Contracts specialist

Responsibilities

• Provide full contractual and commercial support to development, approval and issuance of bids and proposals, whether in response to RFP/ITN etc or as part of the company strategy.
• Identify any commercial risk, provide input to the overall risk plan and implement effective risk mitigation.
• Lead in the negotiation of contracts.
• Manage new and existing contracts effectively, including all contract change control and support to the other functions, including contract flow-downs.
• Resolve all commercial issues promptly and effectively.
• Manage the financial aspects of the contract, including forecasting and milestone plans (including timely claim submission).
• Be the commercial face of the organisation to the customer, as the day-to-day contact and subject matter expert.
• Assure the successful completion, closedown and archive of contracts.
• Be the champion of change and improvement.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience in reviewing and drafting contractual documents.
• Strong commercial awareness, business principles and governing law.
• Experience of commercial risk management.
• Ability to respond to tasks with tenacity and flexibility, whilst working cross‑functionally in a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Strong communicator and relationship builder with both internal and external customers.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and collaborate with others.
• Positive, self‑motivated and the ability to work independently.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally.

Desirable Qualifications

• Previous experience of contracting in the Defence sector.
• Accreditation in Commercial and Supply Chain management.
• Eligible to obtain security clearance (SC) beyond baseline personnel security standard (BPSS).
• Basic programme management skill set – risk management, programme gating, metrics.
• Strong record of problem solving and dispute resolution.
• Experience of working with international suppliers or customers.
• Experience of financial management.
• Awareness of Data Protection and other relevant commercial and contract legislation.
• Familiarity with business process management tools (IPDS, SAP or similar) and the competitive bidding process.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Contributory Pension Scheme (up to 10.5% company contribution).
• Life Assurance, six times salary with pension.
• 25 days holiday (increasing with service) plus statutory public holidays, plus opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days.
• Company bonus scheme (discretionary).
• Flexible benefits scheme with extensive salary sacrifice schemes, including Health Cashplan, Dental, and Cycle to Work, amongst others.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Enhanced family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity & shared parental leave.

Work Culture

• 37‑hour working week, although hours may vary depending on role, job requirement or site‑specific arrangements.
• Early 1.30pm finish on Friday.
• Remote, hybrid and site‑based working opportunities, dependent on your needs and the requirements of the role.
• Up to 5 paid days volunteering each year.
• Flexible working culture focused on output, with more formal flexible working arrangements on request (assessed subject to role).