Commercial Contract Specialist
Bristol, GB, BS35 4GG
Are you a commercially minded contracts professional looking to play a pivotal role in a growing, innovative business? We are seeking a Commercial Contract Specialist to join our team in Severn Beach, where you'll be at the heart of supporting sales growth, managing contractual risk, and driving operational excellence.
In this highly collaborative role, you will serve as the primary commercial contracts partner to the Sales team, taking ownership of day-to-day contract matters and ensuring agreements are aligned with business objectives. You'll have the opportunity to influence key commercial decisions, streamline processes, and work closely with colleagues across Legal, Finance, Sales and senior leadership.
Key Responsibilities:
Commercial Contracts & Sales Support
- Review and report on standard sales contracts in line with approved templates and processes.
- Put in place non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) – promoting the use of OIPT’s standard template NDA wherever possible, and reviewing, negotiating, and reporting on third-party NDAs as required. Management on NDA renewal dates and filing/renewal alerts.
- Agree contract amendments, extensions, variations, ‘late-line letters’ and general customer correspondence in line with approved templates and processes.
- Support Sales during contract negotiations and contributing in customer meetings if required, escalating matters where certain risk/financial thresholds are exceeded.
- Advise Sales on contract structure and content, applying a pragmatic commercial approach.
Governance, Risk & Process
- Ensure compliance with internal governance, Delegation of Authority (DoA) and approval processes.
- Prepare Contract Risk Assessment (CRA) submissions for DoA approval with Regional Sales Coordinators and Legal Counsel.
- Manage the full contract lifecycle, including execution, renewals, amendments and record keeping.
Channel Partners & Procurement
- Support Sales with Channel Partner management including required documentation such as due diligence, Channel Partner Approval Forms and Agreements. Contribute and support during Channel Partner meetings if required. Management and ownership of Channel Partner renewal dates/filing and renewal alerts.
- Support Commercial reviews during tender process focusing on risk identification and escalation.
- Support collation and completion of vendor forms for new customers, European Single Procurement Documents (ESPDs) and any other commercial supporting documentation required for tenders.
- Management and development of new customer onboarding process, liaising with finance for background and credit checks.
Stakeholder Collaboration & Capability
- Work closely with Sales, Finance and Operations to support OIPT’s commercial objectives.
- Coordinate with regional legal teams on jurisdiction‑specific contracts, escalating where required.
- Support continuous improvement of standard templates and contracting processes.
- Contribute to training and guidance on contract risks and negotiation principles.
- Support and mentor junior team members.
Education / Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree (a background in Law is a significant advantage).
- 3+ years’ experience drafting and evaluating contractual documents.
Professional Skills/Abilities:
- Experience working alongside an in‑house legal function.
- Exposure to regulated, international or technology‑led environments.
- Commercially pragmatic with strong risk awareness.
- Comfortable operating within governance and approval frameworks.
- Able to manage high‑volume, fast‑moving work independently.
- Confident engaging senior stakeholders.
- Strong attention to detail with a solutions‑focused mindset.
Personal Qualities:
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
- Proactive and solutions-focused with a strong sense of ownership.
- Confident working with internal teams to understand requirements, challenges and success criteria.
- Proactive, solutions-focused and driven to continuously improve.
- A team player who makes the best use of the contributions of others and can work constructively with others.
Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to make a tangible impact in a role that combines commercial insight, stakeholder engagement and contract management expertise. You'll be empowered to improve ways of working, strengthen customer relationships and support strategic business growth, all while working alongside talented colleagues in a collaborative and forward-thinking environment.
If you're looking for a role where your expertise will be valued and your contributions will directly influence business success, we'd love to hear from you.
About Us
At Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, we provide tools for the engineering of micro- and nano-structures, with customers using our process solutions to research and produce materials and semiconductors vital for everything from medical devices and diagnostics, to electric cars and quantum computers.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- 25 days annual leave + half-day Fridays
- Private healthcare
- Share incentive plan
- Pension scheme
- Flexible benefits tailored to your needs
- Structured career development opportunities
- A collaborative environment with excellent work-life balance
#LI-Hybrid #LI-AC1
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and would ask you to get in touch if you are concerned about any barriers you feel you may be facing in your application process with us.
Note to recruitment agencies: Oxford Instruments operates a Preferred Supplier List, and we do not accept unsolicited agency CVs. Please do not forward candidate details in response to this advert, or to any Oxford Instruments employees or other company locations. Oxford Instruments is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.