Sales Contract Negotiator

Airbus; Virginia, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Airbus Americas, Inc. seeks a seasoned contracts professional to manage the drafting, negotiation, and amendment of complex sales contracts for the LatAm & Caribbean BU.

You will ensure detailed reflection of mutual obligations and alignment with internal approvals while optimizing costs and risk. The role requires 12+ years in international commercial settings, strong negotiation skills, and a Master’s degree in business or international contracts law (preferred).

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience with international commercial teams or in a customer-facing role.
• 5+ years of negotiation experience in international contexts, ideally aviation.
• Knowledge of contract law in an international context.
• Master degree in business or international contracts law is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Participate in defining commercial strategy, sales objectives and business rationales.
• Draft, negotiate, and amend sales contract documents to reflect obligations and internal approvals.
• Ensure contracted obligations align with Airbus constraints and BU objectives, including profitability and risk.

Skills

Drafting skills

Negotiation

International contracts

Financial tools

Presentation skills

Team player

Adaptability

Education

Master's degree in business or international contracts law

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft Word

Job description

Airbus is committed to providing reasonable accommodations as an Equal Opportunity Employer to applicants with disabilities. If you require assistance or an accommodation to complete your application, please contact us at [e-mail]

Notice: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Notice: Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination (English)

Aviso: Transparencia en el Pago No Discriminación (Spanish)

Job Summary

Your main accountability in the regional LatAm & Caribbean Business Unit (BU) is the contractual integrity of any agreement entered into between Airbus and any of its customers handled by such regional Business Unit. Such contractual integrity entails that documentation strictly and unambiguously reflects all aspects of the commercial, technical or other agreement reached between the Customer and Airbus, while limiting in an optimal manner the implicit or explicit costs and risks triggered by the obligations entered into by Airbus pursuant to such agreement. You will be responsible for drafting, negotiating and amending contractual documentation and making contractual and commercial decisions in line with the commercial objectives of Airbus and in compliance with applicable approval processes.

Primary Responsibilities

• Participating in the definition of commercial strategy, sales objectives and business rationales.
• Drafting, negotiating with customers and amending individual sales contract documents (Proposals, including Letters of Intent, Memoranda of Understanding, Purchase Agreements and Amendments, Lease Agreements, as applicable) in order to reflect in detail the mutual obligations of Airbus and its customers as globally negotiated by the regional LatAm & Caribbean Business Unit while guaranteeing that the contractual documentation accurately reflects internal approvals.
• Ensuring that the contracted obligations and returns are consistent with (or represent the best compromise between) Airbus’ industrial, technical, legal or any other constraints or capabilities and the LatAm & Caribbean Business Unit objectives, in particular as regards deal profitability and risks.
• Monitoring the fulfillment of customer obligations and re-negotiate contracts to cope with Customer changing requirements, defaults or contentious issues as they may arise.
• Ensuring that information concerning negotiated commitments is made available to all relevant Airbus entities liable to fulfill these commitments, and provide advice or clarifications on the background as may be necessary.
• Validating each business control sheet (or other business control e-tools) with a view to verifying the contractual integrity of the transaction documentation.
• Ensuring that the risks and obligations created by the negotiated Sales Contracts are acceptable to Airbus and approved.
• Providing timely and succinct briefing to line management on status of negotiations.

Qualified Experience and Training

• 12+ years of experience in working with international commercial teams, either in a support function or directly in a customer facing role.
• 5+ years of experience in negotiation in an international context, ideally in the aviation industry.
• Knowledge of contract law in an international context.
• Master degree in business, or international contracts law. (preferred)

Travel Required

up to 50% International. This role will involve frequent travel for business in the region and worldwide and as such you must be able to travel accordingly.

Citizenship

Eligible to work in the US.

Clearance

None required.

Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities

• Good relationship skills.
• Team player.
• Good presentation skills.
• Ability to work in a demanding and quickly changing environment.
• Ability to convince and take initiatives.
• Knowledge of financial tools.
• Proven drafting skills and a strong sense of rigor.

Communication Skills

• Languages skills: negotiation level in English.
• Spanish.
• French (a plus).

Technical Systems Proficiency

• Google Suit tools (doc, sheet, slides).
• Microsoft Word.

Complexity of the Role

Negotiations occur in high pressure environments, with a wide range of different customers and company cultures. The successful candidate will be negotiating with various levels of management at our customers' facilities, from CEOs and CFOs to engineers and fleet planning specialists. Adaptability, assertiveness and diplomacy are required with an ability to manage people’s emotions.

Level of Decision Making

You will participate in the elaboration of the commercial strategy for her/his accounts. You will make tactical decisions during the course of the commercial campaigns and negotiations. The decisions you make will impact the outcome of the campaign, and will commit Airbus to deliver to the extent documented in the contract.

Organizational information

Direct Reports: Is this a people manager? No. The role involves significant coordination across different departments within the Airbus organization, including the commercial, engineering, customer services, programs, and finance departments. The Sales Contracts Director must bring Airbus resources together to come to provide Airbus customers with a commercial and technical solution that beats the competition while meeting Airbus’ internal priorities.

Job Dimensions

The value of transactions you will take responsibility for amounts to hundreds of million of dollars (for small contracts comprising a few aircraft), often tens of billions of dollars (for contracts covering high volumes of aircraft), with the associated risks and challenges for the company. Your role is to successfully negotiate deals to closure while ensuring that the company is not exposed to unacceptable risks, and all industrial and commercial elements of the transaction are understood by our headquarters and aligned with internal approvals.

Nature of Contacts

Internally, the interaction ranges from Airbus Commercial CEO when required, to working level specialists, with regular engagement with SVP, VP and Band IV management level. With customers, depending on the campaigns and airlines, negotiations with every level from CEO, CFO, VP flight operations, VP engineering, VP Fleet Planning... to technical, commercial and financial specialists with regular involvement at General Manager and VP level.

Physical Requirements

• Onsite or remote: 80% on site, 20% remote.
• Vision: able to see and read computer screens and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents and reports. Reading the screen or paper is 75% of the time.
• Hearing: able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone on a daily basis.
• Speaking: able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications on a daily basis.
• Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment.
• Carrying: able to carry documents and personal computer, carry hand luggage through airports for travel.
• Lifting: able to lift documents, personal computers and luggage when traveling.
• Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on the computer on a daily basis.
• Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices on a daily basis.
• Travel: able to travel independently and at short notice up to 50% of the time.
• Walking (include routine walking such as to a shared printer to retrieve documents): able to walk through office and airports during travel.

Equal Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status. As a leader in our field, Airbus provides relocation assistance for qualified positions and a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. As a matter of policy, Airbus does not sponsor visas for US positions unless specified. Only applicants with current work authorization will be considered. Airbus does not offer tenured or guaranteed employment. Employment with Airbus is at will, meaning either the company or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. NOTE: Airbus reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company

Company: Airbus Americas, Inc.

Employment Details

• Employment Type: US - Direct Hire
• Experience Level: Professional
• Remote Type: Job Family: Sales, Marketing & Commercial Contracts

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement (duplicate)

Airbus provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status. In addition to federal law requirements, Airbus complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, demotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits and training. Airbus expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status or other legally protected status.

By submitting your CV or application you are consenting to Airbus using and storing information about you for monitoring purposes relating to your application or future employment. This information will only be used by Airbus. Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Airbus to do so should be reported to [e-mail]. Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide. From sending your resume to participating in successful interviews, here you can access all important pieces of information to guide you in your candidate journey. Learn more