Principal Customer Contracts Manager

Reading, Berkshire
AWE

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things? What if the end result was something a little bit special? What if your role was mission critical?

For nearly 70 years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development. We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK’s ultimate deterrent – Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.

It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?

AWE is seeking to recruit a Principal Customer Contracts / Commercial Manager to lead a team of customer contract professionals focused on managing customer agreements and contracts outside of the main AWE Programme, including the management of changes to those contracts, and supporting the business with renewals of customer contracts that have been let.

You will need to be a proven leader with strong line management and people development experience, as well as being seen as a SME in the customer facing commercial discipline.

Location – Reading area

Salary – from 57,540 subject to skills and experience

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (plus every other Friday off work)
• Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services
• A generous defined contribution Group Personal Pension (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution)
• Life Assurance
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family
• A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing – more information available on our careers site

Key Accountabilities:

• Line management including team development, mentoring and performance management;
• Maintaining and developing effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Delivery against AWE Customer Contracts requirements, processes and governance;
• Ensuring that all Customer contracts comply with regulatory, governance and legislative matters;
• Providing expert advice and guidance to the wider AWE on contractual matters;
• Maintaining and promoting high personal standards in environment, safety, health, security and quality and be a great team player.

Key Responsibilities:

• Managing and maintaining specific customer contracts from bid and negotiation through to contract close / handover, managing key stakeholders’ expectations on contract baseline performance.
• Managing dispute resolution.
• Defining and implementing internal and external best practice within the Customer Contracts Controls,
• Assuring that Customer Contracts is working within the terms of its delegations;
• Seeking opportunities to simplify Customer Contracts procedures and ways of working;
• Review and negotiate customer facing agreements such as collaboration agreements, MOUs and NDAs;
• Being actively involved with understanding, mitigating and managing Customer Contract risks and opportunities.

The Company may require you to fulfil any other reasonable duties aligned to your position from time to time in line with business needs.

All Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role.

Please note that you must be a British National to apply for a role with us.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.