Principal Commercial Officer

About the role

Eclectic Recruitment is seeking a Principal Commercial Officer to join a leading engineering and defence organisation. You will own the full lifecycle of domestic commercial contracts, from bid preparation through negotiation, execution and closure, ensuring the business’s commercial interests are protected.

Key responsibilities

• Support the preparation, review and negotiation of medium to high‑complexity bids and proposals.
• Draft, amend and manage contract terms and conditions while safeguarding commercial risk.
• Oversee contracts through the entire lifecycle, including change management, administration and issue resolution.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities and implement mitigation strategies.
• Provide commercial advice to project teams and senior management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers and industry partners.
• Represent the commercial function in customer meetings, programme reviews and governance forums.
• Maintain accurate contract records and promote best practice across the business.
• Mentor junior commercial staff, graduates and apprentices as required.

Required profile

• Proven experience managing complex, high‑value commercial contracts.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder‑management abilities.
• Experience supporting bids and managing contracts through the full lifecycle.
• Solid understanding of commercial risk management, change control and contract law.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within cross‑functional project teams.

Required skills

• SAP

What we offer

• Competitive salary range of £47,000‑£50,000 per year.
• Opportunity to work on strategically important programmes within a leading engineering and defence environment.
• Professional development and mentorship for junior team members.