How Do I Become a Bid Manager?

It is possible to become a bid manager by studying the qualities required for the role and understanding the responsibilities of a bid manager. There are no formal qualifications or scholarly courses to assist an individual who wants to become a bid manager, although a background in contractual estimating or management will be beneficial when applying for a bid manager job. To become a bid manager, there must be either an available position or a career progression route to that position in place. General industry experience and progression from a bid coordination role are common routes taken to become a bid manager. Along with estimators, bid managers are crucial to the survival of an organization and the ongoing job security of staff members.

The role of a bid manager in an organization is a very important one. Dealing with bid production and submission is a highly competitive environment, and ongoing success in submitting bids is vital to a company’s survival. A bid manager job description will vary by organization but generally involves the overseeing of the entire bidding process. This will require liaison with estimators who complete the priced section of a bid and quality writers who prepare the written section of a submission.

In addition to collating the input from two sectors to produce a concise document, a bid manager will also be responsible for liaising with operational staff. These are people who would be involved in the day-to-day running of the resulting contract if the bid is successful. By bringing all of these disciplines together, a bid manager will ensure that the final submitted bid is clear, concise, consistent and fully compliant with the needs of the client. To become a bid manager, the applicant must be able to read, understand and interpret correctly the requirements of the bid.

The career route to a role in bid management will generally involve working through either the operational, contractual or estimating divisions of an organization. By steering a career path through these sectors with the eventual aim to become a bid manager, it is possible to acquire all of the knowledge and skill sets required to undertake the bid management role successfully. The high-pressure environment that exists around bid submission means that to become a bid manager, the applicant must be able to think clearly and quickly, be motivational but firm and be able to remain calm under pressure.