Job Description of a Bid Writer (in short)
Bid Writers are technical communicators who prepare and produce business growth proposals companies use to provide pricing for a project or a job. Many businesses issue bid requests to obtain information from vendors regarding the estimated level of effort and costs for undertaking a project. Bid writers organize and coordinate bid production, write and gather content, prepare cost estimates and collate material into compelling proposals that help drive business development and sales.
Primary Job Tasks
Bid Writers manage the written and editorial aspects of the proposal development process. They communicate requirements, deadlines and expectations to key stakeholders and the proposal team. Bid writers also maintain the proposal boilerplate, author content, produce computer-generated graphics and edit text produced by other members of the proposal team. Bid writers also check drafts for readability, clarity, grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and formatting. Essentially, Bid Writers produce high-quality documents and ensure completed proposals meet the bid specifications.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Bid Writers possess excellent technical writing and communication skills. They have the ability to write about complex, technical concepts in easy-to-understand ways and convey ideas graphically. Good Bid Writers maintain a working knowledge of standard writing, research and electronic distribution tools, such as word processing and desktop publishing programs, graphic design applications and e-mail. They are also familiar with techniques for performing audience analyses and are knowledgeable about their company's products or service offerings; bid writers use these skills to tailor documents to specific audiences and generate business for their company.