Technical Specialist - Strategic Bids

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving real transformational change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

We have a a newly created opportunity for a Technical Specialist to join our Strategic Bids function, playing a key role in shaping and producing high-quality technical responses for major opportunities across our Networking, Security and Hybrid Infrastructure portfolio.

The successful candidate will bring a strong technical foundation and will work closely with Solution Architects, delivery teams and subject matter experts to develop winning technical solutions, translate complex technical detail into compelling written content, and ensure responses meet customer requirements, compliance expectations and scoring criteria.

You will be responsible for taking technical inputs such as solution designs, service models and operational approaches and converting them into clear, structured and persuasive proposal content suitable for both technical and non-technical evaluators, including regulated and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) customers.

Here's what the role looks like:

• Producing high-quality written technical responses for strategic bids, ensuring content is accurate, compelling and aligned to evaluation criteria
• Working closely with Solution Architects and technical SMEs to define and document technical solutions, assumptions, constraints and dependencies
• Translating technical artefacts (e.g. HLD/HLSD content, service descriptions, operational processes, tooling approaches) into customer-focused proposal responses
• Developing technical narratives that clearly communicate solution value, benefits, delivery approach and operational assurance
• Supporting the creation of bid-ready content covering areas such as Networking solutions, Security architecture and controls and Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure.
• Ensuring responses clearly articulate technical approach, assumptions, dependencies, constraints and integration considerations
• Maintaining consistency of style, tone and structure across technical bid sections and supporting content
• Identifying gaps in technical inputs early and driving clarification with internal stakeholders to remove ambiguity
• Contributing to the improvement of reusable technical bid content, including standard responses, case studies and solution narratives
• Assist in the preparation for client presentations and clarification meetings as required.

Requirements

Here's what you'll bring to the role:

Essential:

• Strong technical understanding across one or more of the following areas:

o Enterprise networking (LAN/WLAN/WAN, routing and switching, SD-WAN)

o Security architecture and controls (network segmentation, firewalling, secure remote access concepts, zero trust principles)

o Hybrid cloud infrastructure (data centre and cloud connectivity, high availability, resilience, landing zone concepts, hybrid architectures)

• Experience producing technical written content for bids or proposals, ideally within IT infrastructure, networking, cyber security or cloud delivery organisations
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, well-structured responses that are suitable for non-technical evaluators
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with confidence working with senior technical SMEs and architects to gather and refine inputs
• High attention to detail, including compliance, formatting and quality assurance of submitted content
• Ability to work at pace and under deadline pressure across multiple concurrent opportunities

Desirable (but not essential):

• Experience supporting bids for regulated industries or Critical National Infrastructure customers
• Awareness of common security and assurance frameworks (e.g. ISO 27001 principles, NIS, CAF)
• Ability to produce or refine diagrams in PowerPoint and/or Visio to support technical solution sections

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package: 

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth. 
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can. 
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes.

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us. 

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.