Part of the VolkerWessels UK Group, VolkerStevin is an industry-leading civil engineering business, providing complex and innovative engineering solutions across a wide range of sectors including maritime, flood risk management, defence, energy, water and regeneration. Collaborating with, and drawing on the specialist skills of the group’s business units we deliver a truly integrated, multidisciplinary service.
We’re looking for a talented Senior Proposals Writer to join our high-performing team. This is a role for someone who can take ownership of complex tender responses - shaping solutions, driving strategy, and writing compelling, client-focused content that helps us win major infrastructure projects across the UK.
About you
We’re looking for a strategic, solutions-focused Senior Proposals Writer, someone who doesn’t just polish words, but shapes winning responses from the ground up.
You’ll take full ownership of tender responses: analysing documents, understanding client drivers, and working closely with subject matter experts to co-create the solution as well as the narrative. You’ll ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and bring clarity to complex ideas - turning them into compelling, client-focused proposals that consistently score top marks.
This role is for someone who can:
- Think strategically and see the bigger picture
- Work independently but knows when to collaborate
- Influence and lead others through questions and insight - not just coordination
- Take responsibility for content, structure and solution - not just grammar and tone
- Consistently produce responses that stand out - not just meet the brief
We’re not looking for someone who simply edits or rewrites others’ work - we’re looking for someone who leads the thinking, shapes the solution, and writes with purpose, clarity and impact.
What you'll do (Primary Responsibilities):
- Lead the development of high-scoring, client-focused responses for supplier questionnaires and tenders relating to infrastructure projects and frameworks.
- Take full ownership of responses from interpreting client requirements and shaping the solution to drafting and final editing.
- Collaborate with technical, operational, and commercial colleagues to co-create bespoke, strategic content.
- Write clear, compelling, and compliant responses that demonstrate understanding, add value, and align with client drivers and win themes.
- Analyse tender documents to identify key requirements, evaluation criteria, and client priorities.
- Facilitate response planning (e.g. storyboarding workshops) and contribute to bid strategy and win theme development.
- Edit and improve content for clarity, structure, consistency, and impact, ensuring each response answers the question and scores maximum marks.
- Support the preparation of post-tender presentations and supporting materials.
- Produce content to support the business development function, including case studies, capability statements, market sounding questionnaires and presentations.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of bid content, templates, and knowledge libraries.
- Mentor and support less experienced team members where appropriate.
What We Offer
VolkerStevin is part of VolkerWessels UK - a leading multidisciplinary construction group delivering over £1.4bn of infrastructure work annually across the UK. We specialise in complex, high-value projects in flood and coastal protection, marine and port infrastructure, energy, water, defence, and environmental engineering. Our clients include the Environment Agency, National Grid, United Utilities, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. As part of our bid team, you’ll help shape winning proposals for nationally significant projects, from connecting offshore wind farms to the grid, to strengthening flood resilience and upgrading vital infrastructure across the UK.
About you
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Requirements:
- Demonstrable experience writing successful bids in a main contractor environment.
- Strong track record of shaping and delivering content for complex, high-value infrastructure tenders.
- Confident interpreting client requirements and developing solutions in collaboration with technical teams.
- Excellent written communication with ability to structure, simplify, and strengthen complex ideas.
- Proactive and accountable approach, with the ability to lead responses and deliver under pressure.
If your past experience doesn’t match perfectly with every requirement of the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for us.
Why work with us?
VolkerStevin is under the umbrella of VolkerWessels UK which is a multidisciplinary contractor that delivers innovative engineering solutions across the civil engineering and construction sectors including rail, highways, airport, marine, energy, water, and environmental infrastructure.
By utilising the specialist skills of each business unit within VolkerWessels UK, VolkerStevin are able to ensure our staff provide unrivalled resources and expertise to our clients.
We offer competitive rewards and benefits, recognising the value we place on our employees.
We offer a range of benefits, including:
- Competitive salary
- Competitive annual leave and an additional day off on your birthday
- Option to buy additional annual leave
- Private medical care
- Pension
- Life Assurance
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Shopping and restaurants vouchers, rewards, and discounts
- Training and development opportunities-comprehensive skills-based training
- Family friendly polices including enhanced maternity benefits
- Employee Assistance programme
- Mental health, physical health, and financial support
- 24/7 Virtual GP service
Fairness, inclusion and respect
We believe in pushing boundaries in the pursuit of fairness, inclusion and respect. So, our teams can be comfortable that, whatever their background, VolkerWessels UK is a place where they can be themselves and thrive.
If you need support with your application, please contact us at careers@volkerwessels.co.uk
Additional information
Note for Recruitment Agencies:
Our preference is to hire directly, and we will reach out to our Preferred Supplier List (PSL) agencies if this particular role qualifies for release.
We kindly request that you refrain from sending speculative CVs. In the event of speculative CV submissions, no fees will be applicable, and we kindly ask that all inquiries to be directed to careers@volkerwessels.co.uk
VolkerWessels UK is committed to maintaining healthy, safe and productive working conditions for its entire staff and therefore a drugs & alcohol screening is mandatory for all.
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