Senior Contracts Manager

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales people provide armed forces customers with operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defence mission systems solutions at land, sea, and air. Our platforms extend across the battlespace including Above and Sonar, Electronic Combat, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

The role of Senior Contracts Manager involves engaging with governments, companies, industrial partners, and joint ventures on a global scale, providing a unique opportunity for exposure to different cultures and international travel. The position entails working with cutting-edge technology and offers global career opportunities.

In this capacity, the Senior Contracts Manager will be responsible for supporting the aims and objectives of the Legal & Compliance (L&C) function. The role requires a proactive approach, as the individual will oversee the contractual affairs of designated areas within the business, ensuring that all activities align with organizational goals.

What the role has to offer:

The role holder will lead and/or carry out the following activities whilst keeping Head of Contracts/Contracts Director appropriately briefed:

• Building and maintaining effective customer and partner relationships

• Developing robust and high quality proposals for large and complex bids

• Engaging and managing internal stakeholders as part of internal approvals

• Preparation of internal approval documentation

• Support the development and implementation of the negotiation strategy, including payment profiles and associated terms to meet the cash flow requirements of the business

• Negotiating contracts/contract amendments

• Prepare and/or review (as appropriate) the response to customers proposed contractual agreements (NDAs, Teaming Agreements, TAAs, Contracts etc)

• Provide general support to bid and project teams on commercial matters

• Compliance with company policies and procedures

• Acting as a role model to other team members, setting an example through constructive and proactive behaviors

• Provide guidance on compliance to terms and conditions, identifying the flow down of such terms and conditions and supporting the assessment of ‘supply chain gap analysis’

• Assist the Sub Contract Management function by supporting subcontract negotiations as required

• Identification of potential liabilities, risks, issues and disputes, arising with customers, suppliers, partners and third parties, and produce innovative mitigation plans

• Interpret, when required, for the benefit of the broader project team, the contracted requirement (including but not limited to terms and conditions and scope of work)

About you

• Excellent communication and influencing skills

• Good commercial/business acumen

• Able to look at the broader strategy and outcomes beyond the immediate task; think proactively,

• creatively and anticipate needs

• Able to make sense of complex scenarios, translating strategy into practical solutions.

• Resilience and tenacity to deal with periods of high intensity work, notably during bid activity

• Record of accomplishment in assessing risk and communicating management/mitigation

• Experience and competence in bidding and contract management, with a comprehensive knowledge

• of a range of complex and novel contracts in a variety of scenarios

• A track record of successful contract negotiation and management of change.

• Has a solid understanding of a range of complex contracts with various customers both UK and Export with good drafting skills, limited or no supervision required

• Demonstrates a reasonable understanding of key legal principles in a broad range of contracts and agreements and the risks and issues that arise from them

• Has a solid understanding and has experience in negotiating a range of financial principles for various customers both UK and Export with limited or no supervision

• Has a solid understanding of their customers and customer solutions as well as detailed experience of the company’s organisation, key stakeholders and processes, undertaken with limited or no supervision

• Understands risk and return, effectively identifies commercial/ contractual risk, and it’s appropriate management under limited or no supervision

• Is a skilled negotiator; able to develop an effective negotiating strategy and adapt financial and commercial terms to match; closes complex deals effectively

• World Commerce & Contracting CCM Advanced Practitioner certification or CIPS would be desirable.

• Will need to be mobile/ flexible enough to visit other sites both in the UK and overseas at short notice.

Security Clearance requirement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions. This role requires you to be a sole British National from birth and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

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In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

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