Tender Administrator

🎯 Role Definition

The Tender Administrator is the central coordinator for all bidding and proposal activities within the organization. This role is pivotal in driving new business by ensuring the timely and successful submission of high-quality tenders, bids, and proposals. You will act as the guardian of the tender process, meticulously managing every stage from opportunity identification to final submission and follow-up. This position requires an exceptional multi-tasker who can liaise effectively with sales, technical, legal, and financial teams to compile compelling and compliant responses that showcase our company's strengths and secure valuable contracts.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Assistant
Sales Coordinator
Junior Project Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Tender Administrator / Bid Coordinator
Bid Manager
Contracts Manager

Lateral Moves:

Sales Operations Analyst
Procurement Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Proactively monitor a variety of public and private procurement portals, websites, and other sources to identify relevant tender opportunities (RFPs, RFQs, ITTs, EOIs).
Manage the end-to-end bid lifecycle, including qualification of opportunities, coordinating bid strategy meetings, and ensuring all deadlines are met.
Methodically dissect tender documents to understand all requirements, identify potential risks, and create a comprehensive compliance matrix and submission checklist.
Coordinate and compile all necessary documentation for tender submissions, gathering content from internal stakeholders like technical experts, sales, legal, and finance.
Take ownership of formatting, editing, and proofreading all tender responses to ensure they are professional, well-written, grammatically correct, and aligned with company branding.
Manage all tender-related communications, including submitting clarification questions to the client and distributing addenda to the internal bid team.
Maintain and meticulously organize a central repository or content library of boilerplate text, case studies, team CVs, and other reusable proposal assets.
Ensure all tender submissions are fully compliant with client requirements and are submitted on schedule through the specified e-tendering portals or delivery methods.
Administer online tender portals, which includes managing user registrations, downloading relevant documents, and uploading final submissions accurately.
Organize and often lead bid kick-off meetings and progress reviews, ensuring the team is aligned on strategy, roles, and timelines.
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key internal stakeholders to facilitate a smooth and efficient information-gathering process.
Track all bid activities, key milestones, and submission outcomes within a central CRM or tracking spreadsheet for reporting and analysis.
Prepare and submit foundational documents such as Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) and Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to get the company on bidder lists.
Coordinate the physical production of bids when required, including printing, binding, and arranging for courier services to ensure pristine, on-time delivery.
Assist the commercial team by helping to collate pricing information and accurately complete the financial sections of tender submissions.
Act as the primary point of contact for the bid team, triaging requests and ensuring a smooth flow of information between all contributors.

Secondary Functions

Assisting in the maintenance and improvement of the bid content library and knowledge base.
Supporting the sales and commercial teams with ad-hoc reporting on bid activity, win/loss rates, and pipeline status.
Contributing to the continuous improvement of the organization's tender processes, tools, and strategies.
Participating in post-bid review meetings to capture lessons learned and implement improvements for future submissions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

MS Office Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word for document formatting, Excel for data entry, and PowerPoint for presentations.
E-Tendering Portal Experience: Hands-on experience navigating, downloading from, and uploading to various government and private e-procurement platforms.
Superior Writing & Editing: The ability to write, edit, and proofread complex documents for clarity, grammar, and spelling is essential.
Document Management: Strong skills in organizing and managing large volumes of electronic files and maintaining a logical content library.
CRM/Database Management: Experience using CRM systems (like Salesforce) or other databases to track bid activity and client information.
Desktop Publishing (Preferred): Familiarity with Adobe InDesign or similar software for creating visually appealing, professional documents is a significant advantage.

Soft Skills

Exceptional Attention to Detail: A meticulous approach to ensure all tender requirements are met and documents are error-free.
Outstanding Organizational Skills: The ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and never miss a deadline.
Grace Under Pressure: A calm and resilient demeanor with the proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Proactive & Solution-Oriented: An ability to anticipate needs, take initiative, and find solutions to challenges independently.
Collaborative Team Player: Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and diverse personalities.
Clear & Concise Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for liaising with internal teams and external clients.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent, coupled with significant relevant experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s Degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Communications
English or Journalism
Marketing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2-5 years of direct experience in a bid, tender, or proposal coordination role.

Preferred: Demonstrable experience managing the full lifecycle of tender submissions within a relevant industry (e.g., construction, technology, professional services, healthcare). Experience with both public sector and commercial bids is highly desirable.