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Working at BAE Systems

  • Founded
    November 1999
  • Company employees
    Around 110,000

Hiring in

  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
  • Malaysia
  • Poland
  • Singapore

Office locations

Join BAE Systems as a Commercial Manager in Portsmouth Broad Oak on a hybrid working arrangement. Play a vital role in the Underwater Battlespace sector by leading complex bids, managing live contracts, and shaping commercial strategies for UK and international customers.

Requirements

  • Established commercial background within the military/defence sector for UK MOD and/or export customers
  • Strong experience with bidding, contract amendments, deal shaping, and managing live contracts
  • Experience in identifying and managing risks and opportunities
  • Ability to constructively challenge and influence senior stakeholders
  • Strong communication and presentation skills
  • No specific degree or minimum years of experience explicitly stated

Skills & Responsibilities

  • Commercial management: Lead complex bids and projects, resolve contractual challenges, and drive successful outcomes.
  • Negotiation and strategy: Develop pricing and business-winning strategies, lead negotiations, and secure internal approvals.
  • Risk and opportunity management: Identify and manage risks while providing commercial guidance to project and bid teams.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Act as a trusted commercial leader, influencing decisions and engaging senior stakeholders.
  • Potential transition routes: People from contract manager or senior procurement roles may bring relevant negotiation and contract management skills, alongside meeting the important stated military/defence sector experience requirements.

Job description

Job Title: Commercial Manager

Location: Portsmouth Broad Oak – Hybrid working

We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Competitive + bonus scheme

Who we are:

Join BAE Systems and you’ll be part of something bigger. As a valued member of our global colleague network, you’ll bring your unique skills and perspectives to help pioneer progress and protect what matters most. You’ll be trusted to play your part in delivering the advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions of tomorrow, shaping a safer future, for all of us.

From the depths of the ocean, to the far reaches of space, there’s no limit to where a career at BAE Systems could take you.

Role description:

As a Commercial Manager within our Underwater Battlespace sector, you will support UK and international customers across live contracts and bids, applying commercial expertise to deliver successful outcomes. Working closely with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams, you will help shape commercial strategy, manage contractual activities, and contribute to the growth and success of an established and collaborative commercial team.

Core duties:

  • Leading commercial management activities across complex bids and projects, resolving contractual challenges and driving successful outcomes
  • Developing commercial, pricing and business-winning strategies, leading negotiations and securing internal approvals
  • Supporting competitive and single-source bids, ensuring robust, compliant and commercially sound proposals
  • Collaborating with project, engineering, finance, strategy and business development teams to align solutions
  • Shaping commercial strategy for Underwater Battlespace, supporting growth, campaigns and export opportunities
  • Acting as a trusted commercial leader, influencing decisions, engaging senior stakeholders and developing commercial capability

Essential skills:

  • Established Commercial background within the military/defence sector for both UK MOD and/or export customers
  • Strong commercial experience with bidding (inc contract amendments) and deal shaping, whilst demonstrating ability and experience to manage live contracts
  • Experience in identifying and managing risks and opportunities, providing commercial guidance and leadership to wider project and bid teams
  • Good awareness of various functions and the role they play as a part of an integrated project/bid team
  • Ability to challenge constructively and influence senior stakeholders
  • Strong communication and presentational skills with the ability to tailor appropriately to the audience

The Commercial Function and Underwater Battlespace team:

Join a highly visible and influential Underwater Battlespace team at the forefront of underwater defence, delivering advanced naval and weapon systems that support UK and international customers. Working with industry-leading experts, partners and senior decisionmakers, you will help shape how innovative programmes are won and delivered, bringing creativity, curiosity and commercial insight to technologies that address evolving underwater threats worldwide. Working as part of a wider company network of Commercial professionals within the Commercial Function, you will have opportunity to expand your skills and experience in a likeminded community.

Why BAE Systems?

Here you’ll build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, this is a place where you can grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. In an environment embracing sustainable ways of working and with a strong sense of shared purpose, our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and proud of the difference you make.

A place where everyone can thrive:

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 26th November 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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Apply now
BAE Systems

Commercial Manager

Portsmouth
Hybrid
Competitive + bonus scheme

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