Contracts Manager

DEA Aviation Ltd.; Lincoln; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

DEA Aviation Ltd. in Lincoln, UK seeks a proactive Contracts Manager to oversee the full lifecycle of commercial agreements from draft and negotiation through compliance, renewals and close-out within a defence-oriented, highly regulated environment.

The role requires a law degree/JD with 3–5 years in contracts, strong regulatory knowledge (ITAR/DFARS), and proven negotiation skills across suppliers and customers.

Qualifications

• Law degree or JD from an accredited institution.
• Master’s in law in commercial disciplines from regulated industries is highly desirable.
• 3–5 years in contracts management in manufacturing or defence sectors.
• Reviewing supplier and customer agreements to mitigate liabilities and risks.
• Due diligence and vetting for onboarding customers and suppliers.
• Familiar with ITAR and DFARS regulations; able to negotiate with suppliers and support supply chain.
• Able to negotiate high-value transactions.
• Strong understanding of contract law in common law jurisdictions.
• Manage contract changes and renewals.
• Manage NDA processes.
• Provide guidance on contract requirements and issues.
• Basic knowledge of contract disputes and litigation.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and negotiating contract terms with vendors, clients or partners.
• Risk management in agreements and mitigation strategies.
• Regulatory compliance tracking for performance standards and financial obligations.
• Ensure alignment with UK MOD regulations, single-source rules and international trade controls.
• Lifecycle management from pre-qualifications to final close-out.
• Cross-functional collaboration between legal, finance, procurement, sales and operations.
• Lead negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions and risk allocations.
• Identify operational or financial risks and oversee change orders.
• Stakeholder liaison between internal teams and defence clients.

Skills

Contract Law

Commercial Negotiations

Regulatory Compliance

Risk Management

Cross-Functional Liaison

ITAR/DFARS

Due Diligence

NDA Process

Change Control

Stakeholder Management

Education

Law degree or JD

Master in commercial law

Tools

ITAR/DFARS compliance

Job description

Contracts Manager

Department: Task Specialist

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Lincoln, UK

Reporting To: Tania Avgoustidis

Description

DEA is a full-service aircraft operator with extensive ISR flight capability backed up by a skilled in-house aviation engineering team. This powerful combination puts us at the forefront of our industry, both in the air and on the ground. It also ensures we can deploy and support quickly and efficiently, even in the world’s most challenging environments.

Due to continued growth and expansion, DEA is looking for a proactive and organised Contracts Manager to oversee the entire lifecycle of business agreements, from the initial draft and negotiation to compliance, renewals, and final closeout.

Key Responsibilities

• Drafting and Negotiating: Write, review and refine contract terms with vendors, clients or partners to ensure favourable conditions and legal compliance.


• Risk Management: Identify potential legal, financial, or operational risks in agreements
  and find ways to mitigate them.


• Regulatory Compliance Tracking: Monitor active contracts to ensure all parties meet performance standards, delivery milestones, and financial obligations.


• Ensure alignment with specialized frameworks such as UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) regulations, Single Source Regulations, or international trade controls (ITAR/FAR/DFARS).


• Lifecycle Management: Handle end-to-end contract administration from pre-qualification
  bids and tenders to final contract close-out


• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the main bridge between legal, finance, procurement, sales, and operations teams.


• Commercial Negotiations: Lead negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and risk allocations with customers and key subcontractors.


• Risk & Change Control: Identify operational or financial risks, manage contract modifications, and oversee compensation events or change orders.


• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary commercial point of contact between
  internal technical teams, legal departments, and external defence clients.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Law degree or JD from an accredited institution


• Master’s in law in commercial disciplines from highly regulated industries highly desirable (i.e banking, pharma or biotech, insurance etc)


• 3-5 Years in contracts management in manufacturing or the defence sector


• Reviewing suppliers and customers agreements in order to mitigate liabilities and risks


• Carry out due diligence and vetting processes for onboarding customers and suppliers


• Very familiar with ITAR and DFAR regulationsAble to negotiate with suppliers and support Supply Chain activities


• Able to support negotiations of high value transactions


• Good understanding of contract law particularly in common law jurisdictions and non


• Manage contracts changes and renewals


• Manage NDA process


• Provide guidance on contract requirements and contractual issues


• Basic knowledge of contracts disputes and litigation