Proposals Manager

The Vacancy

Are you a bidding professional ready to take the next step in your career? We’re looking for a Proposals Manager to join our growing bid team for the Southern region, with offices in Basingstoke and Leatherhead. This role places a strong emphasis on high-quality bid writing and coordination.

As a Proposals Manager, you’ll craft persuasive, creative, and focused responses for a range of bid opportunities—including PQQs, tenders, presentations, and other quality-related activities. Your work will ensure our submissions are compelling, compliant, and aligned with Wates’ brand and values.

As a Proposals Manager, you will:

• Collaborate with the Senior Proposals Manager and wider team to develop responses that are clear, engaging, and highlight the benefits of our offer.
• Create structured answer plans for each question, allocate writing responsibilities, and support the development of high-quality content.
• Lead workshops and meetings to gather insights and share knowledge across the team.
• Shape strategies for responding to quality questions, ensuring alignment with client priorities and Wates’ values.
• Bring creativity to every submission, ensuring each one is visually and narratively compelling.
• Monitor and communicate relevant market and competitor intelligence to inform bid strategy.
• Use tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign) and Microsoft Office to produce polished, professional documents.
• Review responses for consistency in messaging, tone, and use of key phrases and themes.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders to ensure access to accurate and up-to-date company information, including structure, financials, and safety statistics.
• Support business development with presentations, brochures, and marketing materials.
• Be a proactive, enthusiastic team player with a passion for winning bids.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary & profit share scheme
• Flexible working
• Car Allowance / Company Car (subject to Role/Grade)
• Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates)
• Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + bank holidays and much more…
• One of the best learning and development programmes which is customizable to support your career progression goals. (c.7000 training sessions delivered year to date across the WATES Group)
• Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 12 weeks fully paid paternity.

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.  Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer.  We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.