Key Accountabilities

• Defines the Commercial Function’s Policy and Governance Strategy, aligning with wider AWE strategy and external governing body requirements and leads the team to ensure the Commercial Function’s compliance with internal and external policies
• Accountable for managing and fostering effective relationships with external governing bodies providing visibility and influence of any change (i.e. MOD, DNO, CO) and identifying opportunities for collaboration
• Leads the team to ensure effective commercial governance, assurance and compliance across commercial governance stages, owning and developing the Commercial Assurance Framework (CAF) and driving engagement with the Commercial Process & Tools Team to ensure processes are up to date and enable its digitisation within commercial systems
• Leads the team to develop effective commercial policies, including ESG and PA23, ensuring alignment with the wider AWE business and external government departments and ensuring integration and alignment of policy with wider Commercial Strategy
• Leads the team to manage effective assurance boards with high quality and compliant documents and action management
• Leads the team to ensure internal and external audit compliance with AWE Audit, and to manage effective internal Commercial audit
• Accountable for representing the AWE Commercial Function externally across policy, governance and risk forums
• Directs the delivery of Commercial’s risk management strategy
• Custodian of AWE Trade and Export and Controls Framework and Management Arrangements with a view to maintaining compliance with UK & International Trade Controls, liaising with other government bodies as required to fulfil these obligations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead engagement with senior commercial leadership and external governing bodies to strengthen relationships, drive commercial standards, and represent AWE with key stakeholders including MOD, DNO and DNE
• Own the development and effective implementation of the Commercial Assurance Framework (CAF) ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, wider AWE strategy and best practise, and lead alignment with the Commercial Process & Tools Team to drive integration with commercial process & systems
• Assure the accuracy and integrity of commercial governance, including commercial strategies, award recommendations and board governance submissions, ensuring high-quality outputs and effective secretariat management for the Commercial Assurance Review Board (CARB)
• Oversee the development, implementation and continuous improvement of commercial policies, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and regulatory requirements. Lead policy risk assessment and mitigation activities, integrating policy governance within wider enterprise risk management frameworks
• Ensure comprehensive and accessible guidance documentation for policies, governance activities and risk management processes
• Collaborate across AWE stakeholders, legal, regulatory, audit, compliance and risk teams to ensure policies are effective, compliant, and meet organisational needs
• Provide expert oversight on UK and International Trade and Export Controls, escalating and mitigating associated risks while engaging with relevant government bodies
• Establish and maintain robust compliance monitoring, audit, and assessment processes, addressing gaps, violations and remediation activities as required
• Drive delivery of the Commercial ESG Strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and external requirements, while supporting Delivery Towers to achieve Social Value targets
• Provide senior leadership with regular reporting and insights on governance, compliance, policy performance and risk

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

AWE’s ambition is to create workplaces that recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and where people feel able to be themselves at work. They strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, AWE encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates. Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

As a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, AWE welcome applications from veterans, service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners. Applications from eligible candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".

General Information

• Posting ID: PIP11634
• Type of employment: Contract
• Organisation: AWE
• Contract duration: 12 months
• Location: Aldermaston
• Workplace Type: Hybrid