Senior Commercial Manager

EngineersOfAI; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Helsing is building its commercial function to support UK defence campaigns. As Senior Commercial Manager, you will develop and deliver a commercial strategy aligned with Campaign Leads, Finance, and senior leadership, ensuring Helsing is positioned to win UK defence contracts.

You will own commercial negotiations with defence partners and suppliers, drawing on deep knowledge of MoD procurement frameworks to drive sound, mission-aligned outcomes.

Qualifications

• Built and led commercial strategies within the UK defence sector.
• Experience in MoD tender and contracting processes.
• Led complex, multi-stakeholder commercial negotiations with tangible outcomes.
• Able to operate across government and industry environments.
• Translate broad campaign objectives into structured commercial plans.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own a commercial strategy that supports active UK defence campaigns, working in close partnership with Campaign Leads, Finance, and senior leadership to ensure commercial positioning is coherent and well-founded
• Lead end-to-end commercial negotiations with defence partners and suppliers, structuring agreements that protect Helsing's interests and accelerate programme delivery
• Manage UK defence tender processes from initiation to award, ensuring full compliance with MoD procurement frameworks and internal governance requirements
• Provide commercial guidance across cross-functional teams, translating complex procurement requirements into clear, actionable advice that enables effective decision-making
• Monitor the UK defence commercial landscape, identifying emerging opportunities and risks and feeding insight into Helsing's broader campaign and growth strategy

Skills

UK defence sector experience

MoD tender/contracting knowledge

Multi-stakeholder negotiations

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Job description

Who we are

Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards.

As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.

We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers.We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams - and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.

The role

Helsing is building its commercial function to support complex, high-stakes defence campaigns across the UK. As Senior Commercial Manager, you will develop and deliver a commercial strategy aligned with Campaign Leads, Finance, and senior leadership, ensuring Helsing is positioned to win UK defence contracts. You will own commercial negotiations and processes with key partners and suppliers, drawing on deep knowledge of MoD procurement frameworks to drive sound, mission-aligned outcomes. Based in London or the Bristol area, you will work within a cross-functional team and play a central role in shaping how Helsing engages with the UK defence market.

The day-to-day

• Develop and own a commercial strategy that supports active UK defence campaigns, working in close partnership with Campaign Leads, Finance, and senior leadership to ensure commercial positioning is coherent and well-founded
• Lead end-to-end commercial negotiations with defence partners and suppliers, structuring agreements that protect Helsing's interests and accelerate programme delivery
• Manage UK defence tender processes from initiation to award, ensuring full compliance with MoD procurement frameworks and internal governance requirements
• Provide commercial guidance across cross-functional teams, translating complex procurement requirements into clear, actionable advice that enables effective decision-making
• Monitor the UK defence commercial landscape, identifying emerging opportunities and risks and feeding insight into Helsing's broader campaign and growth strategy

You should apply if you

• Have built and led commercial strategies within the UK defence sector, with direct experience of MoD tender and contracting processes
• Have held a commercial role within or alongside a UK defence procurement agency, such as DE&S or the SDA
• Have led complex, multi-stakeholder commercial negotiations and can demonstrate tangible outcomes from those engagements
• Can operate fluently across government and industry environments, adapting communication style and approach to suit each audience
• Can translate broad campaign objectives into structured commercial plans that align finance, legal, and operational requirements

Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points.

Nice to Have