Commercial Lead (UK)

NATS; Whiteley; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

BUPA

Bonus

Car allowance

Excellent pension

Job summary

NATS is seeking a Commercial Lead (UK) to protect and enable growth across its UK operations. You will manage end‑to‑end commercial activities, from upstream bid support through to contract execution, performance management, and risk mitigation.

You will work within an international commercial team, supporting renewables and other opportunities in the UK and Europe, and you may engage in grant funding applications while balancing aviation safety and commercial objectives.

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant field is required or equivalent,

Responsibilities

• Support bids and proposals from a commercial perspective, including pricing and deal structuring
• Review, negotiate, and close complex commercial contracts
• Provide governance and approvals guidance for commercial proposals
• Monitor contract performance and manage risk across UK operations
• Collaborate with sales, delivery, finance and legal teams to ensure compliant commercial delivery

Skills

Commercial acumen

Contract negotiation

Bid support

Governance

Education

Degree in a relevant area

Job description

Salary - Negotiable, plus BUPA, Bonus, Car allowance, excellent pension & more! Why NATS? - NATS

Closing date – 26th October 2026

NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Role Purpose

The Commercial Lead (UK) is a commercially focused role responsible for protecting and enabling the growth of the NATS Growth organisation across its UK operations. Reporting to the Head of Commercial, the role delivers hands‑on commercial support across the full range of the organisation’s commercial activities in the region, from upstream bid and proposal support through to contract execution, performance management, and risk mitigation.

The role sits within an international commercial team supporting a growing business. Although the renewables market will be at the heart of your work, you will also provide commercial support to a range of sales opportunities across the UK and Europe, as well as contributing to grant‑funding applications.

You will design, negotiate and close complex deals that support the delivery of clean, renewable energy in the UK while helping to mitigate the impact of renewable developments on aviation safety. To succeed, you will need to understand our customers’ commercial objectives, business models, freedoms and constraints, and the influence of planning law on their projects.

Our customers are experienced negotiators, so you will need to be commercially astute, resilient and creative. You will develop solutions that balance needs of all parties, protect NATS’ commercial interests and maintain strong, long‑term relationships. You will own your commercial proposals from initial development through to agreement and into delivery, clearly communicating their value and securing support from customers, account managers, engineering specialists, finance professionals, operational colleagues and senior leaders.

Other Duties Include

• Support the review, development, and negotiation of commercial terms on bids and proposals in the region, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s risk appetite, financial objectives, and governance requirements
• Provide commercial input into pricing strategies, deal structures, and contractual frameworks to support competitive and sustainable growth
• Ensure all commercial proposals are appropriately steered through internal governance and approval processes before commitment
• Collaborate with sales and business development teams to provide timely and commercially sound support throughout the bid lifecycle
• Lead and shape governance approvals, where appropriate.

Contract Management and Compliance

• Manage the lifecycle of commercial contracts in the region, from execution through to completion, renewal, or close-out
• Ensure contracts align with organisational policies, financial objectives, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements in the relevant jurisdiction
• Monitor contractual performance, obligations, and key milestones, escalating risks and issues to the Head of Commercial in a timely manner
• Support dispute resolution, contract amendments, and change management activities in collaboration with the Head of Commercial and Group Legal as required
• Maintain accurate and complete commercial records and documentation, ensuring governance compliance and audit‑readiness at all times

Commercial Risk Management

• Identify and assess commercial, contractual, and legal risks associated with customer agreements and commercial opportunities in the region
• Develop and apply appropriate risk mitigation strategies, escalating material risks to the Head of Commercial
• Ensure commercial risk is clearly documented, understood, and communicated to relevant stakeholders across the business
• Work with Group Legal to ensure complex legal and contractual risks are managed with appropriate expert support

Programme and Delivery Interface

• Partner with delivery teams throughout programme execution to manage contract obligations, changes, and commercial risk as programmes evolve
• Provide commercial guidance to operational and delivery teams on contractual requirements, ensuring obligations are understood and met
• Interface with the Supply Chain function to ensure downstream commercial arrangements with suppliers are aligned with upstream customer commitments

Key Skills, Experience & Capabilities

Essential

• Degree graduate in a relevant area (or commensurate experience)
• Experience within a commercial, contract management, or related role, ideally within a technology, engineering, or professional services environment
• Proven experience reviewing, negotiating, and closing complex commercial contracts, with a sound understanding of contract law principles and risk management
• Demonstrated ability to support bids and proposals from a commercial perspective, including pricing, deal structuring, and contractual review
• Strong understanding of commercial governance frameworks and the importance of steering proposals through appropriate approval processes
• Experience working in a matrix organisation, with the ability to collaborate across functions and influence without direct authority Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy and completeness in commercial documentation
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work at pace in a fast-moving, international business environment

Desirable

• Experience in aviation, air traffic management, aerospace, or large-scale government or defence programmes is advantageous, but we would also consider the commercial structure of planning‑influenced infrastructure projects, such as; Rail, Maritime, Energy or Nuclear.
• Familiarity with local contracting frameworks, regulatory requirements, or commercial norms in the relevant operating region
• Professional certification in contract or commercial management (e.g. CCCM, IACCM/WCC) or relevant legal training
• Experience working within a Group structure with governance and legal reporting obligations
• Availability and willingness to travel internationally as required

Additional Vacancy Information

We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely.

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please see - Why NATS? - NATS

Please note: All staff at NATS are subject to UK Security Vetting and Clearance (SC) and must maintain valid clearance throughout employment. We are unable to progress applications where an applicant does not meet eligibility requirements for clearance. For further guidance click here Security Clearance - NATS