How to Become a Bid Manager

Companies utilize the services of a bid manager in order to get ahead of the competition when submitting bids for contracts. When organizations are expanding, planning new construction or have specific vendor needs, they will request that companies who specialize in those types of industries submit a bid which is the amount they will charge to complete the project to the client's specifications. The bid manager is responsible for understanding the bid, as well as compiling all the data that will be used to determine the bid price for the project. Learning how to become a bid manager requires learning to write bids according to client specifications and knowledge about the industry the bid is being written for.

Steps

1. Learn time management skills.
   
   • Bid managers must be able to meet deadlines and work with minimal supervision. This means that time management skills are one of the most important traits necessary for success as a bid manager.
2. Obtain 5 or more years of experience in the industry in which you want to manage bids.
   
   • Bid managers are more prevalent in the construction industry, but can be used by almost any company. For example, if you plan to be a bid manager for a road construction company, then you would need to know as much about road construction as possible, from start-to-finish in order to adequately address the needs of the client.
   • Printing, road construction, education, and manufacturing are examples of other industries that may use bid managers. Having 5 or more years of experience in that industry will allow you to be better able to submit accurate bids.
3. Learn how to read bids.
   
   • Understanding a bid is as important as knowing how to properly write and submit one. Working with an experienced bid manager for a few years will help you learn how to read bids so that you have a better understanding of bid language and requirements.
4. Learn how to write a request for proposal.
5. Meet with various department heads to review bid requirements to get input on the ability of each department to provide the requests of the client.
6. Learn how to create a written bid that will catch the eye of the client.
   
   • Not all bids are awarded based on lowest price so it is important that the bid submission be error free and professional.

Tips

• Since the bid manager is responsible for submitting a completed, professional bid to the client, excellent knowledge of the industry is imperative. Therefore, experience in the industry is a must for anyone who is seeking to become a bid manager.
• Since bid managers are often the first point of contact a company has with a potential client, it is important that they be professional and knowledgeable. The bid manager will be responsible for answering any client questions and should be very familiar with industry acronyms and language.
• Bid managers will be required to work with estimators. Estimators are industry experts who provide estimates for what specific jobs or materials will cost. Because bid managers must know what types of questions to ask of the estimator and what the necessary steps are to complete a job to the client's satisfaction, they must have a general knowledge of the materials or hours needed to complete a job satisfactorily in order to be sure the estimates are accurate.
• Some industries do require bid managers to have college-level degrees, especially in the construction fields. Often, bid managers are required to hold degrees in civil engineering or surveying in order to obtain employment in these fields.

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