Trainee Bid Coordinator

Location: ON SITE ROLE - Loanhead, Edinburgh
Flexible Working Options – 4- or 5-day week

Kickstart Your Career with Mac Taggart Scott! - Trainee Bid Coordinator

At Mac Taggart Scott, we’ve been engineering innovative solutions for the Naval Defence industry since 1898. From design and manufacture to commissioning and life‑cycle support, we deliver end‑to‑end solutions for some of the UK’s most complex defence programmes. While we’re proud of our heritage, we’re equally focused on the future continually improving, innovating, and developing our people is at the heart of everything we do.

We’re looking for a Trainee Bid Coordinator to join our Proposals and Commercial team in Loanhead. This role is ideal for someone looking to start a career in bid management, gain practical experience in the defence sector, and develop into a fully qualified Bid Coordinator. You will be trained to manage the bid process, work with cross‑functional teams, and contribute to high‑quality proposals that help win new business.

You’ll be part of a collaborative and supportive environment where your ideas are valued, and your career can grow. This full‑time role runs Monday to Thursday or Monday to Friday depending on preference, with flexibility to meet business needs. The role may involve occasional UK and international travel, and requires applicants to hold or be eligible for the appropriate security clearance.

• Full‑time, Monday to Thursday or Monday to Friday (flexible to suit your needs)
• Occasional UK and international travel may be required
• Applicants must hold or be eligible for the appropriate security clearance

As a Trainee Bid Coordinator, you’ll receive training and hands‑on experience across all stages of the bid process. You’ll gradually take ownership of key areas, working closely with multiple teams and helping to deliver high‑quality proposals that make a real impact.

• Support and eventually lead the preparation and submission of compliant, high‑quality proposals and tenders.
• Ensure deadlines are met and proposals meet customer requirements.

• Work with technical, commercial, quality, and operations teams to gather the information needed for proposals.
• Ensure all technical and financial details are accurate and aligned across departments.

• Act as a point of contact for proposal‑related queries from internal teams and clients.
• Support relationship‑building through proactive communication and follow‑ups.

• Contribute to developing a winning proposal strategy with the Business Development team, highlighting key differentiators and value propositions.
• Write and edit proposal content clearly and consistently.

• Collaborate with estimating teams to ensure proposals include competitive pricing, accurate cost breakdowns, and appropriate margin targets.

• Ensure proposals comply with internal governance, legal, contractual, and company standards.
• Check proposals for quality, consistency, and professional presentation.
• Present summaries to Senior Management as part of the gated review process.

• Support the Business Development team by keeping up to date with industry trends, competitor activity, and customer needs to help improve future proposals.

• Provide updates to senior management on proposal progress and outcomes.
• Capture lessons learned to improve future bids and processes.

• Organised, detail‑oriented, and motivated to learn.
• Strong communication skills and confident interacting with multiple stakeholders.
• Able to manage deadlines and prioritise tasks effectively.
• Confident using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Proactive and enthusiastic about developing a career in bid management.

• Some experience in proposal or project coordination within an engineering or technical environment.
• Familiarity with ERP systems.
• Awareness of commercial terms and conditions.
• Further education qualification in a Technical or…