Senior Export Contract Manager
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 4, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 3, 2026. MBDA UK scores B on the Alion truth index.
A fantastic opportunity has arisen within the Programmes Export Operations Directorate for an accomplished and experienced Export Contract Manager.
Reporting to the Export Contract Management UK Executive, the successful candidate will demonstrate a broad and deep set of commercial, financial and project management skills to lead and deliver complex and strategically important export contracts.
Salary: Circa £60,000 - £70,000 depending on experience
Dynamic (hybrid) working: 2-3 days per week on-site due to workload classification
Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship
Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.
What we can offer you:
- Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 30% of base salary
- Car Allowance: £300/month
- Private Medical Insurance
- Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
- Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave. Enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments.
- Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…
- Training and Development: Excellent career progression, training and career development opportunities
The opportunity:
- Lead the commercial interface into international government and military customers for contract delivery on behalf of MBDA up to 1* level
- Handle multiple cross domain and geographically diverse contracts simultaneously
- Deliver the contract schedule to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction whilst fostering strong and long standing customer relationships
- Anticipate and proactively resolve contract delivery issues and concerns through risk and opportunity management that protects MBDA’s business interests and international reputation
- Lead customer acceptance events, transport delivery solutions and capture contractual payments.
- Handle coherent and consistent communications into the customer, into government and industrial partners as well as internally within MBDA.
- Lead contract amendment negotiations as well as supporting Sales & Business Development to acquire new international business from current and new customers.
- Collaborate with MBDA national companies (NATCO) in France, Spain and Italy to deliver Inter Company Trading export contracts
What we're looking for from you:
- Leadership, influencing and relationship management skills required to establish and maintain strong internal and external relationships.
- Ability to define, communicate and implement strategic intent with experience of operating in complex political environments
- You are an experienced manager who has led contract delivery in both the bid and execution phases, ideally within an international environment
- You will need to have a high degree of self-motivation and drive with the ability work independently and as part of a team.
- You will have effective interpersonal and communications skills and an open, confident and clear leadership style.
- Experience of people management in a leadership role as well as experience leading internal and external stakeholder relationships.
- Be prepared for international travel with an open mind to embrace different cultures.
- Experience of preparing and authorising Bid submissions, ideally with exposure in the role of Business Bid Authority;
- Experience of working in large complex organisations (preferably multi-national) with experience of collaborating with Corporate Functions; new business; finance; legal; customer support; export control; project management; quality; shipping; engineering; corporate compliance.
Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given
MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.
We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more…
We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.
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