Senior Author

Costain brings together a unique mix of engineering solutions for increasingly complex problems. Our commitment to creating connected, sustainable infrastructure is core to all our activities within our four strategic markets of transport, water, energy and defence. 

Together with our customers we work to shape, create and deliver pioneering infrastructure solutions for our customers, bringing together a mix of construction, consulting and digital experts to engineer solutions to the most complex infrastructure problems. 

A strong track record in completing high quality bid submissions. They take responsibility for all quality aspects of allocated responses  

This individual is a strong collaborator and influencer, adept at working with a diverse mix of stakeholders including Sector Directors and SME’s to retain high degrees of confidence that the responses they are responsible for will be completed to the highest possible standard.  

The Senior Author is responsible for managing the end-to-end quality process, from storyboard development to final submission of allocated questions, with support from a Lead Author, ensuring all outputs, are high-quality, compliant, and compelling.  

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Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Guidance:  

• Support Lead author in briefing SMEs, and stakeholders on response approaches, client scoring mechanisms, and win themes (approach to incorporating them into responses).
• Clearly incorporate win themes and value proposition 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 fellow Authors and Question Owners in strategically translating the value proposition into high-quality written responses.

Quality Assurance:

• Work with Bid Manager and SMEs, to achieve quality response milestones (storyboard, pink and red reviews deadlines) to the necessary quality, making team accountable for their actions
• Lead with the support if required of Lead Author 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 Lead Author, Bid Manager or Bid Director (as appropriate).

Continuous Improvement & Training:

• Drive continuous improvement in quality
• Embed improvements/ learnings.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Work collaboratively with Lead Author/ Senior Author and Bid Directors during review processes to ensure alignment with strategic goals and client expectations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of leading and securing successful strategic bids  
• Strong leadership qualities around influencing people and leading quality submission
• Ensures the client needs are at the heart of every quality submission
• Exceptional planning and organising skills, aligning to activities to successfully achieve outcomes
• 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