, charts and pictures to underline key solution and evidence points from the written submission
• Identify, adapt and refresh pre-existing written material to improve the overall quality of bids
• Work closely with the business development team to ensure the relevance of written material for the Healthcare segment, advise the business development team on how to improve win-rates by making bids more high-scoring and compelling to clients
• Support the business development team where required with first appointments, site visits and internal meetings to develop an in-depth knowledge of each opportunity, specific client’s needs and therefore improve the quality of the written submission
• Re-write, edit a range of written materials from the Business Development team, Subject Matter Experts and internal departments like Marketing, Finance and CSR
• Present proposal content to the internal database ‘Bidnet’ owner for use across other segments
• Create case studies and testimonials which utilise evidence of Sodexo’s success with existing clients to articulate the benefits for new clients of working with us
• Deliver completed written proposals to the Business Development team or Bid Manager within agreed deadlines, using personal resilience where client demands challenging deadlines and escalating issues where required.
• Actively seek to obtain insight into Healthcare industry and competitor activity to ensure tenders are market leading
• Actively seek feedback on both successful and unsuccessful proposals to inform future bids and to improve overall quality standards

The Ideal Candidate

• Evidence of excellence in producing high scoring written content for competitive tenders with strong focus on attention to detail, grammar, proven track record of successfully delivering multiple projects on time
• Relevant professional experience in new business development or similar (scored, time-bound, competitive) environment
• Graduate level or equivalent experience with a broadly relevant qualification or skill set e.g. Marketing, English Literature, Professional Writing, Facilities Management as examples
• Experience of writing tender responses for Total Facilities Management Contracts
• Proven capacity to effectively manage proposal development processes, as well as manage a range of internal stakeholders and senior management
• Ability and willingness to challenge the status quo to improve the overall quality of written submissions
• Open to challenge, review and collaborative improvement of own and others work
• Ability to work collaboratively with the business development team and other internal Subject matter Experts to ensure all available win themes and solution benefits are captured within the written submission and sufficiently evidenced where possible
• Demonstrated achievement in the production of tender documents and/or similar written content Strong organisational skills and ability to manage complex tenders, precise scheduling and multiple and shifting priorities.
• Excellent proficiency in MS Office
• Pro-active approach to compliance and a can-do attitude
• Excellent time management and organisational skills to deliver effective service in a demanding environment with the ability to work to tight deadlines without detriment to quality

Package Description

£42,000 - £53,000 per annum plus benefits and bonus

We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.  

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. 

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.