Due to continued growth and expansion, DEA is looking for a proactive and organised Contracts Manager to oversee the entire lifecycle of business agreements, from the initial draft and negotiation to compliance, renewals, and final closeout.
Key Responsibilities
- Drafting and Negotiating: Write, review and refine contract terms with vendors, clients or partners to ensure favourable conditions and legal compliance.
- Risk Management: Identify potential legal, financial, or operational risks in agreements
and find ways to mitigate them. - Regulatory Compliance Tracking: Monitor active contracts to ensure all parties meet performance standards, delivery milestones, and financial obligations.
- Ensure alignment with specialized frameworks such as UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) regulations, Single Source Regulations, or international trade controls (ITAR/FAR/DFARS).
- Lifecycle Management: Handle end-to-end contract administration from pre-qualification
bids and tenders to final contract close-out - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the main bridge between legal, finance, procurement, sales, and operations teams.
- Commercial Negotiations: Lead negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and risk allocations with customers and key subcontractors.
- Risk & Change Control: Identify operational or financial risks, manage contract modifications, and oversee compensation events or change orders.
- Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary commercial point of contact between
internal technical teams, legal departments, and external defence clients.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- Law degree or JD from an accredited institution
- Master’s in law in commercial disciplines from highly regulated industries highly desirable (i.e banking, pharma or biotech, insurance etc)
- 3-5 Years in contracts management in manufacturing or the defence sector
- Reviewing suppliers and customers agreements in order to mitigate liabilities and risks
- Carry out due diligence and vetting processes for onboarding customers and suppliers
- Very familiar with ITAR and DFAR regulationsAble to negotiate with suppliers and support Supply Chain activities
- Able to support negotiations of high value transactions
- Good understanding of contract law particularly in common law jurisdictions and non
- Manage contracts changes and renewals
- Manage NDA process
- Provide guidance on contract requirements and contractual issues
- Basic knowledge of contracts disputes and litigation
About
DEA and our sister company ESAO are a world leading specialist technology-led provider of complex aerial data acquisition services. A pioneer in airborne data gathering, DEA/ESAO use ground-breaking techniques and the most advanced and innovative technologies in the industry to help you answer complex questions and make informed decisions in real time.
Skills Required
- Law degree or JD from an accredited institution
- 3-5 years of contracts management experience in manufacturing or the defense sector
- Experience reviewing supplier and customer agreements to mitigate liabilities and risks
- Experience conducting due diligence and vetting customers and suppliers
- Familiarity with ITAR and DFARS regulations
- Ability to negotiate with suppliers and support supply chain activities
- Experience supporting negotiations of high-value transactions
- Understanding of contract law, particularly in common law jurisdictions
- Experience managing contract changes and renewals
- Experience managing NDA processes
- Ability to provide guidance on contract requirements and contractual issues
- Basic knowledge of contract disputes and litigation
- Master's degree in commercial law or a related discipline from a highly regulated industry
What We Do
DEA is a world leading technology-led provider of specialised aerial data acquisition services. Specialised Operations DEA delivers bespoke airborne solutions using their proprietary technology, real time connectivity and operational expertise combining senior military and commercial aviation experience to provide a class- leading innovative and agile response to the most demanding requirement. This combination forms the basis of enduring partnerships with our customers. Leading Technology DEA’s technical systems team create the soft and hard ability quickly to merge differing complex sensor technologies and technical standards, to deliver industry-leading operational flexibility and capabilities within competitive time and cost constraints. DEA's Mission Management System consolidates all required data and functionality into one easy to use platform enabling better analysis and outcomes. Engineering services DEA provides reliable and robust aircraft management, maintenance, modification & technical integration and parts services that are designed to keep their own fleet and our customers’ aircraft airborne and safe. All services and approvals are compliant with regulators including the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). DEA's services include: • Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) • Aerial survey • Specialist commercial air transport • Flight calibration and flight path validation.
