Contract Expert

Job Description:

The Contract Expert serves as the independent, neutral, and dedicated "Voice of the Contract" within Airbus Helicopters. Functioning as part of a newly established transverse Center of Excellence, the role holder is responsible for safeguarding company profitability, driving division-wide reinforcement of "contract culture," and preventing value leakage. Contract Experts act as impartial T&Cs and claims specialists, ensuring rigorous adherence to contractual baselines while remaining embedded within operational plateaus to support business agility.

Core Missions

• Transverse T&Cs Stewardship: Serve as the neutral expert for interpreting and enforcing strategic commercial terms across AH, AHD, and AHE.
• Margin Restoration & Profitability Safeguarding: Maximize margin recovery with P&L holders (aiming for at least 1% gross margin improvement on Strategic Contracts) and prevent financial loss from contract value leakage.
• Strategic Claims & Breach Management: Manage all contractual claims and breaches from detection to documentation, to mitigate risks and seize opportunities.
• Impartial Counter-Power: Act as an internal check to ensure commercial decisions adhere to the contract, preventing dangerous precedents and unharmonized gestures.

Main Activities & Operational Responsibilities

• T&Cs Analysis: Provide authoritative guidance on contract clauses and liability to plateau teams via the Hotline.
• Contractual Strategy: Propose and implement any necessary contractual strategy to mitigate contractual breaches and manage company’s exposure.
• Claims Handling: Manage the end-to-end process for contractual breaches and structured dispute resolution.
• Correspondence: Draft and secure contractual communication within strict turnaround timelines in relation to Contractual Strategy & Claims.
• Negotiation Advisory: Advise on strategies to mitigate supplier failures and support the drafting of complex T&Cs.
• Lifecycle Governance: Document modifications and optimize data capture using Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools.
• Upskilling: Deliver training modules to operational teams to improve risk prevention and contract culture.

Required Profile & Key Skills

• Contractual & Legal Expertise: Expertise in complex contract drafting and aerospace/defense T&Cs.
• Financial Acumen: Understanding of contractual impact on margin and financial performance.
• Courage & Integrity: Ability to maintain operational independence and act as a neutral counter-power.
• Collaboration: Strong skills to navigate matrix organizations and influence without hierarchical authority.
• Tools & Methods: Proficiency in continuous improvement (LBIP+) and CLM tools.
• Languages: Fluent English required; French, German, or Spanish is an advantage.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

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