Senior Contracts Officer

Thales; Crawley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales is seeking a Senior Contracts Officer to manage contracts within the Legal & Contracts function. The role involves compliance, administrative contact for customers, and collaboration with project teams. Candidates should possess commercial awareness and contract management knowledge along with strong communication skills. This role promises growth opportunities in a vibrant industry with a competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Hybrid working

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Pension Scheme

Life Cover

Half day every Friday

24/7 Employee Assistance Program

Access to mental wellbeing app

Qualifications

• Basic understanding of commercial principles and business operations.
• Knowledge of customers, products, and organizational processes.
• Experience working in the defence industry is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Act as the main point of contact for customers on contract administration.
• Maintain accurate documentation and ensure compliance with contractual obligations.
• Oversee contractual affairs for designated business areas.

Skills

Commercial Awareness

Contract Management Knowledge

Legal Awareness

Financial Understanding

Risk Management Awareness

Strong Communication Skills

Negotiation

Education

CIPS or equivalent certification

Job description

Location: Reading, United Kingdom

Thales people architect solutions at the heart of the defence-security continuum. Interoperable and secure information and telecommunications systems for defence, security, and civil operators, are based upon innovative use of radiocommunications, networks, and cybersecurity. We are ground breaking new digital technologies such as 4G mobile communications, cryptography, cloud computing and big data for use in physical protection systems, and critical information systems. Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Senior Contracts Officer

Location: Reading/Crawley

Our Opportunity

As a Senior Contracts Officer within the Legal & Contracts (L&C) function at Thales, you will be responsible for managing and overseeing contractual affairs for designated business areas. This role involves acting as the main point of contact for customers on contract administration, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, and maintaining accurate documentation. The position requires proactive initiative and effective collaboration with project teams and senior L&C members to support the organization's contracting processes.

Roles & Responsibilities

You will carry out some or all (as may be relevant) of the following activities in relation to medium complexity bids and/or contracts:

• Serve as a focal point of contact for customers regarding administrative aspects of contracts.
• Ensures contract and data administration activities are carried out
• Work with the PM to complete the contract loading on CLM
• Manages routine contracts
• Ensure bid / project team understand the purchase order / contractual obligations
• Populate NDAs
• Maintains contractual records, documentation of key correspondence, status and issue reports, etc.
• Customer payment management

About you

Ideally, you have:

• Commercial Awareness: Basic understanding of commercial principles and business operations.
• Contract Management Knowledge: Able to describe the basic principles of contracts and their associated terms and conditions, day-to-day supervision required.
• Legal Awareness: Basic understanding of legal principles related to routine contracts.
• Financial Understanding: Awareness of financial implications tied to routine contracts but requires guidance for implementation.
• Business Acumen: Knowledge of customers, products, and organizational processes under supervision.
• Risk Management Awareness: Recognition of fundamental principles of contractual and commercial risk, with experience in identifying basic risks.
• Resilience: Capability to handle high-pressure environments, particularly during intense bid activities.
• Negotiation: Basic awareness of effective negotiation principles, along with a willingness to learn and gain experience.
• Strong Communication Skills: Ability to communicate and influence others effectively.
• Self-Motivation: Demonstrated initiative and the ability to plan and manage workload efficiently.
• Desirable Certification: Possession of CIPS or equivalent certification would be an asset.
• Desirable Experience: Experience working in the defence industry.

Security Clearance statement

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a sole British National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.
To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency - United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What We Can Offer

We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry.

We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.

Other Benefits:

• Thales offers a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes;
• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00pm
• Hybrid working
• Pension Scheme
• 28 days annual leave (Plus Bank Holidays)
• Life Cover
• Progression and Development Opportunities
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

Flexibility

Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

If you are interested in this role, we would encourage you to have informal chat with the assigned recruiter.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

#LI-RS1

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Teamfor graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!