Position Available: Principal Commercial Contracts Manager
Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: £45,000 - £52,000 (DoE) + Bonus
Experience needed: We're looking for a senior commercial professional with proven experience managing high-value, complex contracts within a complex environment, and the ability to lead negotiations, influence cross-functional teams, and support business growth through sound commercial strategy.
About the role:
An excellent opportunity has opened to join a fast-paced and motivated Commercial team as a Principal Commercial Officer, supporting early-phase defence innovation and the full lifecycle of key programmes.
In this role, you'll be instrumental in securing and delivering high-profile contracts and agreements, managing commercial risks, leading stakeholder engagement, and driving functional excellence. You'll work across the business to influence bid activity, contract negotiation, customer relationships, and compliance - helping shape strategic outcomes and win new business.
Key Responsibilities:
- Act as a key contributor to business-winning activities, including bid development, proposal generation, and customer negotiation
- Lead or support complex contract negotiations to ensure optimal outcomes and contractual compliance
- Manage contract delivery, change control, and performance tracking across your portfolio
- Serve as the primary commercial interface for internal and external stakeholders, including reporting to senior leadership
- Represent the Commercial function in reviews, customer meetings, and programme discussions
- Champion best practice in commercial governance, process improvement, and stakeholder communication
- Manage and maintain commercial systems (e.g., SAP), ensuring data accuracy and compliance
- Identify and mitigate commercial risks, including liabilities, IP, and regulatory considerations
- Apply commercial knowledge across areas such as pricing models, contract law, export controls, and licensing
What we need from you:
- Strong negotiation skills with a track record of managing high-value, complex contracts
- Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement abilities at all levels
- Broad commercial knowledge across contract law, IP, liabilities, and compliance
- Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across functions in a high-pressure environment
- Sound judgement in identifying risks and proposing effective mitigation strategies
- Familiarity with Import/Export regulations, licensing, and aerospace/defence industry standards
- Proficient in SAP and other commercial/business tools
- Process-minded with experience leading or supporting change management initiatives
If you would like to know more details about the position or want to register your interest, hit apply below. We'd love to hear from you!
