Global Head of Commercial Negotiations

Help us use technology to make a big green dent in the universe!

Kraken powers some of the most innovative global developments in energy.

We create the technology that redefines utilities and unlocks a new energy system of the future. By optimising renewable generation, building a more intelligent grid, and empowering utilities to deliver an exceptional customer experience, our operating system is transforming the industry worldwide.

It’s an incredibly exciting time to work in energy. Join us on our mission to improve the lives of ONE BILLION humans within the decade and shape a cleaner, better future for everyone.

Where you'll fit in

You’ll own strategic technology negotiations end to end. That covers tier-1 SaaS, outsourcing, and core billing platform deals for regulated utilities and energy retailers. You’ll report to the Chief Commercial Officer and carry board-level accountability for deals above $100m.

You’ll lead a cross-functional deal team and make sure every seat is filled by the right person:

• Executive sponsor and deal owner: holds the mandate and budget, and breaks deadlocks fast.

• Lead negotiator: runs the table, controls pacing and concessions, and stays separate from the delivery owner. This is the seat you’ll usually hold.

• Commercial and pricing lead: builds the should-cost model and covers pricing structures, benchmarking, and total cost of ownership (TCO).

• Legal and contracts counsel: covers liability caps, intellectual property (IP) ownership, indemnities, termination, data protection, and step-in rights.

• Technical and solution architect: tests feasibility, scope, service levels (SLAs), and integration and security claims.

• Operations and service owner: brings realistic requirements, transition plans, and governance from the business.

• Finance and procurement: covers payment terms, currency and indexation, and audit and benchmarking rights.

• Risk, security, and compliance: handles regulatory, data residency, and resilience requirements.

What you’ll own

• Lead negotiation of multi-year technology and outsourcing agreements worth $250m to $1bn+ in total contract value, from selection through signature.

• Set the commercial playbook: pricing structures, walk‑away positions, a concession log, and fallback positions on liability, service levels, and exit.

• Agree one position before you sit down. Rank priorities as must‑have, trade, or give, and define your walk‑away point (your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, or BATNA).

• Structure deals that fit the risk: fixed price, time and materials, outcome‑based, and gain‑share, with volume bands, rate cards, indexation, and price‑down glide paths.

• Decide which risks to transfer, share, or keep, and put a price on each one.

• Negotiate core billing and Customer Information System (CIS) replacements, including migration plans, regulatory change, service levels, and exit terms.

• Define scope precisely: baseline, assumptions, dependencies, and exclusions. Most disputes start here, so you’ll settle them before signature.

• Plan the exit from day one: lock‑in, data portability, step‑in rights, and termination assistance.

• Build competitive tension, keep alternatives alive, and manage timing, such as a vendor's quarter‑end.

• Bring Delivery and Operations into the deal early, so the contract works in practice.

• Lock in key‑personnel clauses, so the vendor's A‑team doesn't sell while the B‑team delivers.

• Set up governance, benchmarking, and audit rights that keep working after signature, and track change requests, renewals, and exit costs alongside the headline price.

• Recruit and grow the team: energy‑billing experts, a migration lead, SaaS counsel, and regulatory specialists, with a clear capability model and a RACI (who's responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed).

• Coach executive sponsors on leverage and timing, and run negotiation war‑gaming before the big moments.

• Step in early when a deal or migration drifts, and reset milestones, scope, and commercials to get it back on track.

What you’ll bring to the party

Experience

• Ideally 20+ years negotiating multi-year technology and outsourcing agreements for regulated utilities or energy retailers.

• A track record on 15+ transactions of $250m to $1bn+ total contract value, including core billing or CIS replacement, cloud migration, or managed services.

• Energy domain knowledge: meter‑to‑cash, tariffs, market codes, and regulatory billing obligations.

• The credibility to work with boards, CFOs, and regulators, and to say no when a deal doesn't add up.

Capabilities

• Commercial acumen. You understand vendor economics and margin levers, and you know where suppliers make their money (change requests and renewals, for example).

• Deal structuring. You choose between fixed price, time and materials, outcome-based, and gain-share, and you set volume bands and price‑down paths that hold up over 3 to 7 years.

• Risk allocation judgment. You know which risks to transfer, share, or keep, and you can price them.

• Technical depth. You can challenge a vendor's assumptions on scope, effort, and architecture.

• Scope and requirements clarity. You define what's in, what's out, and what has to be true for the price to hold.

• Exit and transition planning. You cover lock‑in, data portability, step‑in, and termination assistance from the start.

• Commercial modeling. You build multi-year margin, cash flow, cost-to-serve, and should‑cost models.

How you work

• You bring one voice to the table. No side deals, and every concession goes in the log.

• You build leverage with a competitive process, and you keep your composure when a vendor pushes a deadline or a "sign now for a discount" offer.

• You push hard on terms and protect the long-term partnership, because we'll live with the deal for years.

• You work well across cultures and time zones, including with vendors based in other markets.

• You bring legal, commercial, and technical colleagues into one room instead of letting them negotiate in silos.

Bonus points

• Time spent on the supplier side, so you know how vendor economics and margin levers work from the inside.

• A legal or contracts background.

• Negotiation or value-selling certifications, such as Harvard PON.

• Working knowledge of Ofgem licence conditions, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and operational resilience rules such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

• A degree in business, engineering, law, or a related field.

Are you ready for a career with us? We want to ensure you have the right tools and environment to unleash your potential. If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us at inclusion@kraken.tech. We’ll do our best to tailor the experience to your needs so you can feel comfortable, confident and be at your best!

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we’re looking for! At Kraken, we're creating a team of genuine, honest, empathetic people. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. We consider all applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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Please note that, in line with our current recruitment policy, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position; applicants must have the right to work in the country that they're applying to, at the time of application.

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