Tender & Contractor Manager

AME Systems; Ararat; On-site; AUD 500,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

AME Systems in Ararat, Victoria, is seeking an experienced Tender & Contract Manager to lead tendering, contracting and governance across Defence, Aerospace and advanced manufacturing. The role reports to the Sales Manager and spans RFQ/RFP submissions through award and ongoing contract governance.

You will collaborate across Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Quality and Sales, shaping commercial strategy and ensuring compliant, high-value opportunities are captured.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in tender, contract, commercial or business development roles within Defence, Aerospace, manufacturing or other complex environments.
• Experience leading RFQs, RFTs, RFPs, EOIs and tender submissions.
• Experience reviewing, negotiating and administering contracts, including high-value deals.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end RFQs, RFTs, RFPs, EOIs and tender submissions, ensuring responses are compelling, compliant and on time.
• Review and negotiate commercial contracts, terms and conditions, identifying risks.
• Manage contract amendments, variations, extensions and change requests.
• Coordinate inputs across Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Quality and Sales.
• Support pricing models, cost breakdowns and re-costs; assist recovery of NRE and variations.
• Align tender and contract activities with Defence/Aerospace requirements (AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, DISP, ITAR, EAR).
• Improve tender processes, templates, libraries and reporting; drive tender success.
• Manage Sales Customer Leads and contribute to contracting strategy.

Skills

RFQ/RFP tendering

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Defence/Aerospace domain

Commercial awareness

Risk management

Education

Business, Law or Engineering degree

Job description

Tender & Contract Manager

Defence | Aerospace | Advanced Manufacturing

Ararat, Victoria | Permanent Full-Time

Take ownership of complex tenders, commercial contracts and strategic opportunities across Defence, Aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

AME Systems is seeking an experienced Tender & Contract Manager to lead our tendering and contract management activities and support the continued growth of our business.

Reporting to the Sales Manager, this is a commercially focused role responsible for managing opportunities from RFQ/RFP and tender submission through contract negotiation, award and ongoing contract governance.

You’ll work across Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Quality and Sales, becoming a key link between our customers and internal teams.

What you'll be doing

• Lead end-to-end RFQs, RFTs, RFPs, EOIs and tender submissions, ensuring responses are compelling, compliant and delivered on time.
• Review and negotiate commercial contracts, terms and conditions, identifying contractual, pricing, schedule and delivery risks.
• Manage contract amendments, variations, extensions and change requests throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary inputs across Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Finance, Quality and other business functions.
• Support pricing models, cost breakdowns, customer re-costs, NRE recovery and variation recovery.
• Ensure tender and contract activities align with relevant Defence and Aerospace requirements, including AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, DISP, ITAR and EAR.
• Improve tender and contract processes, templates, proposal libraries and reporting to strengthen efficiency and tender success.
• Manage and support Sales Customer Leads, driving accountability, priorities and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to AME's broader commercial and contracting strategy.

What we're looking for

You’ll bring strong commercial judgement, attention to detail and the confidence to manage complex contracts and competing stakeholder requirements.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• 3+ years' experience in tender, contract, commercial or business development roles within Defence, Aerospace, manufacturing, engineering, infrastructure or another complex environment.
• Proven experience leading complex RFQs, RFTs, RFPs, EOIs and tender submissions.
• Experience reviewing, negotiating and administering contracts, ideally valued from $500K to $10M+.
• Strong commercial and contractual risk management capability.
• Knowledge of contract governance, commercial frameworks and contractual obligations.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, written communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience coordinating complex submissions across multiple technical and operational teams.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Experience with Defence procurement, ASDEFCON, Commonwealth contracting, Defence Primes, head agreements or flow-down requirements will be highly regarded.

A tertiary qualification in Business, Law, Engineering or a related discipline is desirable.

Why AME Systems?

This isn't simply a tender administration role.

You'll have the opportunity to influence commercial decisions, manage significant contracts and shape how AME approaches tendering and contract governance while working across Defence, Aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

You'll join an established Australian manufacturer in Ararat, regional Victoria, with genuine ownership of the tender and contract lifecycle and exposure to complex, high-value customer opportunities.

Eligibility

Due to the nature of our Defence and Aerospace work, applicants must be:

• An Australian Citizen; and
• Able to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Defence Security Clearance.

Candidates who already hold Baseline or NV1 clearance are particularly encouraged to apply.

Ready to turn complex opportunities into commercially successful contracts?