Lead Author

Costain have a unique opportunity for a Lead Author to be responsible for managing a team of authors and overseeing and actively managing the end-to-end quality submission process, from storyboard development to final submission, ensuring all outputs, including those of their team are high-quality, compliant, and compelling.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Guidance:

• Support the Bid Director to lead the authoring team, providing clear direction on submission strategy and structure, this includes incorporating VP/Win Themes.
• Brief Authors, SMEs, and stakeholders on response approaches, client scoring mechanisms, and win themes (approach to incorporating them into responses).
• Ensure SMEs understand their roles, responsibilities, and how they contribute to the overall pursuit.
• Contribute to bi-annual Authors Day to align ways of working, understand areas of improvement and lessons learned.

Strategic Response Development:

• Support the development of response strategies tailored to the client's scoring criteria, question requirements, and incorporating value propositions and win themes.
• Support Senior Authors, Authors and Question Owners in strategically translating the value proposition into high-quality written responses.

Quality Assurance:

• Take responsibility for 'one voicing' responses prior to submission
• Work with Bid Manager and lead SMEs and Authors, to achieve quality response milestones (storyboard, pink and red reviews deadlines) to the necessary quality, making team accountable for their actions
• Lead pink, red and gold review meetings. Translate high-level feedback during reviews.
• Implement work winning best practices (as per authoring guide), governance, and quality standards throughout the process.
• Escalate unresolved quality/output/ relationship challenges to Bid Manager or Bid Director (as appropriate).

Continuous Improvement & Training:

• Actively support senior authors and authors to illustrate "what good looks like" in submissions.
• Drive continuous improvement in quality
• Embed improvements/ learnings.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Work collaboratively with Sector Directors during review processes to ensure alignment with strategic goals and client expectations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience of leading and securing successful strategic bids
• Strong leadership qualities around influencing people and leading quality submission
• A strategic and creative thinker ensures the client needs are at the heart of every quality submission
• Exceptional planning and organising skills, aligning to activities to successfully achieve outcomes
• Anticipates, understands, and balances multiple stakeholders needs.

• Effective problem solving.

Desirable

• Experience bidding both construction and consultancy opportunities
• Experience in the Transportation and Natural Resources sectors

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