Head of Contracts and Compliance

OpenWorks Engineering Ltd; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Newcastle upon Tyne seeks a meticulous Head of Contracts and Compliance. The role involves centralising compliance activities with responsibilities in export controls and governance. Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in the defence sector and strong leadership skills. The position offers competitive remuneration starting from £80,000, alongside excellent benefits including 25 days of holiday and private healthcare. Join a collaborative team that values integrity and personal growth.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration package

25 days' holiday + public holidays

Free breakfast and lunch

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Salary sacrifice schemes

Paid team socials

Pension plan with employer contributions

Culture that empowers

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in export, compliance, legal, or quality.
• Strong experience in the defence sector and knowledge of regulatory frameworks.
• Experience handling sensitive or classified information.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate customer and supplier contracts.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Manage logistics and compliance teams as the business scales.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Contract negotiation

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Education

ICA International Diploma in Governance, Risk & Compliance

Job description

The Opportunity

We're looking for a meticulous and experienced Head of Contracts and Compliance to centralise and lead our compliance activities, including export controls, contractual governance, and security. This role combines regulatory expertise with leadership and managing a logistics team while expanding the broader contracts and compliance function in line with company growth. You'll ensure the business operates securely, support bids and contracts and drive integrity across all operations at a global level.

Who We Are

OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.

Our products provide ultra-high performance, real‑time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.

We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.

The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

Why You'll Love Working With Us

Join a high‑energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced and people genuinely love what they do.

Here’s what our benefits have to offer:

• Competitive remuneration package, salary from £80,000 with performance‑related bonuses and clear progression opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday + public holidays, with long‑service rewards and the option to buy up to 5 additional days.
• Free breakfast and freshly cooked lunches every day, courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.
• Private healthcare through Aviva, keeping you feeling your best.
• Life assurance for peace of mind.
• Salary sacrifice schemes – including EV car and Cycle to Work options for easy, sustainable travel.
• Paid team socials – from quiz nights and football to board games and more; we love to have fun together.
• Pension plan with employer‑matched contributions to help you plan for the future.
• A culture that empowers – we enable change, encourage challenge, and celebrate personal growth.

What You’ll Be Doing

Contracting

• Draft, review, negotiate and approve customer and supplier contracts, NDAs, amendments and flowdowns.
• Ensure terms align with company policies, capabilities and risk appetite.
• Support bids and proposals with risk commentary and contract review.
• Maintain contract management processes, including obligations tracking and lifecycle controls.
• Oversee resolution of disputes and escalations.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including export controls, trade sanctions, anti‑bribery, data protection, and health, safety and environmental regulations.
• Develop and maintain export control frameworks: product classification, licences, technical assistance agreements and staff training.
• Conduct due diligence on customers, suppliers and partners to ensure sanctions compliance.
• Maintain relationships with government authorities and advisors.
• Manage security clearances, classified document handling and security training.

Leadership & Team Development

• Manage the logistics team and expand the contracts/compliance team as the business grows.
• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability and risk awareness.
• Identify, assess and mitigate compliance‑related risks across the business.

What You’ll Bring

Proven Expertise

• Substantial relevant experience in export, compliance, legal, quality.
• Demonstrated strong previous experience in the defence sector with deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks, particularly defence export controls.
• Experience handling sensitive or classified information.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Proven leadership and management experience.
• Strong communication, diplomacy and analytical skills.
• Calm, decisive and pragmatic under pressure.

Personal Attributes

• High integrity, attention to detail, and discretion.
• Exceptional analytical skills with risk‑aware, pragmatic approach.
• Trustworthy, reliable and focused on compliance excellence.

Qualifications

• ICA International Diploma in Governance, Risk & Compliance, or training from ECJU desirable.
• Security Officer training provided on the job.

Vision

Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission

Be a world‑leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence.

Values

Be a Good Egg

Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest.

Do cool stuff

We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done.

Be empowered

We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility.

We are one team

Look out for each other and the team.

Things go wrong

Fail fast, learn and move on.

Have fun

We're doing amazing things with passionate people.