Quality Bids & Proposals Coordinator

Quality Bids & Proposals Coordinator
Location: Ampthill, Bedfordshire
Salary: Competitive + Excellent Benefits
Job Type: Permanent | Full-Time | 37.5 Hours | 4-Day Week (Monday-Thursday)
Sector: Defence | Aerospace | Advanced Manufacturing

Shape Winning Defence Programmes Before They Begin

TXM Recruit is delighted to be partnering with a world-leading defence organisation to recruit a Quality Bids & Proposals Coordinator based at their state-of-the-art facility in Ampthill, Bedfordshire. This is an excellent opportunity for a Quality professional looking to move into a commercially focused role where you'll help secure some of the UK's most complex and technologically advanced defence programmes. If you have a background in Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance or Manufacturing Quality within aerospace, defence or another highly regulated industry, and enjoy working across multiple business functions, this role offers a unique opportunity to influence projects long before they reach production.

The Opportunity

As the Quality Bids & Proposals Coordinator, you'll be responsible for coordinating all Quality activities during the bid and proposal phase, ensuring customer requirements are fully understood, accurately costed, and incorporated into compliant, competitive proposals. Working closely with Business Development, Programme Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain and Quality teams, you'll ensure quality planning, compliance requirements, risks and resource needs are identified before contracts are awarded. This is a highly collaborative role where your technical knowledge and commercial awareness will directly contribute to winning new business.

Key Responsibilities

• Review customer specifications, technical documentation, and engineering drawings to establish the Quality scope of work.
• Develop and maintain accurate Quality Basis of Estimates (BOEs) for bid submissions.
• Work with Quality subject matter experts to validate labour estimates, inspection activities and delivery strategies.
• Identify and document Quality assumptions, dependencies, and exclusions within proposals.
• Assess Quality-related risks and opportunities, supporting bid reviews and mitigation planning.
• Identify any additional tooling, equipment, certifications, training or specialist capability required to fulfil customer requirements.
• Represent the Quality function during proposal reviews, governance meetings, and approval boards.
• Maintain and continually improve Quality proposal templates, response libraries, and standard documentation.
• Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Programme teams to ensure proposed Quality activities align with operational capability.
• Ensure all proposed Quality activities comply with customer, regulatory, and internal Quality Management System requirements

What We're Looking For:

Our client is seeking someone with a strong Quality background who combines technical expertise with excellent planning, communication, and stakeholder management skills. Essential Experience

• Experience in Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance, or Manufacturing Quality.
• Previous involvement in bids, tenders or proposal activities within defence, aerospace or another highly regulated industry.
• Good understanding of AS9100 and Quality Management Systems.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, and customer requirements.
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Confident communicator who can influence stakeholders across multiple departments.

Desirable Experience

• Experience producing Basis of Estimates (BOEs).
• Knowledge of First Article Inspection (FAI).
• Familiarity with APQP methodologies.
• Experience using SAP or similar ERP systems.
• Internal or Lead Auditor qualification.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to join a globally recognised engineering organisation delivering cutting-edge defence capability while enjoying an outstanding work-life balance. You'll benefit from:

• 4-day working week (Monday-Thursday)
• Flexible working arrangements
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Long-term career development within a global organisation
• The opportunity to influence high-profile defence programmes from the earliest stages
• A collaborative environment working alongside experienced engineering and quality professionals

Security Requirements: Due to the nature of the work, candidates must be eligible to obtain Security Clearance (SC). Successful applicants will be required to undergo BPSS clearance before starting.

Interested? If you're looking for a role that combines Quality, Engineering and Commercial bid support within one of the UK's leading defence organisations, we'd love to hear from you.