Defence Contracts & Commercial Lead

Austal-7; Cockburn; On-site; AUD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation and benefits

Professional development and training

Supportive and dynamic work env.

Career advancement

Job summary

Austal Defence Australia (ADA) is seeking a Contracts Specialist to manage supplier contracts and commercial arrangements across procurement activities. You will lead negotiations, renewals, amendments and extensions to secure favourable commercial outcomes while ensuring compliance and value for money.

You will provide commercial guidance to internal stakeholders, assess risk, maintain supplier relationships and support policy governance.

Qualifications

• Experience managing supplier contracts and commercial agreements in a procurement environment.
• Strong contract negotiation, commercial analysis and risk management skills.
• Ability to interpret contractual terms and provide practical commercial advice to stakeholders.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing and relationship management skills.
• Experience with ERP systems and procurement platforms.
• CIPS qualification is desirable.
• Experience in Defence/Maritime/Construction/Mining/Energy or other complex environments is desirable.
• Eligibility for Defence Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Manage supplier contracts and commercial arrangements across a range of procurement activities.
• Lead contract negotiations, renewals, amendments and extensions to achieve favourable commercial outcomes.
• Develop sourcing and contract strategies that align with business requirements and procurement objectives.
• Provide commercial guidance on contractual obligations, risk and supplier performance.
• Identify, assess and manage contractual and commercial risks throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to support delivery, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Monitor supplier performance and contract compliance, addressing issues and driving corrective actions where required.
• Support the development and maintenance of procurement policies, contract templates and governance processes.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Commercial analysis

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Relationship management

Interpret contractual terms

Influencing

Education

Bachelor-level in Procurement/Commerce

CIPS (desirable)

Tools

ERP systems

Procurement platforms

Contract management software

Job description

Austal Defence Australia (ADA) is seeking a Contracts Specialist to manage supplier contracts and commercial arrangements across procurement activities. You will lead negotiations, renewals, amendments and extensions to secure favourable commercial outcomes while ensuring compliance and value for money.

You will provide commercial guidance to internal stakeholders, assess risk, maintain supplier relationships and support policy governance.