Tendering Engineer

Job Purpose

The Tendering Engineer is accountable for leading and governing the tendering, quotation, and contract handover process for Lucy Electric South Africa. The role ensures that customer tenders and quotations are prepared accurately, competitively, and in compliance with customer, commercial, technical, and governance requirements, enabling successful order conversion and effective handover to Operations. 

The role provides structured coordination across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Logistics, and external manufacturing units to ensure tender risk is understood, commitments are achievable, and post-order execution is enabled through disciplined contract and information management.

Job Context

The Tender and Proposals Lead operates in a tender-driven, engineered-solutions environment, acting as the central coordination point for pre-order and early post-order commercial processes. The role has accountability for the integrity, completeness, and governance of tender and contract documentation but does not own sales ownership or operational execution.

The role works closely with Regional Sales Managers and Area Sales Managers during opportunity qualification and tender submission, and with Operations and Engineering during contract handover and early execution phases. The position operates with a short- to medium-term horizon, balancing responsiveness to customer timelines with disciplined risk management and internal governance requirements.

Job Dimensions

Number of Staff Supervised

• Direct Reports: 0
• Total Employees: 0

Financial Dimensions

• Strong influence on order intake quality, margin protection, and commercial risk through effective tender governance and contract control.
• Accountability for tender and quotation discipline within approved pricing frameworks and Delegation of Authority.
• Payment & Other Authorisations as per approved Delegation of Authority.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and manage the tendering and sales support function to ensure timely, compliant, and competitive submission of quotations and tenders.
• Review, analyse, and coordinate customer tender documentation, identifying commercial, technical, delivery, and contractual risks and ensuring appropriate internal review and escalation.
• Coordinate tender reviews, clarifications, and submission deadlines across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and manufacturing units.
• Prepare and oversee quotations, ensuring alignment with approved pricing, cost assumptions, and commercial terms.
• Actively track and follow up tender evaluations and quotation status in support of order conversion.
• Provide structured weekly and monthly reporting on tender, quotation, and order status, including contribution to forecasting and S&OP processes.
• Govern the creation and maintenance of tender and contract files, ensuring completeness, approval, and document control.
• Lead formal contract handover from Sales to Operations, confirming scope, milestones, risks, and responsibilities.
• Establish and manage contract plans covering commercial and technical milestones, delivery schedules, inspections, and documentation.
• Coordinate review and finalisation of Letters of Credit and documentary requirements with Finance and other stakeholders.
• Manage early post-order coordination with customers and operating units, including drawings, approvals, inspections, and commercial clarifications.
• Drive continuous improvement of tendering and contract management processes.
• Maintain tender prices and yearly increases based on CPA.
• Keep Record of all tenders with start and end dates.
• Actively check for new tenders being advertised on a daily basis
• Manage existing contracts, follow up on factory lead times and buy out items.

Qualifications, Experience & Skills

Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of tendering, contract management, and commercial governance in a project-based environment.

Minimum Experience

• 10+ years’ experience in tender administration, contract management, or commercial coordination.
• Experience operating in a senior or managerial role within a technical or infrastructure environment.

Job Specific Skills

• Tender and contract management expertise.
• Strong understanding of Contract Price adjustments applying SEIFSA Indices
• Understanding of rate of exchange fluctuations 
• Commercial and risk awareness.
• Project coordination and milestone management.
• Strong document control and governance discipline.
• Cross-functional stakeholder management.
• Structured communication and reporting.

Behavioural Competencies

• High attention to detail and quality.
• Structured, disciplined, and deadline-driven working style.
• Ability to manage pressure and competing priorities.
• Confident communicator with constructive challenge capability.
• Collaborative and commercially aware.

Responsibilities:
1) Administration: Produce, update, and provide best practice support on complex Microsoft documents, databases, and other departmental systems, advising colleagues as needed and using expertise to help improve processes.
2) Data Collection and Analysis: Collate and analyze data using preset tools, methods, and formats. Involves working independently.
3) Insights and Reporting: Contribute to the preparation of various data and analytics reports.
4) Information and Business Advice: Resolve queries from internal or external customers or suppliers by providing information on complex processes and the related policies, referring issues to others where necessary for interpretation of policy.
5) Quality Assurance: Plan and coordinate testing and inspection of products and processes. Implement corrective actions or continuous improvement initiatives and monitor them to make sure they are effective.
6) Solutions Analysis: Interpret data and identify possible answers. Involves navigating a wide variety of processes, procedures, and precedents.
7) Product/Service Information: Provide advanced product/service information and respond to basic customer questions about the product/service.
8) Training development and delivery: Run small training programs (or pieces of large training programs) for specific technical areas and help to prepare training content. Involves following established procedures and working under the supervision of senior colleagues.
9) Personal Capability Building: Develop own capabilities by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching. Develop and maintain an understanding of relevant technology, external regulation, and industry best practices through ongoing education, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

Educational Requirements: Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Level
General Experience Requirement: Sound experience and understanding of straightforward procedures or systems (7 to 12 months)
Managerial Experience Requirement: Very limited (0 to 3 months)