Job Description

The Tenders Manager reports to the General Manager Winning Work and leads the centralised Tenders team to secure profitable work for the business. The team includes Submissions Managers, Bid Writers and Bid Leaders, delivering high quality submissions to clients across New Zealand.

This role requires a strong understanding of client priorities and close collaboration with operational leaders to shape strategy, plan effectively and deliver compelling, winning submissions.

The Tenders Manager is accountable for lifting overall bid performance, driving consistency in approach and ensuring robust governance across all submissions. This includes overseeing bid planning, resourcing and risk management, as well as embedding best practice processes, tools and data-driven insights to improve win rates.

The role also champions continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to enhance quality, efficiency and innovation in how we pursue and secure work.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and coordinate the end-to-end tender programme, including pipeline planning and resourcing, ensuring timelines, governance, and review processes are met
• Deliver high-quality, client-focused tenders and proposals that are commercially robust and compelling
• Strengthen bid capability and embed best-practice submission management across the business
• Coach and support operational teams to lift overall winning work capability
• Drive continuous improvement across systems, processes, and information management
• Champion innovation in the development of our bids, to enhance our competitive position
• Manage tender budgets, team costs, and external support effectively
• Provide leadership on strategic bids, including shaping winning strategies and approaches
• Contribute to bid/no-bid decisions with clear insight into risks and likelihood of success

To be successful in this role you’ll have significant experience (10+ years) in civil construction management, combined with strong experience in leading successful strategic tenders. You’ll also have:

• Strong people management skills - managing and directing high performing teams, building a culture of safe innovation, trust and loyalty to achieve their best
• A desire to continually improve processes and embrace technology to achieve greater results and drive efficiency
• Experience in business development and a proven ability to build networks with clients, design consultants and partners
• Excellent commercial acumen along with a proven ability to deliver engineered solutions to complex situations
• Practical knowledge of, and experience working within applicable Design processes to comply with requirements for an acceptable tender/ project requirements
• Relevant tertiary qualification – e.g. Civil Engineering or equivalent experience