Commercial Officer - Defence

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Commercial Officer to join a growing technology and defence-focused organisation delivering cutting-edge immersive training and simulation solutions. Working within a fast-paced and innovative SME environment, you will play a key role in supporting commercial, contractual and supply chain activities across a diverse portfolio of projects, whilst benefiting from genuine career development and progression opportunities.
This role offers exposure to the full contract lifecycle, from opportunity identification and bid support through to contract completion and close-out, working closely with senior leadership, finance, project delivery teams, customers and suppliers.
Role - Commercial Officer
Location - Portsmouth (hybrid/flexible working available)
Type - Permanent position
Salary - 45,000-55,000 + benefits

Key responsibilities of the Commercial Officer role include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting the day-to-day administration of commercial and contractual matters across customer contracts and supplier agreements.
• Managing contract change control processes and maintaining accurate contractual records.
• Monitoring contract schedules, reporting obligations, milestones and key commercial deliverables.
• Ensuring adherence to internal commercial procedures, governance requirements and compliance frameworks.
• Supporting bid and tender submissions with accurate commercial and contractual input.
• Reviewing customer terms and conditions, framework agreements and contractual documentation.
• Assisting with the preparation and negotiation of contract amendments, change proposals and commercial submissions.
• Working closely with finance, operational and delivery teams to identify and mitigate commercial risks.
• Supporting supplier and subcontractor engagement activities across the supply chain.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of commercial processes, procedures and best practice across the organisation.

Key skills and experience required for the Commercial Officer role include, but are not limited to:

• Previous commercial, contracts, procurement or bid management experience, ideally within defence, aerospace, technology or government-related environments.
• Experience supporting contracts throughout both pre-contract and post-contract stages.
• Knowledge of UK MOD procurement processes and competitive tendering activities.
• Understanding of procurement stages including PINs, DPQQs, ITTs and ITNs.
• Experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating standard contractual terms and conditions.
• Familiarity with contract change management and commercial negotiations.
• Knowledge of MOD contracting principles, including DEFCONs, would be highly advantageous.
• Experience drafting or supporting pre-contract agreements such as MoUs and Teaming Agreements would be beneficial.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify and evaluate contractual and commercial risk.
• Comfortable working with financial information, pricing structures and commercial models.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proactive, detail-oriented and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Degree qualified in Law, Business, Finance or a related discipline would be desirable, although equivalent experience will also be considered.

Additional desirable experience:

• Knowledge of wider public sector procurement processes.
• Understanding of UK export controls and trade compliance regulations.
• Awareness of ITAR and international contracting environments.
• Experience working with overseas suppliers, customers or government entities.
• Membership of a relevant professional body such as WorldCC (formerly IACCM) or CIPS.

To apply for this Commercial Officer / Contracts Officer / Commercial Executive / Contract Management Officer / Commercial & Contracts Officer / Junior Commercial Manager role, candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

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