Lead Commercial Manager - Customer

Role Title –  Lead Commercial Manager – Customer 

Salary - £65,000 - £75,000

Locations – Derby OR Manchester (Hybrid)

We are now recruiting for the exciting role of Lead Commercial Manager – Customer, to be involved in an industry leading, cutting-edge project for a new type of power station. 

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are currently recruiting for a number of Commercial positions to support our exciting new business including this Lead Commercial Manager role.

The role provides the unique opportunity to work in an exciting new nuclear age engaging and working with strategic customers, suppliers and partners, developing meaningful relationships with some of largest entities across the globe.

The market potential for Rolls-Royce SMR across the globe is huge and to deliver our strategic priorities requires a strong relationship with customers, developers, technology providers and other third-parties in the customer space.  The Customer Commercial Team is responsible for securing a first order, supporting future orders, and managing ongoing commercial opportunities and challenges associated with our customer engagements.

Key results & what can be achieved in the role

• The role will require the successful candidate to manage, lead and support on a variety of commercial activity, including the negotiation and delivery of contracts in line with business strategy, requirements and budget.
• The role requires commercial leadership and support to customer bid activity, working with the Strategy and Business Development team to respond to pre-contract customer requests and support securing our first and future order(s).
• Providing support to, and sharing your experience with, team colleagues and more junior members is key to our collaborative team culture and the success of our newly formed business.
• These tasks will include developing and managing risk mitigation and developing and ensuring compliance with company policy and process. 

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch, we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Key selection criteria

Contract drafting and negotiation 

• Playing a key role in understanding, defining, and formalising all aspects of our customer contractual agreements. Pivotal in providing commercial advice and guidance, for a complex multi-billion pound contract. Assisting the business in establishing processes to ensure compliance with contractual obligations      
• You will be working with complex nature or high value outcomes whilst assessing the risk to the business. 
• Experience of negotiating on company templates as well as reviewing and working on third party forms of contracts or industry forms/models in respect of contract terms and conditions and other commercial elements of a contract is essential. 

Commercial Strategy & Pricing

Contribute and deliver the commercial thinking into business strategies relating to customers whilst understanding the implication on suppliers and partners. This could include determining appropriate contract forms, models, pricing, payment, risk allocation etc.

Development of the Commercial Function

A priority activity is the development and maturity of the commercial function in a newly formed business including leading activities and improvements in relation to governance, processes, policies, training and the development of contract templates and guidance.

Internal interface

You will be interfacing with internal stakeholders, individual and departments within the Company at all levels for a variety of purposes. You ideally will have already gained experience in influencing challenging, decision making within a challenging and ambiguous environment.

Presenting Information to stakeholders

You will already have existing experience in taking information, understanding, and presenting it in an appropriate and compelling format, which includes formal communications to the appropriate stakeholders.

Pay and Benefits

We anticipate paying a salary of between £65,000 - £75,000

• Bonus - Performance related bonus of up to 12.5%
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200, enabling you to create a bespoke package
• Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days
• Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care
• Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay
• £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases

Training & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, Law or Finance (
• Demonstrated commitment to Continuous Professional Development.
• Proven good interpersonal and organisation skills.
• Demonstrated track record of meeting personal objectives and working within demanding timescales
• Experience with managing and negotiating contracts within a highly regulated environment
• Experience in customer or supplier facing role

We are Rolls-Royce SMR

Rolls-Royce SMR is a rare employer because it blends the world-class brand of Rolls Royce with an exciting start-up that has a hugely challenging mission. We’re doing work that contributes to the survival of the planet. Because of our mission, there’s a pace and energy that is palpable, and our leaders draw you in with their passion, energy, and determination.

We’re one of a handful of employers who can genuinely say we’re a strengths-based organisation – our people are here because of what makes them great, and our job is to help them make the best contribution of their careers doing work they love.

The start-up mentality coupled with our strengths-approach to people means there are opportunities to grow in ways and jobs you probably would be barred from doing in more traditional companies.

Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470MW of low carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, helping to support the roll out of renewable generation and overcome intermittency issues

Our Culture

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture. Find out more about our inclusion pledge.

Rolls-Royce SMR is a place where everyone can grow, so whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day and help shape our culture.

Apply Now – Simply click the apply and follow the instructions

We have a 2-stage interview process. Interviews can be on-line or in-person and please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made.

Your candidate experience is at the utmost importance to us. If you are not yet ready to apply but would like to discuss any of the above or require any reasonable adjustments (e.g. being able to apply in a different format), please contact jack.dawkins@morson.com to arrange a confidential conversation with a recruitment partner

Our Screening Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in following additional screening:-

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check