We’ll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed – today and into tomorrow.  We offer an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive and diverse team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities.

People are our greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. 

In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for us. We’re happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

About the Role

The Contracts Director - Defence is a pivotal leadership position tasked with optimising the division’s commercial strategy, driving commercial excellence, support compliance, and ensuring value maximisation in all activities. This role requires expertise in contract negotiation, cost management, client and supplier relationship management, effective stakeholder engagement, and risk mitigation to support the successful delivery of large-scale engineering and construction projects.

This role ideally will be based from our Reading office, however other Amentum base locations will be considered. Occasional travel will be required as part of a UK wide leadership team.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership:

• Define and execute the commercial strategy to support business objectives and enhance profitability. 

• Lead pre and post contract activities ensuring terms and conditions are aligned with project and organisational goals. 

• Support the business leads in complying with the Enterprise Approval Matrix and associated delegations and facilitating an optimised governance process. 

• Drive initiatives to optimise project costs while maintaining quality and compliance standards. 

• Identify and manage commercial risks, including supplier risks, contractual liabilities, and compliance issues. 

• Establish, maintain, and monitor robust governance frameworks to ensure

• adherence ethical standards, supporting accountability, transparency, and integrity. 

• Oversee cost estimation, budgeting, and financial reporting for procurement activities. 

• Collaborate with finance and PMO teams to track expenditures and ensure cost efficiencies across projects. 

• Lead/support contractual disputes and claims, ensuring compliance with the corporate policies and reporting requirements.

Talent Development:

• Focus on employee development, up-skilling, and career growth to ensure an inclusive, skilled, motivated workforce aligned with organisational needs. Innovation and Transformation:

• Drive continuous improvement by embracing new technologies, methodologies, and innovative approaches to stay competitive and responsive to market changes.

• Collaboration and Cross-Functional Synergy: 

• Promote a collaborative culture that encourages information sharing and teamwork across departments, fostering a supportive and high-performing work environment.

Other:

• Maintain close relationships with supply chain functions to ensure cohesive approach

Here’s What You’ll Need 

• Extensive experience in commercial leadership within large-scale engineering and construction environments. 

• Expertise in contract negotiation, cost management, and supplier relationship management.

• Excellent working knowledge of contract management including bespoke contracts and standard models such as NEC, JCT, FIDIC. Strong understanding of contract law, regulations, and compliance requirements. 

• Proven ability to manage risks and drive strategic decision-making in complex projects. 

• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. 

• Proficiency in procurement systems, analytics, and reporting tools.

Behaviors

• Relationship‑Focused: Builds strong, trust‑based relationships that enable effective collaboration and long‑term organisational success.

• A Live Listener: Actively listens to understand and uses insights to drive better decisions and stronger alignment.

• Empathetic: Leads with emotional intelligence, creating a supportive and inclusive environment where people thrive.

• Curious: Seeks to understand people, systems, and trends, continuously learning to improve leadership and outcomes.

• Adaptable: Navigates change with agility and composure, adjusting approach while maintaining clarity of direction.

• Resilient: Maintains focus and performance under pressure, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

• Authentic: Acts with integrity and transparency, building trust through consistent values‑driven leadership.

• Innovative: Challenges the status quo and translates creative ideas into impactful solutions.

• Limitless Mentality: Thinks beyond constraints, inspiring bold ambition and a culture of possibility.

• Strategic: Connects insights into a clear long‑term vision, guiding decisions that shape sustainable success.

Our Culture

Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and diversity. We put people at the heart of our business, and we genuinely believe that we all succeed by supporting one another through our culture of caring. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected, and if we are diverse, we’re more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our wide range of Global Employee Networks centered on inclusion and diversity.

We partner with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain diverse talent. For greater online accessibility, please visit www.vercida.com to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the Oliver.Chung@global.amentum.com