Contract Manager in Southampton

The Contract Manager is accountable for leading the commercial and contractual framework that underpins successful delivery across Ocean Infinity’s UK defence and national security portfolio. The role provides strategic ownership and delivery of customer, subcontractor, supplier, and partner contractual arrangements, ensuring robust governance, effective risk management, and disciplined execution across multiple parallel programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Effective day-to-day commercial and contractual management of contracts between Ocean Infinity, Defence and National Security customers, subcontractors, suppliers, and delivery partners.
• Development of flow-down contracts and support to negotiations with the MOD to agree head contracts setting flow-down conditions; may include leading engagement with external counsel.
• Ensures contractual compliance, commercial governance, risk mitigation, supplier performance management, and successful contract delivery across our first UK programme or record and develop processes to enable repeated performance in new PoRs.
• Developing licensing frameworks, packaging and protections that support Ocean Infinity’s product leverage, margin, and international growth as we scale into adjacent markets based on delivery excellence in home markets.

MOD Contract Management

• Lead commercial and contractual delivery across MOD customer contracts.
• Own contractual obligations, milestones, reporting, and compliance across multiple programmes.
• Lead customer engagement, change control, and contract governance to support delivery and resolve issues early.
• Manage contractual risk, compliance, formal correspondence, and audit-ready records.
• Negotiate amendments, claims, and variations while protecting delivery and commercial value.

Licensing, IP & Productisation

• Develop scalable licensing strategies for software, data, platforms, and service models.
• Protect IP ownership, usage rights, and exploitation across customer and partner arrangements.
• Work with Engineering, Legal, Product, and Programme teams to convert outputs into productised offerings.
• Establish templates and playbooks that support repeatable commercial growth.

Subcontractor & Supplier Contract Management

• Lead the contractual management of subcontractors, suppliers, and delivery partners.
• Ensure agreements reflect customer flow-downs, risk allocation, and performance obligations.
• Establish supplier governance that provides visibility of delivery, quality, security, and commercial performance.
• Support negotiations, issue resolution, and corrective action to protect programme outcomes.

Commercial & Financial Responsibilities

• Provide commercial leadership into programme planning, forecasting, and budget management.
• Assess the commercial impact of change, delay, risk, and technical variation.
• Support pricing, proposals, invoicing, and milestone governance to protect value and cash.
• Drive margin protection and contribute to product and portfolio growth decisions.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Lead contractual governance in line with company policy, delegated authority, and legal requirements.
• Support audits and maintain an audit-ready approach to contracts, procurement, and defence compliance.
• Translate MOD regulations and industry standards into practical commercial controls and guidance.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in contract management within defence, maritime, aerospace, engineering, or highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience developing or supporting licensing models, productisation or commercialisation strategies.
• Experience managing contracts with the UK MOD or prime defence contractors.
• Strong understanding of commercial and contractual principles.
• Experience managing subcontractor and supplier agreements.
• Knowledge of MOD contractual frameworks, DEFCONs, and defence procurement processes.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to interpret complex contractual documentation.
• Experience managing contract changes, variations, and risk.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within maritime technology, naval systems, or defence electronics sectors.
• Familiarity with Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR), Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR), NEC or JCT contract forms, Export control and ITAR/EAR considerations.
• Experience supporting bids, proposals and commercial models.
• Understanding of programme management methodologies.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Business, Law, Engineering, Commercial Management, or related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Professional contract or commercial management qualifications desirable.

Personal Attributes

• Highly organised and detail-oriented.
• Strong commercial judgement.
• Proactive and solutions-focused.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with focus on value creation and scalability.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced and highly regulated environments.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Growth mindset, and readiness to roll up sleeves and deliver in a high‑accountability, flat organisation.

Salary

The salary varies for this position as we are recruiting in multiple regional locations and job grades. The salary process is based on skills, abilities, and experience required. At Ocean Infinity, we believe in creating equal opportunities for all, celebrating each and every one’s differences. We are driven by transforming the industry through technology, thoughts, behaviours and actions. Being inclusive and respectful to all is fundamental to who we are. It is the right thing to do and enables innovation and creativity to thrive.