Senior Commercial Manager – Launchpad

Job Title: Senior Commercial Manager – BAE Systems Launchpad

Location: Flexible, UK. Primary locations are London and Frimley, so proximity to those sites is helpful (or willingness to travel)

Travel in the UK is expected a few times a month (mainly London, Bristol and occasionally Cambridge) with opportunity for international travel each year.

We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Circa £75,000 plus executive benefits including car allowance and target incentive bonus

Who we are:

Join BAE Systems and you’ll be part of something bigger. As a valued member of our global colleague network, you’ll bring your unique skills and perspectives to help pioneer progress and protect what matters most. You’ll be trusted to play your part in delivering the advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions of tomorrow, shaping a safer future, for all of us.

From the depths of the ocean, to the far reaches of space, there’s no limit to where a career at BAE Systems could take you.

Job Description:

As Senior Commercial Manager you will be the lead and deliver all commercial matters within Launchpad including drafting commercial agreements, negotiating key strategic partnerships with SMEs and academia, and provide commercial input into exciting M&A activities. This is not your normal commercial role – in the morning you could be speaking with a key investor in one of our portfolio companies before negotiating a framework agreement on quantum tech with a university in the afternoon.

BAE Systems Launchpad is designed to transform breakthrough ideas into real-world impact at speed, where these don’t fit into our current strategic product portfolio. By harnessing the ingenuity and skill of our people, the power of our technology and the agility of the start-up ecosystem, we’re rapidly developing technology that has strong commercial value outside of defence. BAE Systems Launchpad will also develop and invest in early-stage defence technology that’s not currently mature enough to take forward into our core businesses.

Core duties:

• You will be working closely with colleagues in Group legal and M&A Finance, managing commercial relationships with key strategic partners at group level including government research organisations e.g. NATO DIANA, Dstl and our academic research institutions
• You will be leading commercial activity relating to BAE Systems M&A venture transactions and will include first hand exposure to M&A agreements and IP licencing
• You will be supporting the Head of Technology Commercialisation with various M&A deals including IP spin outs and venture capital investments including deal sourcing, due diligence and advising on commercial principles
• You will be working with a range of companies in the SME ecosystem including startups, accelerators and incubators including our own portfolio companies which BAE Systems retains an interest
• You will provide collaboration and engagement across a broad range of BAE Systems and external stakeholders. As one of the first hires of BAE Systems Launchpad, you will take on a formative role in shaping our new team and engagement with stakeholders

Essential Skills:

• You will have strong commercial acumen
• You will have experience in independently drafting agreements and negotiating contracts (heads of terms, framework agreements, technology and IP licensing)
• You will have extensive negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• You will have a good grasp of technology (though no need to be a technical expert) and natural curiosity for technological advancement

The Launchpad Team:

Launchpad is BAE Systems’ flagship start-up incubator, created to turn great technologies into new ventures. We accelerate early stage, potentially transformative defence research currently in early development and spin out our own advanced technology for use outside defence working closely with the venture capital ecosystem and academic institutions.. This aligns with a key priority outlined in the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which calls for “constant innovation at wartime pace” and highlights the need for more successful spinouts from UK-developed technologies.

The programme is designed to leverage BAE Systems’ position as a technology pioneer to support national priorities, including rapid technology incubation, sovereign capability and economic growth. It also provides start-ups with access to customers across a broader range of sectors, like energy and advanced manufacturing.

Find out more at;

https://www.baesystems.com/en/what-we-do/innovation/launchpad

Why BAE Systems?

Here you’ll build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, this is a place where you can grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. In an environment embracing sustainable ways of working and with a strong sense of shared purpose, our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and proud of the difference you make.

A place where everyone can thrive:

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 7th June 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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