Senior Commercial Manager

An exciting opportunity has become available to join our aerospace client on a Contract Labour basis as a Senior Commercial Manager in the Digital business unit, focusing predominantly on growth, competitive bids, and other pre-signature activities, but may also be required to support with broader contract management duties. This role is full-time based in Bristol.

This is a non-line management role within the Digital Commercial Team, reporting to the Digital Head of Commercial. The Digital business unit is one of 3 business units within the company, and the Digital commercial team supports a portfolio of complex contracts, mainly delivering critical digital capabilities and services to the UK Ministry of Defence, with ongoing growth activities and long-term contracted programmes. The business growth comprises a mix of on contract change, frameworks, and new business bids, competitive tenders and proposals, across both existing and adjacent market segments. This includes expanding support for current defence information systems and synthetic training solutions, while pursuing opportunities in emerging digital capability areas to enhance the UK MoD’s operational effectiveness.

About the role:

This is a senior-level, non-line management role within the team. Principal responsibilities of the role include: -

• Leading commercial activity across competitive bids, proposals and frameworks.

• Developing commercial strategies that supporting winning bids whilst protecting business interests.

• Supporting (and leading as required) with bid reviews and governance through the proposal lifecycle

• Reviewing, interpreting, drafting and negotiating terms and conditions, including those that are highly complex

• If required, comprehensive contract management and execution duties, including dealing with all arising programme ‘problems’ and seeking to resolve / mitigate

• Developing and reviewing statements of work,

• If required, leading and participating in contract change and contract tasking proposal development, negotiation and award activities

• Developing and supporting cost estimates and the determination of profit or earnings objectives,

• Performing and approving risk assessments to balance risks and opportunities,

• Reviewing and approving proposals by peers

• Reviewing and approving other agreements with outside parties,

• Fully understand, implement and adhere to client policies/procedures and ensure compliance with Corporate Policies/Procedures and all legislation, regulations and standards applicable to your contracts / proposals

• Submit offers and contractually commit the company within permitted delegated authority

• Participating in and leading internal governance, including bid/no-bid and make/buy boards, as well as establishing processes internally with the Commercial Team as well as other programmes or functions

A Senior Commercial Manager is expected to have a thorough understanding of programme & financial contractual performance for contracts and you will be responsible for developing recommendations and solution as well as influencing effective decision-making to meet our business goals. The Senior Commercial Manager will work alongside contract delivery and proposal team members and with customer counterparts and developing & maintaining respectful and effective working relationships is critical to our success. As part of a matrix organisation the Commercial roles in programme and proposal teams are recognised as influential business partners with a proactive and diligent approach to securing successful business outcomes. Technical expertise is required in the following areas: Contract Formation, Contract Management Systems, Contract Structure Knowledge, Negotiation, Estimating Methods, Proposal Processes, Risk & Opportunity Management, Business Case Development, understanding and application of applicable legislation, regulation and standards.

In addition, the following are key expectations of the Senior Commercial Manager in fulfilling the role -

• Responsibility for all commercial artefacts, tasks and obligations

• Strategic thinking and applying a portfolio-wide evaluation of topics and problems to ensure interdependencies and cross-programme impacts are appropriately managed

• Proactively anticipates risks and issues and raises awareness and help needed early

• Demonstrates high levels of quality in products and high levels of standards in application of commercial administrative duties

• Maintaining currency in programme environmental awareness

• Maintaining a value for money approach for our customers whilst understand business goals and objectives

Preferred qualifications and experience:

• Knowledge and skilled in defence contracting and terms & conditions; drafting, interpretation and negotiating.

• Demonstrable, strong experience of commercial leadership of proposals in competitive tenders

• Strong understanding of Single Source Contract Regulations

• Strong understanding and experience with procurement regulations and government frameworks

• Excellent customer and stakeholder relationship management

• Leadership experience with complex projects and/or teams

• WCC (formerly IACCM) qualification and/or experience in associated role

• Negotiation skills

• First-time quality

• Fast and effective responsiveness in a multifaceted, complex environment

• Demonstrable experience working in a matrix organisation

• Ability to handle a diverse, fast-paced, high workload

• Able to work under supervision but with high levels of independence and recognises teamwork and collaboration as key behaviours for positive ways of working

• Experience in identifying and implementing improvement initiatives

• Effective at finding opportunities and risks and to manage them to create enhanced value for the organisation

• A positive work attitude and team building approach

• Adaptable, able to cope with changing requirements and multiple priorities and can remain effective in difficult times

• Working experience 10+ years within multinational global company environment and UK defence expertise are desirable.

• Basic Qualifications
• 7+ years experience in a commercial / contract management role, ideally in a multinational company environment
• Strong background in UK defence contracting, knowledge of SSCR and procurement regulations
• Experience in pre-signature / bidding environments

Please note: This role requires the successful candidate to gain a full SC security clearance if not already held.

If you have the required experience for this position, please apply today or contact Lisa Nardiello on [phone removed] for further information.