Subcontracts Manager

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

Lead the end-to-end subcontract lifecycle for complex production, engineering, tooling, capital equipment, construction, facility, and industrial service requirements supporting acrylic and glass aerospace transparency programs.

Serve as the commercial owner for assigned subcontracts, guiding activities from acquisition planning and source selection through negotiation, award, performance management, change control, claims resolution, and closeout. Safeguard cost, schedule, quality, product safety, intellectual property, export control, and customer requirements while driving accountability across suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Build and maintain a disciplined subcontract management framework that transforms program, technical, manufacturing, and regulatory requirements into executable Statements of Work, measurable supplier commitments, effective contractual flow downs, well documented decisions, and timely corrective actions that support successful program execution.

Job Responsibilities

1. Acquisition Planning, Sourcing and Source Selection

• Partner with Programs, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, Facilities, EH&S, and end users to develop sourcing strategies, acquisition plans, evaluation criteria, and supplier selection approaches.
• Lead supplier qualification, RFIs, RFQs/RFPs, proposal evaluations, negotiations, source selections, and award recommendations.
• Evaluate supplier capability, capacity, financial health, technical expertise, quality performance, cybersecurity posture, and supply chain resilience.
• Utilize appropriate subcontract and pricing structures based on business objectives and risk considerations.

2. SOW Development, Negotiation and Subcontract Formation

• Develop clear Statements of Work (SOWs), specifications, deliverables, schedules, acceptance criteria, and reporting requirements.
• Draft, negotiate, and administer subcontracts, purchase orders, long term agreements, professional services agreements, and other commercial contracts.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, warranties, liability, insurance, intellectual property, termination provisions, and performance obligations.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, quality, export control, cybersecurity, and contractual flow down requirements.

3. Supplier Performance and Program Execution

• Establish supplier governance, communication plans, milestone reviews, performance metrics, and accountability measures.
• Monitor supplier cost, schedule, technical, quality, capacity, safety, and contractual performance, driving corrective actions as needed.
• Support transparency manufacturing requirements, including tooling, coatings, chemicals, special processes, equipment, testing, maintenance, and facility services.
• Escalate risks affecting delivery, quality, safety, operational readiness, or business continuity.

4. Change Control, Claims, Disputes and Risk Management

• Manage subcontract changes through scope validation, cost and schedule analysis, negotiations, approvals, and formal modifications.
• Evaluate and negotiate change proposals, equitable adjustments, claims, delays, warranty matters, back charges, and termination exposure.
• Prevent unauthorized commitments through effective communication, documentation, and stakeholder guidance.
• Maintain supplier and subcontract risk registers, including mitigation plans, contingencies, and escalation processes.

5. Cost, Pricing, Financial and Compliance Control

• Conduct cost and price analysis, benchmark reviews, labor rate evaluations, proposal comparisons, and negotiation support.
• Maintain subcontract commitments, forecasts, payment status, accruals, savings initiatives, and financial reporting.
• Support internal reviews, customer audits, procurement system oversight, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Safeguard company and customer information while ensuring compliance with export control, cybersecurity, security, and data handling requirements.

6. Administration, Closeout and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain complete and auditable subcontract files, including approvals, evaluations, negotiations, executed agreements, invoices, and performance records.
• Coordinate invoice validation, deliverable acceptance, reconciliation activities, warranty transitions, and subcontract closeout.
• Develop templates, tools, metrics, and training materials that improve efficiency, compliance, supplier accountability, and process effectiveness.
• Provide guidance on subcontract planning, supplier management, commercial risk, change control, and contractual compliance.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, Construction Management, Contract Management, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in subcontracts, procurement, contracts, sourcing, commercial management, or supplier management.
• Proven experience leading complex solicitations, source selections, negotiations, subcontract formation, administration, modifications, claims or REAs, and contract closeout.
• Working knowledge of U.S. Government contracting principles, including FAR/DFARS requirements and flow downs, with the judgment to engage Legal, Trade Compliance, Quality, Security, Finance, and other functional experts as needed.
• Experience conducting cost and price analysis and documenting negotiation strategies, objectives, decisions, approvals, and outcomes.
• Ability to interpret technical requirements, drawings, specifications, schedules, commercial terms, quality standards, and customer obligations.
• Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, organizational, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise procurement, ERP, sourcing, contract management, and supplier performance systems.
• Ability to meet all position-specific employment eligibility, export control, site access, and security requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within aerospace and defense, aircraft transparencies, advanced manufacturing, polymers, acrylics, glass, coatings, special processes, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience managing production, tooling, engineering, capital equipment, construction, facilities, maintenance, and industrial service subcontracts across a variety of pricing and risk structures.
• Knowledge of AS9100, product safety, configuration management, supplier quality, first article inspections, counterfeit parts prevention, traceability, and aerospace customer requirements.
• Familiarity with CPSR compliant procurement practices, Truthful Cost or Pricing Data requirements, small business subcontracting programs, and Government property requirements.
• Experience supporting military and commercial aviation programs, OEMs, prime contractors, customer audits, and cross-functional program reviews.
• Professional certifications such as CPCM, CFCM, CPSM, CSCP, PMP, NCMA, ISM, or equivalent.
• Experience utilizing cost models, ERP analytics, sourcing tools, spend analysis, dashboards, and supplier risk monitoring solutions.

Compensation Data

Pay Range: $75.00/hr - $80.00/hr

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.