Bids and Proposals Lead

Our Company
Willowglen Systems is a leading industrial automation company that provides innovative solutions for various industries, including oil and gas, rail, and energy. We are committed to innovation and continuous improvement, and we are looking for a dynamic Senior Project Manager to join our team and drive our projects to success.

Position Summary:
Are you a technical leader who thrives at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and commercial success? Do you enjoy turning complex automation opportunities into competitive, high-margin wins? If so, we want to hear from you.
In this role you will be responsible for the technical and commercial development of competitive, accurate, and profitable proposals for industrial automation projects including SCADA, RTU, PLC, communications, and systems integration solutions across transit, oil and gas, water and wastewater, and electrical utility sectors.
This role owns the full bid lifecycle from opportunity intake through submission, approval, and post award review, ensuring all quotes are technically sound, commercially structured, risk assessed, and aligned with company margin targets. This is a technical commercial leadership role focused on margin protection, risk control, and estimating accuracy, not administrative quoting.

Key Responsibilities

Bid Strategy, Governance and Margin Ownership

• Lead the end to end bid process from RFP and RFQ receipt through submission.
• Conduct structured bid or no bid analysis with emphasis on strategic alignment, capacity, technical feasibility, risk exposure, and margin viability.
• Establish pricing strategies that protect target gross margin.
• Challenge incomplete or ambiguous scope before pricing.
• Present margin analysis and risk summary at internal bid review gates.
• Ensure executive approval thresholds are met prior to submission.
• This role is accountable for ensuring bids are structured to protect gross margin and minimize downstream cost overruns.

Technical Solution Architecture

• Architect complete automation solutions including SCADA system architecture, PLC and RTU selection and sizing, communications infrastructure, HMI and server design, cybersecurity considerations, and third party integrations.
• Collaborate with Engineering and R&D to validate design feasibility.
• Develop reference architectures to improve estimating consistency.

Cost Modeling and Commercial Structuring

• Develop detailed multi level cost models using advanced Excel.
• Build structured cost breakdowns including engineering labor hours, configuration and development, testing including FAT and SAT, commissioning, hardware BOMs, subcontractor services, travel and logistics, and contingency allowances.
• Ensure traceability between scope, assumptions, exclusions, and pricing.
• Apply appropriate contingency based on quantified risk assessment.
• Maintain estimating libraries and historical cost benchmarks.

Risk Assessment and Commercial Controls

• Conduct structured technical and commercial risk assessments.
• Quantify risk exposure and incorporate contingency where appropriate.
• Document assumptions and exclusions to prevent scope creep.
• Identify contractual risk concerns and escalate as needed.
• Support contract review process from a technical commercial standpoint.

Supplier and Partner Management

• Identify and qualify vendors.
• Solicit and evaluate supplier quotations.
• Lead technical clarification discussions.
• Evaluate lead times, pricing stability, and supply chain risks.
• Support negotiation to improve cost competitiveness.

Data, Automation and Reporting

• Develop advanced Excel based estimating tools including structured pricing models, cost rollups, and scenario analysis.
• Utilize Power BI for margin trend analysis, bid performance reporting, and win or loss analysis.
• Use Power Automate to streamline approval workflows and CRM integration.
• Maintain complete and accurate bid documentation in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Post Project Variance Review and Continuous Improvement

• Participate in formal post project reviews for awarded projects.
• Analyze estimated versus actual labor hours, hardware costs, margin variance, risk realization, and change order drivers.
• Identify root causes of margin erosion or estimate inaccuracies.
• Update estimating models and risk assumptions based on findings.
• Maintain a closed loop feedback process between Project Engineering, Project Management, and Bids.
• The Bids and Proposals Lead is accountable for improving estimating accuracy year over year.

Key Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical, Automation, Controls, or related Engineering discipline.
• Experience in industrial automation including SCADA, RTU, and PLC systems. (5+ years)
• Experience in proposal development, estimating, or solution architecture. (3+ years)
• Experience at least one of the following industries: transit, oil and gas, water and wastewater, or electrical utilities
• Demonstrated experience building structured quotes in excel

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with industrial communications, cybersecurity considerations, and regulatory environments relevant to critical infrastructure.
• Structured, process-oriented professional who performs well under deadline pressure and drives continuous improvement.
• High analytical skills with the confidence to challenge unclear scope and technical ambiguity.

Why Join Us?

Are you up for the challenge? Join Our Team

Our Mission
Willowglen’s mission is to be a global leader in delivering visionary, customer-driven industrial automation solutions.

Our Values

Respectful - We take the time to listen and understand each other, and this fosters feelings of mutual trust, safety, camaraderie, and well-being.
Agile -  We are a customer-centric, responsive, and collaborative organization. We are quick to learn, adapt and respond to changing circumstances.
Innovative -  We value and support innovation thereby allowing people to be innovative. We are always striving to deliver superior solutions.

Willowglen Systems Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We respect and seek to empower each individual and support the diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences within our workforce. We thank all the applicants for their interest in this position; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted by our recruitment team. If you require accommodation, please reach out to our hiring team and we will work with you to find reasonable solutions