Be part of something great
Maximus is a global organisation that specialises in providing health and employment services to millions of people every year. Here in the UK we employ around 5,000 people across the country to deliver services that have a profound impact on people’s lives. From assessments and health services to employability programmes and specialist support, we do work that matters with people who care.
Salary - £48,000
Home Based
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Holiday trade scheme
- Flexible benefits scheme, support with your development
- 9% combined pension
Job Summary
• The Senior Bid Writer is a key role to support our growth strategy within Business Development, providing high quality writing expertise and support for Maximus bid and proposal opportunities, enabling us to win work and grow our business.
• The role will work proactively with wider Business Development (e.g. Sales, Solutions) and wider business colleagues to develop a clear understanding of our bidding strategy (e.g. Win Themes) and ensure that approach is translated into a clear and winning set of bid responses to our commissioners.
• The role provides essential support to the Head of Bid Writing, with responsibility for both line managing, personal development and coaching to other Bid Writers, as well as playing an essential part in the quality assurance of tender submissions via Maximus’ rigorous feedback and review process.
Essential Duties
1. Technical Writing and Content Creation
• The Senior Bid Writer will be responsible for working closely day-to-day with the Head of Bid Writing, creating detailed response plans/trackers following ITT release. They will work together to agree response allocations and review deadlines in line with the bidding timetable.
• Alongside this, the Senior Bid Writer will own a response or set of responses as part of the competitive tendering opportunity. They will be responsible for working closely with colleagues in the Sales and Solution teams to understand our solution proposals as they evolve and develop written responses that reflect/articulate these discussions clearly and comprehensively.
• They will draft responses that fully respond to or exceed commissioner requirements, developed in line with tender documentation (e.g. ITT, specification, scoring criteria) and in adherence to agreed review/submission deadlines.
2. Line Management and Coaching
• The Senior Bid Writer will be tasked with providing effective line management, personal development planning and coaching within the Bid Writing Team. With responsibility for other Bid Writers, the Senior Bid Writer will:
o Supervise and support their direct line reports.
o Allocate tasks, monitor progress and ensure deadlines are met.
o Provide guidance on bid strategy, writing techniques and best practices.
o Conduct performance reviews and foster professional growth.
o Mentor more junior team members and help them develop their skills.
o Offer constructive feedback to enhance individual and team performance.
o Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.
o Promote a positive and motivated work environment.
o Lead by example in demonstrating Maximus’ culture and values.
3. Storyboarding and Win Strategy Development
Storyboarding is a critical part of the response planning process that increases bid writing efficiency and quality. It helps Bid Writers understand the task, generate ideas and map out their writing before beginning the first draft.
• The Senior Bid Writer will be expected to lead storyboarding sessions from the writing side, deputising for the Head of Bid Writing, and ensuring that the team obtains the relevant information to complete the full set of responses.
• The Senior Bid Writer will also be expected to support with win strategy development, attending early solutioning workshops and applying their knowledge from past experience.
4. Quality Assurance and Peer Reviewing
• The Senior Bid Writer will be required to conduct detailed reviews of responses for consistency, accuracy and adherence to tender guidelines.
• Reviews will be conducted in accordance with the question, specification and scoring criteria, with clear and specific feedback provided to other Bid Writers to make amendments.
• Feedback will be both written and verbal, delivered constructively to support other Bid Writers to achieve the desired outcome.
5. Content Management
• Bid Writers will be responsible for supporting the Head of Bid Writing with the ongoing development and maintenance of Maximus’ Content Library.
• This will include ensuring contract summaries, case studies and references remain up to date.
• It will also include regularly refreshing the team’s collateral on key topics such as Social Value, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Environmental Sustainability.
6. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Proficiency in and/or a willingness to embrace using AI-driven tools and technologies to enhance bid writing efficiency and quality will be key.
• Maximus’ Bid Writing Team has access to a range of cutting-edge tools to support various elements of the bid process.
• The Senior Bid Writer will be expected to actively lead the usage of AI, attending demonstrations of and assessing new tools/technologies, and deputising for the Head of Bid Writing on Maximus’ AI Working Group when required.
7. Continuous improvement/lessons learnt
• Following each submission, Bid Writers will collaborate with Bid Management colleagues to conduct a detailed lessons learnt process, providing feedback to improve future bidding activity.
• A detailed win/loss analysis will also be conducted to understand the positives and areas for improvement within the bid results.
Qualifications & Experience
• Strong, demonstrable track record of writing content for winning bids (at least 2 and a half years’ experience).
• Experience of winning complex, multi-million-pound (<£10m+) tenders.
• Experience of conducting peer reviews and providing constructive feedback.
• Experience of working in a busy bid writing environment, under pressure with the ability to manage multiple stakeholder needs and demands.
• Experience of generating new ideas as part of a Bid Writing or Solution team.
• Experience of collating and consolidating opportunity related research to support in the localisation and personalisation of business cases/proposals.
• Experience of working to both internal and external deadlines.
Desirable
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Creative writing qualification or equivalent.
• APMP Foundation, Practitioner or Professional certification.
• Experience in bid/proposal writing within the employment/skills, contact centre, justice or health/disability assessment sectors.
• Experience of managing a team and/or coaching individuals (ideally Bid Professionals).
Individual Competencies
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to draft concise, clear and compelling bids for clients, to a high standard of spelling and grammar.
• Proactive and energetic with an ability to manage a pressurised workload.
• Able to manage competing deadlines and priorities confidently.
• Ability to interpret and tailor writing styles to a range of audiences from different sectors and commissioners.
• MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel expertise.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail required with ability to work quickly, diligently and efficiently.
• Reviewing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Good interpersonal skills, able to build strong relationships with a range of key internal and external stakeholders.
Desirable
• Experience and interest in one of Maximus’ core specialities, e.g. employment /skills, health or contact centre services.
• Interest in or knowledge of using AI within bid writing.
• Peer reviewing and providing feedback, both written and verbal.
Travel Requirements Minimal travel expectations include quarterly Business Development away days, and occasional team meetings to encourage engagement and upskilling.
Maximus is committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process. We know that feeling included has a dramatic impact on personal well-being and are working to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment due to any personal characteristic. Advertisements for posts will include sufficiently clear and accurate information to enable potential applicants to assess their own suitability for the post.
We are a Disability Confident Leader, thanks to our commitment to the recruitment, retention and career development of people with disabilities and long-term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme includes a guaranteed interview for any applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for a job. When you complete your job application you will find a question asking you if you would like to apply under the Disability Confident Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you feel that you have a disability and apply under this scheme, providing that you meet the essential criteria for the job, you will then be invited for an interview. Your Guaranteed Interview application will only be shared with the hiring manager and the local resourcing team. Where reasonable, Maximus will review and consider adjustments for those applicants who express a requirement for them during the recruitment process.
