Manage the full lifecycle of business contracts, including drafting, negotiation, compliance tracking, renewals, modifications, risk mitigation, and closeout. The role coordinates with legal, finance, procurement, sales, operations, technical teams, suppliers, subcontractors, and defense clients. Responsibilities include supporting tenders, due diligence, regulatory compliance, commercial negotiations, change control, NDAs, and contract dispute guidance, with emphasis on ITAR, DFARS, FAR, UK MOD, and defense-sector requirements.
DEA is a full-service aircraft operator with extensive ISR flight capability backed up by a skilled in-house aviation engineering team. This powerful combination puts us at the forefront of our industry, both in the air and on the ground. It also ensures we can deploy and support quickly and efficiently, even in the world’s most challenging environments.
Due to continued growth and expansion, DEA is looking for a proactive and organised Contracts Manager to oversee the entire lifecycle of business agreements, from the initial draft and negotiation to compliance, renewals, and final closeout.
Due to continued growth and expansion, DEA is looking for a proactive and organised Contracts Manager to oversee the entire lifecycle of business agreements, from the initial draft and negotiation to compliance, renewals, and final closeout.
Key Responsibilities
- Drafting and Negotiating: Write, review and refine contract terms with vendors, clients or partners to ensure favourable conditions and legal compliance.
- Risk Management: Identify potential legal, financial, or operational risks in agreements
and find ways to mitigate them. - Regulatory Compliance Tracking: Monitor active contracts to ensure all parties meet performance standards, delivery milestones, and financial obligations.
- Ensure alignment with specialized frameworks such as UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) regulations, Single Source Regulations, or international trade controls (ITAR/FAR/DFARS).
- Lifecycle Management: Handle end-to-end contract administration from pre-qualification
bids and tenders to final contract close-out - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the main bridge between legal, finance, procurement, sales, and operations teams.
- Commercial Negotiations: Lead negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and risk allocations with customers and key subcontractors.
- Risk & Change Control: Identify operational or financial risks, manage contract modifications, and oversee compensation events or change orders.
- Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary commercial point of contact between
internal technical teams, legal departments, and external defence clients.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- Law degree or JD from an accredited institution
- Master’s in law in commercial disciplines from highly regulated industries highly desirable (i.e banking, pharma or biotech, insurance etc)
- 3-5 Years in contracts management in manufacturing or the defence sector
- Reviewing suppliers and customers agreements in order to mitigate liabilities and risks
- Carry out due diligence and vetting processes for onboarding customers and suppliers
- Very familiar with ITAR and DFAR regulationsAble to negotiate with suppliers and support Supply Chain activities
- Able to support negotiations of high value transactions
- Good understanding of contract law particularly in common law jurisdictions and non
- Manage contracts changes and renewals
- Manage NDA process
- Provide guidance on contract requirements and contractual issues
- Basic knowledge of contracts disputes and litigation
About
DEA and our sister company ESAO are a world leading specialist technology-led provider of complex aerial data acquisition services. A pioneer in airborne data gathering, DEA/ESAO use ground-breaking techniques and the most advanced and innovative technologies in the industry to help you answer complex questions and make informed decisions in real time.
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