Location: Cambridgeshire
Salary: £35,000–£40,000 + benefits, with flexibility up to £45,000 for an exceptional candidate
Working pattern: Full-time, office-based
A broad commercial role with real responsibility
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious early-career professional to step into a newly created Assistant Commercial Manager role, working closely with the Commercial Head and gaining exposure across legal, commercial strategy and bids.
This is not a traditional legal or contracts position. You’ll be expected to understand the bigger picture, build relationships across the business and help turn complex issues into practical commercial decisions.
It’s a role with significant breadth and visibility, offering the opportunity to learn quickly and take on responsibility from day one.
The Role
You’ll work across three key areas:
Legal & Compliance
Supporting the review, negotiation and management of commercial contracts
Identifying contractual and commercial risks and helping develop practical solutions
Supporting regulatory and compliance matters
Providing internal support on HR-related matters where required
Helping the business identify and address issues before they become problemsCommercial
Working alongside the Commercial Head on commercial and deal-making strategy
Supporting negotiations and helping shape commercially sensible outcomes
Looking beyond the legal wording of an agreement to understand the wider business implications
Working with stakeholders across the business to understand issues, find answers and keep things movingBids
Coordinating and managing the bid process from opportunity through to submission
Working closely with Sales throughout the bid cycle
Managing and supporting a team of four within the bid function
Bringing greater structure, planning and consistency to the bid process
Helping ensure opportunities are properly prepared and progressedThe role is deliberately broad. One day you could be reviewing a contract, the next helping resolve a commercial issue or working with Sales on an important bid.
About You
We’re particularly interested in candidates with around 12–18 months of post-graduate experience who are looking for a role where they can develop quickly and broaden their skill set.
A degree in Law, Business, Economics or a related subject would be ideal.
More important than your exact background is your approach.
You’ll be someone who:
Thinks commercially rather than simply interpreting rules or contracts
Can join the dots between legal, commercial and operational issues
Is confident communicating with people at all levels
Can hold their own in a room and is comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders
Is personable, approachable and naturally good at building relationships
Is curious and willing to get out into the business to find answers
Is adaptable and comfortable working in a role that is still evolving
Takes ownership rather than waiting to be told what to do
Is keen to learn and develop across multiple areas of the businessPrevious bid experience would be a bonus, but is not expected at this level.
Equally, we're not necessarily looking for someone with years of experience. The opportunity is particularly suited to someone who is early in their career, highly capable and keen to take their next step.
Why This Role?
The role offers something that’s difficult to find early in your career: genuine breadth and exposure.
You’ll work closely with senior decision-makers and develop experience across contracts, risk, commercial negotiations, bids and sales — rather than becoming pigeonholed into a single specialism.
You’ll also have the opportunity to help shape the function itself. The team is moving from a largely reactive approach towards a more structured, proactive way of working, and you’ll play an important part in that change.
If you’re ambitious, commercially minded and enjoy solving problems with people rather than simply working from a process, this could be an excellent next step.
What’s on Offer
£35,000–£40,000 salary, with flexibility up to £55,000 for an exceptional candidate
A genuinely broad remit with significant exposure to senior stakeholders
Opportunity to develop across legal, commercial and bid management
A role with plenty of scope to grow as the function develops
Salary description
£35000.00 - £40000.00 per year