Commercial Officer

Are you a commercially astute professional with a passion for aviation, engineering, or high-value technical industries? We are seeking a proactive Commercial Officer to join our dynamic Commercial Business team on a maternity cover contract (6-12 Month Fixed-Term Contract).
This is a unique opportunity to gain extensive exposure to commercial operations within a leading organisation specialising in helicopter sales, completions, maintenance, training, and support services. The Oxford site serves as a major hub for civil and military aviation activities, offering integrated capabilities including design, customisation, installation, flight?testing, certification, and technical support.

About the Role
The Commercial Officer will play a pivotal role in the successful execution of contracts across multiple areas, including:

• Sale and customisation
• Retrofit
• Training
• Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO)
• Support & Services

You will also work closely with the Offers Manager and Sales teams, supporting the development and refinement of commercial proposals, contractual structures, and Terms & Conditions during complex bidding processes.
This role requires strong cross-functional collaboration with teams such as Sales, Material Management, Production, Maintenance, and Finance, as well as external suppliers and customers.

Key Responsibilities
Contract Execution & Management

• Manage the end-to-end execution of "By the Hour" service contracts from initiation to close?out.
• Lead the drafting and development of service offers and associated contract documentation.
• Act as the primary commercial contact for Customer Support Managers or Sales Managers.
• Lead negotiations for contract amendments and changes.

Performance & Financial Oversight

• Monitor contractual performance and support pricing renewal processes to ensure continued profitability.
• Track aircraft flying hours to ensure accurate and timely invoicing.
• Update and validate business cases in response to contractual changes.
• Produce clear, concise performance reports for senior leadership, covering schedule, profit, risk, and other key metrics.

Continuous Improvement & Cross-Functional Support

• Develop and maintain contract registers to support renewal processes.
• Support other Commercial and Offers Managers based on business priorities and workload.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of commercial and contract management methodologies.

About You
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, technical environment and enjoys solving complex commercial challenges. You will need to balance independent working with strong collaborative skills across multiple stakeholder groups-from shop floor teams to senior leaders.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Aerospace Management, or related field.
• Proven experience in a commercial or contract management role, with strong financial and analytical capability.
• Demonstrable experience supporting contract negotiations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build strong relationships.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple contracts simultaneously.
• Strong MS Office and Google Workspace skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a talent for identifying and mitigating commercial risks.
• Willingness to travel occasionally within the UK and Europe.

Desirable Skills

• Broad understanding of the global aviation or aerospace sector, or other complex engineering industries.
• Experience managing full contract lifecycles.
• Strong understanding of contract law and its practical application.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities based on business needs.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to obtain DBS and Security Clearance.
• Compliance with Export Control requirements.
• Proof of right to work in the UK.