Bid Writer

Job description

What are we looking for?

Can you craft punchy and persuasive copy from previously vague and technical jargon? Can you deliver tight prose to even tighter deadlines? Can you take a brief on subjects you might know little about, and produce work that sells Amey’s capabilities in clear, concise and comprehensible English? If the answer to these questions is yes, we want to hear from you.

Educated to degree or similarly high level in English, you are well read, possessing a creative mind, a proof-reader’s eye for detail and a demonstrable track record as a creative writer and ‘wordsmith’. A true team player, you will also have the capacity to work alone - conducting your own research through face-to-face interviews, Amey’s in-house knowledge management systems, trade publications and the web.

The Bid Writer will represent Work Winning Services by liaising with Bid Managers and their teams to provide editorial support and guidance to ensure bids are written to the highest possible standards. They will assist the Bid Manager in developing, managing and monitoring the progress of the submission against the bid programme.

The Bid Writer will produce high quality and customer-focused written material for bid submissions in line with our ‘house style’, and will provide structural, written and editorial support to Amey’s bid teams and other company-wide teams, as appropriate.

The Bid Writer will be reliable, punctual and ready to contribute - with good organisational skills and the initiative to manage workload and escalate issues as required. As part of a busy team, they will work and consult with internal/external contacts at a range of levels, in a constructive and helpful way, to achieve bid milestones. This will involve developing relationships with key stakeholders to establish trust, credibility and respect. The Bid Writer will work closely with the rest of the Work Winning Services team to meet deadlines, support the final bid production process, and contribute to wider projects, eg Knowledge.

• Experience of ‘wordsmithing’, proofreading and copyediting - and a strong commitment to accuracy, quality and high standards, often despite tight deadlines
• Creative flair and the ability to interpret and, where necessary, challenge the brief and current processes. A willingness to challenge traditional thinking and offer innovative ideas in terms of writing styles and structure
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written); the ability to convey complex ideas and solutions clearly and succinctly; and appreciation of how to maximise ‘readability’ by using plain English and the active voice, and by being concise
• Competence in being able to interview technical staff to tease out the necessary information and produce compelling copy that demonstrates an understanding of key issues
• The ability and enthusiasm to motivate themselves and other bid team members, setting achievable objectives and taking responsibility for providing constructive feedback
• A strong desire to succeed and help us win work
• The flexibility to accommodate occasional long hours (eg evenings and weekends)
• Familiarity with MS Office programmes (eg Word, Outlook and PowerPoint).

Candidates will also preferably have an understanding of tender processes and the Shipley approach to bidding. They will mainly need to work from our offices in Oxford, although the flexibility to work remotely (eg from home where certain tasks allow) and from other locations will be beneficial. They will also be able to demonstrate their written and editorial skills through a well-constructed CV and samples of work they have produced.

Key relationships in this role:

• Bid teams
• Bid Writing Manager
• Fellow Work Winning Services teams, eg Knowledge, Graphics and Proposals • External clients/partners
• Freelance team members