Proposals Engineer

About The Role

Based in Navan, County Meath, Ireland, this Proposals Engineer position is a pivotal role reporting to the Group Engineering and Technology Manager. The successful candidate will spearhead the coordination and delivery of competitive bids, ensuring alignment with the organisation's growth targets. This involves managing the end-to-end bid lifecycle from tender to contract award, focusing on technical and commercial excellence within the Food, Beverage, and Pharmaceutical sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the comprehensive proposal process, ensuring each bid complies with quality and governance standards.
• Identify and leverage key value propositions and win strategies to increase bid success rates.
• Develop and execute commercially viable strategies that balance cost competitiveness with risk management.
• Lead preparation of technically robust and commercially attractive submissions tailored to client needs.
• Review contracts with a focus on risk evaluation and handling procurement clarifications.
• Drive bid quality and compliance to maximise scoring in competitive tenders.
• Aim to achieve predefined win rates and backlog objectives consistent with company goals.
• Conduct market and opportunity analyses to align bids with overarching business strategies.
• Coordinate inputs from design, estimating, and project delivery teams to enhance value and bid quality.
• Engage the supply chain to secure best-value procurement aligned with bid goals.
• Lead bid qualification, including make-or-break assessments and strategic decision-making on pursuing opportunities.
• Mentor and grow a high-performing proposals team fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Contribute strategic insights and recommendations to business growth and development initiatives.
• Oversee the proposals department budget ensuring effective resource allocation.
• Tackle complex technical, strategic, and commercial challenges with problem-solving acumen.
• Implement continuous improvement processes including post-bid reviews for enhanced future performance.
• Ensure smooth handover procedures from bid completion to project execution phases.
• Support client engagement and business development activities via meetings and strategic collaboration.
• Maintain and refine governance and bid management processes for operational excellence.

Skills and Experience

• Proven success in managing bids for large-scale construction or manufacturing projects.
• Desirable experience in fabrication and manufacturing environments.
• Preferred background in the UK and/or Irish water sectors with hands-on bid management experience from opportunity identification through submission.
• Proven leadership in opportunity assessment, commercial strategy development, and solution design.
• Strong understanding of the competitive landscape within the market.
• Excellent presentation skills and customer interaction capabilities.
• Exceptional commercial insight combined with proficient risk management abilities.
• Competent in managing complex projects involving multiple workstreams.
• Experience improving procedures ensuring efficient workflows.
• Academic qualification: Degree in Engineering or Quantity Surveying.

Employee Benefits

• Join a dynamic and growing company focused on ambitious expansion plans.
• Standard working week Monday to Friday with early finish on Fridays.
• Generous leave entitlement including 23 days annual leave plus 10 bank holidays annually.
• Access to confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available 24/7 for employees and their families.

About Glanua

Glanua leads by providing sustainable engineering solutions focused on water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland and the UK. Trusted by major water utilities such as Uisce Éireann, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Affinity Water, the company is dedicated to environmental challenges and decarbonisation goals. With over 600 talented employees, Glanua fosters an inclusive environment promoting innovation, integrity, collaboration, and professional growth. The organisation embraces diversity and equal opportunity employment principles.