Commercial Manager

Electus Recruitment; Aston End; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Electus Recruitment is seeking an experienced Commercial Manager for a defence sector contract. You will lead contract negotiations, manage the Route to Contract, and coordinate with cross-functional teams to deliver compliant, value-driven agreements.

The role requires a proven defence contracting background, attention to detail, and the ability to handle multiple contracts under tight deadlines while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Commercial within a defence environment.
• Experience drafting, negotiating, and agreeing contracts and agreements.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple contracts simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with MoD contracting structure, DEFCONs and QDCs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the negotiation of terms and conditions for commercial contracts.
• Own the full Route to Contract and drive the bidding process.
• Oversee contract delivery, amendments, and acceptance criteria.
• Manage contracts throughout their lifecycle—amendments, renewals, closeout.
• Ensure all contracts comply with laws, regulations and defence standards.
• Support business winning and identify contract risks with mitigation plans.
• Act as primary contact for contractual matters with internal/external stakeholders.
• Provide regular reports on contract status and key risks.

Skills

Commercial experience

Defence environment

Contract negotiation

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Multi-contract management

Cross-functional collaboration

MoD contracting familiarity

Job description

• You will have the opportunity to work within a business critical area, contributing to the overall company business plan and knowing that you are making a real difference.
• Contract Negotiation: Lead the negotiation of terms and conditions for commercial contracts ensuring alignment with company objectives and ensuring contractual compliance
• Responsible for the full Route to Contract, including being the driving force during the Bidding process, ensuring cross functional working to deliver costs in time, generation of proposals, and contract negotiations (including reviewing, negotiating, drafting and agreeing bespoke contract terms and conditions), whilst maintaining the viability of the business.
• Contract Delivery – Being a vital part of the delivery chain that ensures the business meets its promises to customers. This may include contract amendments, reviewing contract deliverables, document marking and agreeing appropriate acceptance criteria.
• Contract Management: Oversee the management of contracts throughout their lifecycle, including contract amendments, renewals, and closeout processes, ensuring all contractual obligations are met.
• Compliance: Ensure that all contracts comply with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies, including ITAR, EAR, FAR/DFARS, and other relevant defence industry standards.
• Business Winning – Being a key player in the winning of new work.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks associated with contracts and work with various departments to develop mitigation strategies.
• Stakeholder Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact for contractual matters, providing guidance to internal stakeholders and liaising with external clients and partners to resolve any contractual issues.
• Reporting: Provide regular updates and reports to senior management on contract status, key risks, and any significant issues that could impact the business.
• Contract Dispute Resolution: Manage and resolve contract-related disputes in collaboration with legal and other relevant departments, ensuring swift and effective resolution.

What we're looking for from you:

• Proven experience of Commercial, within a defence environment.
• Experience of drafting, negotiating and agreeing contracts and agreements.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple contracts simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with MoD contracting structure, including DEFCONs and QDCs, would be preferred.

Due to the nature of work undertaken at our client's site, applicants will be required to undergo security clearance vetting, if not already security cleared.