We are seeking a commercially astute Commercial Operations Manager to drive the development of winning proposals and secure contracts across defence, aerospace, energy and other regulated markets. This role sits at the heart of our growth strategy — partnering with business development and technical teams to translate customer needs and DEEP’s capabilities into compelling tenders, while ensuring resulting contracts are structured for success and managed effectively through delivery.
The ideal candidate will combine strong bid leadership skills with deep contractual knowledge — able to shape competitive responses, negotiate favourable terms, and oversee contracts through their full lifecycle. This is not a procurement role, but a growth-driving commercial position that ensures DEEP wins the right business, on the right terms, with the right partners.
Key ResponsibilitiesBid Management
• Lead and coordinate the development and preparation of high-quality, technically complex bids and proposals for defence, aerospace, energy and other industry verticals in response to customer solicitations (RFIs, RFPs, RFQs).
• Develop and lead winning bid strategies that maximise DEEP’s chance of success.
• Work hands-on in writing and shaping proposals, ensuring our technical and commercial messages are clear, compelling, and customer-focused.
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop clear, commercially sound proposals aligned to customer requirements.
• Conduct bid/no-bid analysis to inform strategic decisions on opportunities.
• Provide early-stage commercial and legal input to shape competitive and compliant responses.
Contract Management
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements including MSAs, supply contracts, framework agreements, and NDAs.
• Ensure contracts for won opportunities are structured to protect DEEP’s interests and enable smooth delivery.
• Own and manage the full contract lifecycle, from negotiation and execution through to performance monitoring and closure.
• Ensure contractual terms align with industry standards and DEEP’s risk appetite, particularly within defence, central government, energy, and regulated international markets.
• Manage contract change control processes, including variations and amendments.
Risk & Compliance
• Identify contractual risks and develop mitigation strategies, collaborating closely with legal counsel and internal stakeholders.
• Advise on liabilities, indemnities, IP rights, and limitations of liability with balanced commercial recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, including export controls, ITAR, defence procurement frameworks, and international trade obligations.
• Monitor and improve internal compliance with contract governance and bid protocols.
Stakeholder Engagement
• Act as the primary point of contact for bids and contracts with external clients and internal stakeholders.
• Advise executive and senior leadership teams on commercial risk, strategic partnerships, and contractual structuring.
• Support client relationship management by providing insight into contract performance.
• Provide training and guidance to operational teams on contractual best practices and risk awareness.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with external legal advisors and partner organisations.
Requirements
Skills & QualificationsEssential:
• Proven experience (8+ years) in bid and/or contract management within complex industrial sectors (e.g., defence, aerospace, public sector, oil & gas, marine, energy).
• Demonstrated success in leading and winning competitive tenders in regulated markets.
• Strong track record of working with law firms and internal legal teams on high-value, multi-party contracts.
• Deep understanding of legal and contractual principles, especially in regulated environments.
• Experience advising internal teams, including executive leadership, on commercial and legal risk.
• Skilled in resolving complex commercial matters through pragmatic negotiation.
• Expertise in managing contracts under UK and international defence procurement regimes (e.g., MOD, DEFCON, DSPCR, FAR/DFARS).
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills.
• High commercial acumen with a proactive, solutions-focused approach.
Desirable:
• Experience in additive manufacturing, advanced engineering, or emerging technology fields.
• Legal or commercial qualifications (e.g., IACCM/WorldCC certification, law degree, MBA).
• Familiarity with digital procurement platforms and bid management tools (e.g., MOD DSP, Jaggaer, Ariba, Contracts Finder).
Benefits
What's in it for you
Salary – competitive
Bonus – Performance related bonus scheme
Annual Leave – 25 days, plus statutory holidays
Private Healthcare – Able to add family members at an extra cost
Working Hours – Monday to Friday on-site
Lunch – Free lunch and breakfast provided onsite alongside snacks
Who we are
DEEP is an international design and engineering company on a mission to make humans aquatic. We're doing this by advancing ocean exploration through the development of new technologies that will enable humans to live and work in underwater environments for longer periods of time.
95% of the ocean is unexplored. Countless discoveries are waiting to be made, and knowledge gained, that will benefit our planet and all of humanity. The challenge is access, and that's where DEEP comes in. We're building subsea human habitats to enable research at depth and increase our understanding of the ocean, so we can help protect it.
DEEP Manufacturing
DEEP Manufacturing, based in Avonmouth (Bristol) offers advanced manufacturing capabilities and expertise in large-format metal additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping and material testing. Our advanced manufacturing facilities include a state-of-the-art robotics suite, offering 3D printing services and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) capabilities which means we can deliver manufacturing projects in less time and at lower costs compared to traditional manufacturing processes.
Working at DEEP
We're a team of highly experienced engineering, operations and safety experts, with a funding model that allows us the freedom to think long term and pursue our mission without traditional restraints. We want to drive progress at the forefront of deep-sea innovation and discovery to become stewards of the ocean and reshape our relationship with our planet.
As an organization with multi-generational objectives and ambitious goals, the values we bring to work every day are critical:
Be Curious – Find a better way and ask why not?". Answers are easy, questions are hard – ask original questions and be a curiosity catalyst!
Be Exceptional – It will take the most intelligent, talented and creative people on the planet working together to achieve DEEP's mission. Get it done, be relentless in your pursuit of excellence, and demand excellence from everyone.
Be Fearless – No one has done this on the scale we're doing it before. Impossible things must be done for the first time. We are the team pushing boundaries!
Be Good – Cultivate passion and thrive together. Be safe, take intelligent risks, but never compromise the safety of the team – ever!
At DEEP, we celebrate and embrace diversity and inclusion and strongly believe that the best innovations come from diverse perspectives. We invite applicants from all backgrounds to join us in creating technology that makes a meaningful impact on humanity, our oceans and planet.
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