Sr Sales Staff Manager - Proposals

Arabelle Solutions; Shepshed; On-site; GBP 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Arabelle Solutions is seeking a Commercial Operations Director for Region 2 to lead a globally distributed team of Commercial Managers and drive early customer engagement, bid strategy, and complex negotiations. You will partner with Sales, Architecture, Engineering, Finance and Legal to ensure opportunities are commercially sound and executable, while upholding governance and profitability.

The role requires independence, strong leadership, and a track record of transforming commercial

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people-management experience.
• Proven negotiation and risk-management skills.
• Experience leading globally distributed teams.
• Ability to influence across a complex matrix organisation.
• Specialized knowledge across product lines, markets and sales processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead a globally distributed team of Commercial Managers to drive early customer engagement and bid strategy.
• Ensure compliance with ITO processes and Commercial Policies; establish governance and maintain alignment with profitability objectives.
• Develop and implement Region 2 commercial bid strategies and governance across opportunities.
• Partner with Sales Directors to form cross-functional deal teams and mitigate commercial, contractual, technical, and delivery risks.
• Protect margin, value, cash, and contractual position through bid and contract lifecycle.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

People development

Strategic thinking

Contractual understanding

Project management

Job description

Commercial Operations Director – Region 2Nuclear Turbine Island ServicesRegion: Region 2 - Global Service Opportunities outside France & BelgiumDirect Reports: Globally distributed Commercial ManagersLead a globally distributed team of Commercial Managers who, in close coordination with Sales and cross-functional deal teams, drive early customer engagement, opportunity qualification, bid strategy, proposal development, risk management, and commercial negotiations across a diverse portfolio, ranging from transactional orders to complex, multi-year service agreements.Ensure the consistent application of ITO processes and Commercial Policies, while establishing robust commercial governance and maintaining alignment with the company's risk appetite, profitability objectives, and strategic priorities.Build an empowered, high-performing team culture founded on accountability, collaboration, service excellence, quality, and timely execution.The role requires close collaboration with Sales, Architecture, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Legal to ensure opportunities are appropriately structured, competitively positioned, commercially sound, and executable.Operate with a high degree of independence in achieving commercial objectives within approved operating budgets, policies, and governance frameworks.Roles and ResponsibilitiesInterpret complex internal and external business challenges and recommend best practices, process improvements, and innovative solutions to enhance commercial performance and customer outcomes.Apply sound commercial judgment to make decisions and manage complex opportunities, projects, product lines, markets, sales processes, and customer engagements.Assess the quality and completeness of information provided by stakeholders and customers, identify gaps, and ask pertinent questions to ensure robust decision-making.Develop and recommend solutions to complex commercial challenges, including those that fall outside established parameters, drawing on multiple internal and external sources of expertise.Lead the implementation of Region 2 commercial bid strategies and establish strong governance, consistency, and accountability across the opportunity portfolio.Partner with Sales Directors and establish cross-functional deal teams to drive rigor in early customer engagement, identifying and mitigating commercial, contractual, technical, and delivery risks before RFQ or tender issuance.Lead the commercial strategy, governance, and execution for customer RFQs, tenders, major bids, and complex negotiations.Protect margin, value, cash, and contractual position throughout the bid and contract lifecycle.Ensure robust opportunity qualification, pricing, risk assessment, commercial approvals, and governance in line with company policies and risk appetite.Lead, develop, and empower a globally distributed team of Commercial Managers, building a high-performing, accountable culture and strengthening capabilities in strategic commercial management, negotiation, risk management, and deal execution.Partner with Sales leadership to transform the organization from a reactive RFQ-response model to a proactive, early-engagement commercial organization, influencing deal strategy before formal customer procurement processes begin.Implement and continuously improve consistent commercial processes, governance frameworks, tools, standards, and lessons learned across Region 2.Work collaboratively with Sales and Account Management while maintaining clear ownership and accountability for the commercial position throughout the opportunity lifecycle.Drive continuous improvement by identifying recurring commercial, contractual, and operational risks and translating lessons learned into improved processes, tools, and team capabilities.Ensure commercial decisions are aligned with the company's strategic objectives, risk appetite, profitability targets, and customer commitments.Your profile:Strong oral and written communication skills.Strong interpersonal and leadership skillsExcellent negotiation and risk-management skills.Experience leading globally distributed teams with a track record of developing people and transforming commercial organisations.Ability to influence across a complex matrix organisation.Strong customer and contractual understanding.Requires specialized knowledge across product lines, markets, sales processes, and customer groups.Established project management skills.Ideally, experience in nuclear, power generation or complex engineering service.Join us and work with global teams to support global customers ! At Arabelle Solutions, we have team members of more than 49 nationalities spread across 16 countries.At Arabelle Solutions, we know diversity makes teams and business stronger.