Commercial Manager

Morson Talent; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free Lunch

Career development and training

Pension with up to 1.5x employerConrib

25 days annual leave

Dental cover

Employee Assistance Programme

Permanent on-site role - Dorset

Job summary

TKMS ATLAS UK is seeking an experienced Commercial Manager to lead commercial activity across bids, contract negotiations and contract management within the defence sector. You will work with internal stakeholders, customers and partners to ensure commercial success while protecting the interests of the business.

This role involves guiding complex negotiations, managing lifecycle contracts, and maintaining robust commercial documentation.

Qualifications

• Significant commercial management experience in defence.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements.
• Strong knowledge of contract law, risk management and compliance.
• Experience managing complex negotiations and delivering practical solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Degree in a relevant subject and professional body membership (e.g., WorldCC) desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial input into bids and proposals, balancing opportunity and risk.
• Negotiate and agree contracts with customers, suppliers and partners.
• Provide commercial and contractual guidance across UK and international defence programmes.
• Manage contracts throughout their lifecycle, including changes and compliance.
• Identify, assess and mitigate commercial and contractual risks.
• Support governance and ensure compliance with policies and regulatory frameworks.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, customers and partners.
• Maintain contractual records and key commercial documentation.
• Support Head of Commercial and guide junior team members.

Skills

Commercial management

Contract negotiation

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Education

Degree in a relevant subject

Tools

Contract drafting

Job description

Are you an experienced Commercial Manager with the expertise to lead complex contract negotiations and manage commercial risk within the defence sector?

We're looking for a Commercial Manager to join our Commercial team, reporting to the Head of Commercial. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting business growth by leading commercial activity across bids, contract negotiations and contract management. Working closely with colleagues across the business, you'll help ensure commercial success while protecting the interests of TKMS ATLAS UK.

Our Commercial team provides expert guidance on contractual and commercial matters across UK Ministry of Defence programmes, UK prime contractors and international customers. As part of our continued growth, you'll contribute to delivering commercially robust solutions that support our strategic objectives and enable the successful delivery of innovative maritime defence programmes.

In this role, you'll be responsible for leading the commercial aspects of bids and contracts throughout their lifecycle, ensuring commercial risks are effectively managed while supporting successful programme delivery. Working with internal stakeholders, customers and key partners, you'll play an integral role in developing strong commercial relationships and ensuring contractual compliance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the commercial input into bids and proposals, ensuring an appropriate balance between commercial opportunity and risk.
• Negotiating and agreeing contracts with customers, suppliers and strategic partners.
• Providing commercial and contractual advice across UK and international defence programmes.
• Managing contracts throughout their lifecycle, including contract changes and ensuring contractual compliance.
• Identifying, assessing and mitigating commercial and contractual risks.
• Supporting governance and ensuring compliance with company policies, legislation and regulatory frameworks.
• Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders, customers and external partners.
• Maintaining accurate contractual records, correspondence and key commercial documentation.
• Supporting the Head of Commercial and providing guidance to junior members of the Commercial team.

We're looking for someone who has:

• Significant commercial management experience, ideally within the UK defence sector and/or international defence markets.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements, including contracts, NDAs, MoUs, teaming agreements and licence agreements.
• Strong knowledge of contract law, commercial risk management and compliance frameworks.
• Experience managing complex commercial negotiations and delivering practical commercial solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build positive relationships at all levels.
• Strong analytical skills with excellent attention to detail and the ability to work independently.
• A degree in a relevant subject is desirable, along with membership of a relevant professional body such as WorldCC (formerly IACCM).

Why TKMS ATLAS UK?

With a reputation for providing innovative underwater systems for the Royal Navy (RN) and export customers, TKMS ATLAS UK operates from our Headquarters on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. Through science, engineering and R&D we convert data into information, knowledge and capabilities that challenge the status quo, delivering winning advantage at the frontline.

Our people are at the heart of our success. An open and stimulating workspace empowers our teams to be creative, collaborative and act with integrity. Despite our continued growth, we pride ourselves on maintaining a friendly and welcoming culture.

As well as offering excellent career development opportunities, you'll benefit from:

• Free Lunch at the onsite restaurant
• Career development and training
• Pension with up to 1.5x employer contributions
• 25 days annual leave, increasing to 28 days after five years and 30 days after ten years
• Dental cover and Employee Assistance Programme
• Permanent position based at Dorset Innovation Park, Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester

At TKMS ATLAS UK, we support our staff to create a healthy work-life balance and encourage applications from individuals seeking part-time, condensed hours or full-time opportunities.

The successful candidate must be able to achieve full SC (Security Clearance).