Proposal Manager Oil and Gas & Wind

Job Purpose

To own the end-to-end preparation of technically sound, commercially competitive bids for offshore oil & gas and offshore wind fabrication packages including jackets, piles, topsides, foundations, and other structural fabrication opportunities. As SDHI does not currently have a dedicated estimation function, this role carries full ownership of cost estimation as well — using both bottom-up (MTO/detailed take-off based) and top-down (parametric/benchmark based) approaches as appropriate to the stage and data available for each enquiry. This is a hands-on, detail-oriented role at the core of SDHI's bidding engine, translating enquiry documents into fully costed, well-structured proposals ready for BD leadership to negotiate and close.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Own the proposal lifecycle end-to-end — from enquiry/RFP receipt through scope clarification, costing, drafting, internal review, and final submission, ensuring all deadlines are met.
• Review client enquiry documents, drawings, and MTOs (Material Take-Offs) for offshore oil & gas and offshore wind fabrication packages (jackets, piles, topsides, foundations, and related structures); identify scope gaps, ambiguities, and technical clarifications needed before bidding.
• Independently prepare accurate, defensible cost estimates — covering material (free-issue vs. procure-and-fabricate), labour, welding consumables, equipment, and overheads — applying bottom-up (detailed MTO-based) estimation where drawings/BOQs are available, and top-down (parametric/benchmark-based) estimation at enquiry or budgetary stage where detailed data is not yet available. Coordinate with planning and yard engineering teams to validate assumptions and productivity/consumption norms.
• Develop pricing strategy options (conservative, aggressive, floor-bid scenarios) in coordination with BD leadership; ensure bids reflect appropriate risk allocation and payment milestone structures.
• Prepare complete, polished proposal documents — technical narrative, commercial schedules, compliance matrices, exceptions/clarifications, and supporting annexures — tailored to each client's RFP format.
• Draft and track technical/commercial query logs with clients during the bid clarification period; ensure timely responses are incorporated before submission deadlines.
• Conduct first-pass review of tender terms and conditions (payment terms, LDs, warranties, performance guarantees) and flag risk items to the Contracts/Legal team for deeper review.
• Act as the central coordination point across planning, quality, and yard operations to pull together a cohesive, internally consistent bid.
• Maintain a structured repository of past bids, win/loss records, pricing benchmarks, and templates to improve turnaround time and consistency on future proposals.
• Support BD leadership during client clarification rounds, techno-commercial negotiations, and contract finalisation with data, revised pricing scenarios, and documentation as needed.

Desired Candidate Profile

• 12–15 years of experience in proposal/bid management, estimation, or commercial roles within offshore oil & gas fabrication, offshore wind fabrication, or structural/heavy steel fabrication for the energy sector.
• Hands-on experience preparing bids for offshore oil & gas and/or offshore wind fabrication scopes — including MTO-based costing and free-issue/conversion-only bid structures.
• Proven, independent cost estimation experience — comfortable working both bottom-up (from detailed MTOs/BOQs and drawings) and top-down (parametric/benchmark-based, using historical rates and tonnage-based norms) — as this role owns estimation in full, with no dedicated estimation team support.
• Strong working knowledge of fabrication costing fundamentals: material takeoffs, welding consumption norms, man-hour estimation, overhead allocation.
• Familiarity with common contract structures (LSTK, item-rate, reimbursable, hybrid) and standard risk clauses (LDs, warranties, performance bonds).
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (formula-heavy costing workbooks) and proposal document preparation (Word/PowerPoint); exposure to estimation or ERP software is a plus.
• Strong written communication skills — able to draft clear, client-ready technical and commercial proposal content.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical/Civil preferred); additional commercial/project management qualification is a plus.

Desirable / Preferred Skills

• Prior experience at a fabrication yard operating a fabricate-and-roll-out model.
• Familiarity with classification society requirements (DNV, ABS, Lloyd's) as they affect fabrication scope and costing.
• Experience working directly with EPC contractors' or OEMs' procurement teams during the bid clarification process.
• Exposure to offshore wind foundation fabrication (monopile, jacket-type substructures) in addition to oil & gas.

Key Attributes

• Highly organised, deadline-driven, and comfortable managing multiple concurrent bids under time pressure.
• Strong attention to detail — able to catch scope, quantity, or pricing inconsistencies before they become client-facing issues.
• Good collaborator across technical, commercial, and operations teams; able to synthesise inputs from multiple functions into one coherent document.
• Comfortable working with numbers— equally capable of building a costing model and writing the proposal cover letter.