Your new company
This is a rare opportunity to join a growing Australian defence and advanced engineering organisation at a pivotal stage of its journey. With a strong pipeline of complex, high-value programs and continued investment in capability expansion, the business offers the stability of an established prime contractor with the agility and autonomy typically found in much smaller organisations.
Working directly with senior executives and project leaders, you will have genuine influence over commercial outcomes, strategic decision-making, and contract performance. This is an environment where initiative is valued, bureaucracy is minimal, and talented professionals are empowered to make decisions and drive results.
Your new role
As Contracts Manager, you will play a critical role in supporting the successful delivery of a major defence program. Partnering closely with senior project stakeholders, you will lead all aspects of contract and subcontract management, providing commercial leadership across the full project lifecycle.
Key responsibilities include
Managing complex head contracts and ensuring contractual compliance across commercial obligations, insurances, intellectual property, warranties, and performance requirements
Providing commercial advice and guidance to project teams to minimise risk and maximise contract performance
Leading contract change proposals, variations, negotiations, claims, extensions of time, and dispute resolution activities
Developing and executing commercial strategies that support project delivery and business objectives
Managing complex subcontractor relationships, including negotiations, performance management, compliance reviews, and commercial optimisation
Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial and contractual risks
Leading commercial negotiations with clients, subcontractors, suppliers, and strategic partners
Maintaining robust contract governance, reporting, records management, and documentation standards
Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives across procurement, contract management, and commercial frameworks
Building commercial capability across project teams through mentoring, coaching, and stakeholder engagement
About you To be successful in this role, you will bring:
Degree qualifications in Business, Commerce, Law, or a related discipline
Solid contract management experience within complex defence project environments.
Experience managing contracts valued between $10M and $100M within defence or maritime.
You will have working knowledge of ASDEFCON and Defence contracting frameworks
Demonstrated experience in contract negotiation, claims management, dispute resolution, and commercial risk management
Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence senior executives, customers, suppliers, and project teams
Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability, and problem-solving skills
Australian Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain an NV1 Security Clearance A proactive, outcomes-focused mindset with a strong ability to operate autonomously
What's in it for you?
High-profile defence program with long-term growth opportunities
Direct exposure to senior leadership and executive stakeholders
Significant autonomy and ownership over commercial outcomes
Opportunity to shape processes and influence strategic decisions
Growing organisation with a strong project pipeline and expansion plans
Collaborative and agile environment with less bureaucracy than traditional defence organisations
Career progression opportunities as the business continues to scale
Competitive salary package and benefits
What you need to do now
If you're an experienced Contracts Manager looking for a role where you can genuinely influence outcomes, work closely with senior decision-makers, and be part of an organisation entering an exciting growth phase, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now or email your resume directly to
[email protected] Please click here to apply.
📌 Commercial Manager (Sydney)
🏢 Amy McNulty
📍 Sydney