Bid Support Assistant

Role title: Bid Support Assistant

Role profile
We have an exciting opportunity for a professional, motivated Bids and Tender Support Assistant to join our vibrant team. You'll work closely with our internal and external stakeholders to compile winning tenders.
By assisting in co-ordinating all tasks involved in the tender process, you will ensure submissions are well organised and delivered on time. Documentation will be highly presentable, fulfil each customer's criteria and consistent in accordance with company procedures and requirements.
Capita is a FTSE 100 company and the UK's leading provider of business process management and integrated professional support service solutions, with over 68,000 staff across the UK, Europe, South Africa and India. We recognise that people are at the heart of our business and we are proud of our culture, which emphasises enjoyment, fulfilment and collaboration in order to stimulate personal ambition and development.
Main responsibilities

Bid preparation
· Support the Bid Co-ordinator in producing (in conjunction with the individual businesses) Bid Allocation and Timescale Plans using MS Word & Excel (also MS Project occasionally), and distribute including Pricing preparation/ sign-off, deadlines for contributors and ensuring sufficient time for collating/ proofing/ checking and delivery;
· Liaise with third parties where applicable.
Submission management
· Develop and manage a deliverables schedule throughout the bid phase with guidance from the Bid Co-ordinator;
· Assist in monitoring the bid schedule and actively chase outstanding/ late contributions;
· Assist in uploading submission documentation to customer portals;
· Organise bid despatch and delivery using couriers as necessary;
· Ensure all bid deadlines are met and obtain confirmation of receipt from courier.
Document control
· Support the Bid Co-ordinator in collating bid responses, ensuring all sections/ questions are answered and responses are consistent;
· Assist the collation of tender response documents (including third-party responses) and clarification questions arising from these;
· With guidance from the Bid Co-ordinator ensure all bids are signed off in accordance with procedures and auditory standards prior to despatch.
Administration
· Assist in arranging Bid, Qualification, Review and Sign-Off Meetings as necessary, including telephone and video conference calls;
· Locate and adapt appropriate collateral, standard and boilerplate documents;
· Respond to general queries regarding tenders via telephone and email as required;
· Archive tenders, including emails and correspondence, comprising the audit trail;
· Carry out general "housekeeping" on files, including directories and folders;
· Carry out any ad hoc duties required by the Team as necessary;
· Express interest in potential Bid opportunities if necessary.


Presentation
· Work alongside the Bid Co-ordinator to devise the required format and presentation of the tender response document in accordance with company policy and any tender instructions;
· Assist in producing bid response documents to a high standard of quality, consistency and in accordance with company procedures and requirements.


Person specification
Essential:
The perfect candidate will have:
· A-Level or equivalent qualifications (including a minimum 5 GCSEs, including Maths & English at Grade C or above);
· Sound IT knowledge of MS Office (Word and Outlook, in particular) and keyboard skills;
· Administration experience, document production in particular;
· Excellent written communication skills, specifically the use of grammar, punctuation, spelling & vocabulary, and presentation of text;
· Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to edit and review documents under pressure;
· Strong verbal communication skills;
· A disciplined, well organised and structured approach to managing bids and tenders as projects;
· The ability to meet absolute deadlines and effectively manage a large, varied workload;
· A strong team player ethic;
· Initiative and self-motivation;
· Multi-tasking capability;
· Assertiveness and diplomacy;
· Negotiation and persuasive skills;
· Demonstrable commitment to the role and Capita brand.
Desirable:
Additional skills and experience that would be an advantage but are not essential include:
· Experience of MS PowerPoint, Project & Access;
· A degree or Higher Education qualification in Business Administration or similar discipline;
· Research capability;
· Aspiration to develop bid related skills and experience.