Commercial Manager in Defence Sector

Wallace Hind Selection LTD; Caddington; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global electronics manufacturer in the UK seeks a Commercial Manager to lead and mentor a sales team while managing key accounts worth around £15 million. The successful candidate will oversee commercial strategy in the defence sector, ensuring compliance and operational integrity. You will drive relationships with major clients and collaborate cross-functionally with engineering and operations. This role offers a hybrid work environment and competitive salary with substantial benefits.

Benefits

Up to 20% Annual Bonus

Car Allowance £6,500pa

25 Days Holiday

Company quarterly incentive plan

5% Pension Contribution

Life Assurance

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading technical or engineered product portfolios.
• Ability to work within compliance-critical frameworks.
• Experience managing high-value corporate clients with multi-million pound spends.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a sales team of 3 direct Account Managers and up to 10 indirect professionals.
• Oversee and develop major accounts worth around £15 million.
• Shape commercial strategy and work cross-functionally with engineering and operations.

Skills

Leadership skills

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Operational awareness

Job description

Overview

As a leader, a Commercial Manager, your skill is motivating, mentoring and coaching others, delivering key commercial outcomes for the business and the client alike. We truly value integrated partnerships, being the go to experts for our clients. You’ll be working with major names in the defence sector, managing a portfolio of around £15 million.

Salary & Benefits

BASIC SALARY: £65,000 - £75,000

BENEFITS: Up to 20% Annual Bonus
Car Allowance £6,500pa
25 Days Holiday
Company quarterly incentive plan c£2,600 per annum
3 x Life Assurance,
5% Pension Contribution

Location

LOCATION: Hybrid with on average 50% office based (Bedford)

COMMUTABLE LOCATIONS: Northampton, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Luton, Peterborough, Leicester, Birmingham, Oxford, Stevenage, Harlow, Huntingdon, Coventry, Banbury

Why read on

A leadership role with genuine autonomy and board-level visibility.
A culture built on integrity, excellence, and delivery.
The opportunity to shape commercial growth in a sector that s critical to national capability.

Job description and role

JOB DESCRIPTION: Commercial Manager, Sales Manager, Sales Leader Electronics, Defence

This Commercial Manager role is a strategic leadership role where you will be the driving force behind key relationships with some of the most respected names in UK aerospace and defence sector organisations where precision, process, and performance matter.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, coach and inspire a sales team (3 direct Account Managers and 5-10 indirect cross functional professionals) operating within complex, highly regulated markets. Precision and accuracy are paramount.
• Oversee and develop major accounts worth (currently c£15m), ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
• Shape commercial strategy, working cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and quality to deliver world-class outcomes.
• Champion best practice in leadership, forecasting, and client engagement.
• Work closely with the VP of Sales accurately reporting forecasts, budgets and performance.
• 50% of your time (or two long days) will be based on site at the manufacturing facility.

Person specification

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Commercial Manager, Sales Manager, Sales Leader Electronics, Defence

You ve managed technical or engineered product portfolios and understand what it means to balance innovation with regulation. You re not just commercially astute you re operationally aware, capable of reading a P&L as easily as a customer brief. Most importantly you ll be someone who values create human connections, being present with both your team and the wider business functions in creating solid relationships.

The ideal candidate would have experience of the defence sector, electronics and sub-contracting, that said, we are interested in the right person with the right values, although it is likely you ll have at least one of the three!

• You will be able to demonstrate proven experience with:
  Leading teams before, small enough to know each individual s strengths, but large enough to need real leadership. You get results through people, process, and purpose.
• Operating within compliance-critical frameworks, highly regulated, governed sectors - aerospace, defence, medical devices, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Managing high value complex, demanding corporate clients with multi-million pound spends (£5m+)

The company

We are a Global business specialising in advanced electronics manufacturing. Operating at the heart of the aerospace, defence, and high-technology sectors. With a culture built around continuous improvement and engineering integrity, we combine cutting-edge manufacturing capability with a highly skilled workforce. Operating to the strictest industry standards, maintaining long-term partnerships with major primes and Tier 1 suppliers. Known for our agility, technical collaboration, and commitment to on-time, right-first-time delivery, we play a key role in advancing the UK s high-value manufacturing capability.

Interested?

Please click apply. You will receive an acknowledgement of your application.

Wallace Hind Selection, alongside our client embrace diversity, champion equality, and foster inclusion to create a work environment where everyone belongs and thrives.

Please Note

Wallace Hind Selection have been chosen as the retained recruitment partner of our client and therefore any direct applications to our client from candidates or agencies will be forwarded on to us direct.

REF: MH18288, Wallace Hind Selection