Emma Curtis
- Job Title: Bid Manager
- Business Area: Construction
Introducing Emma
As one of our bid managers, Emma’s role is to produce excellent tenders that satisfy our clients and win us work.
Personal Statement
I began my career as a quantity surveyor and joined Wates 11 years ago. I’ve been a bid manager for eight years now and I really enjoy it. I love the interaction with clients, helping them to draw out what they really want their building to deliver. Wates has been great in supporting both my professional development, I have two charterships, and my family commitments through flexible working as I start and finish my working day early.
My Week
There is huge variety in what I do from getting involved in the technical detail of a project plan to selling ideas. A major part of my role is meeting with clients, finding out their need and wants for their building and devising a design solution. You really need to have empathy with a client and see the building through their eyes rather than those of a builder! For example, a head teacher needs to be reassured that we will build around their school’s needs. That way we can build more efficiently adding value for the long term. The work can be very intense as you may have only six weeks to pull a bid proposal together but it’s incredibly rewarding.