SVP – Commercial Growth — Commercial-Aerospace Programme

The mandate

A commercial-aerospace programme is planning succession for its commercial leader while demand expands across markets with different export, end-use and technology-transfer conditions. Sales teams qualify customers on value and funding, but licensing, configuration and support feasibility often enter late. The replacement SVP – Commercial Growth will make governable execution part of opportunity quality.

Approximately 1,875 employees and material partners span sales, campaigns, contracts, engineering, support, export, finance and programme delivery from Toulouse. The SVP owns commercial strategy, customer portfolio, bids, pricing, partnerships and commercial operations, reporting to the Group Chief Executive or nominated sponsor. Export and security determinations remain with authorised specialists.

The opening deliverable is an opportunity-rights matrix. Customer, end user, destination, product, technical data, services, intermediaries and re-export route must be understood before commitment. The SVP will require an authorised path and identify conditions, lead time or prohibition clearly.

Pipeline stages will reflect executable evidence. A funded customer interest is not a qualified opportunity if configuration, licence, industrial capacity or support remains undefined. Commercial forecasts will distinguish unrestricted base scope, controlled options and assumptions awaiting government or customer decision.

Product configuration is central to growth. Customers request equipment, software, encryption, training and integration that may not be releasable or affordable. The SVP will work with engineering and export teams to create approved configuration envelopes and price the cost of alternative capability.

Intermediaries and partners need rigorous governance. Agents, distributors, offsets and local industrial partners can provide access but introduce conduct, ownership, end-use and data risk. Selection, fair-market-value, services, payment and monitoring must withstand scrutiny. Success fees cannot reward prohibited influence.

Customer engagement will be planned around permitted information. Demonstrations, data rooms, proposals and technical workshops require content review and audience control. Commercial urgency cannot convert a marketing discussion into unauthorised technical assistance. Teams need fast, usable guidance rather than generic warnings.

Pricing will include compliance and support. Licensing, secure delivery, local training, spares, obsolescence and country support may be significant. The SVP will avoid winning headline revenue that carries unpriced configuration or long-term service obligation.

Contract language should align with licence reality. Delivery and performance commitments need conditions for approvals outside the company's control. The SVP will not use vague clauses to shift every risk to the customer; instead, milestones and responsibilities should reflect credible process and shared evidence.

Order-book quality matters more than gross bookings. Opportunities will be assessed for margin, cash, conditions, capacity and probability of authorised fulfilment. Incentives should reward collected, executable business rather than signature alone. A later licence denial cannot be treated as an unforeseeable operating issue if risk was visible at bid.

Market development can proceed responsibly before a sale. Policy, user need, infrastructure and industrial capability shape future demand. The SVP will build lawful relationships and scenario plans without promising controlled performance or presuming government approval.

Commercial data require compartmentation. Customer requirements, pricing, technical responses and government positions may have separate access. Systems and teams will use role-based permissions. Consolidated pipeline reporting should expose economic decisions without spreading restricted detail.

The succession transition will institutionalise relationships. Priority customers and government-facing partners need multiple authorised contacts. The incoming leader will capture commitments, history and sensitivities from the incumbent without importing undocumented arrangements.

Commercial capability will include export literacy, configuration economics and ethical negotiation. Leaders who create pressure to bypass review or minimise red flags will face consequence regardless of bookings. The SVP will build a team able to say no and offer a lawful alternative.

What you will own

• Commercial strategy and quality pipeline.
• Export-aware opportunity and configuration governance.
• Bids, pricing, contracts and order-book quality.
• Partner, intermediary and conduct controls.
• Customer engagement and controlled information.
• Commercial systems, access and forecasting.
• Relationship transfer and market development.
• Commercial leadership and succession.

The first 12 months

Within 45 days, test the priority pipeline for end use, configuration, licence and support feasibility. Suspend opportunities lacking a controllable route and complete key incumbent handovers.

By month six, implement approved configuration envelopes, commercial stage gates and partner review. Reprice or restructure bids with hidden compliance and support burden.

At twelve months, deliver 15% growth in qualified executable backlog at agreed contribution, reduce late export-driven bid resets by 60% and achieve 100% current diligence for material intermediaries. No contract should promise controlled capability outside an authorised route, and 80% of priority customer relationships should have shared ownership.

What the sponsor will examine

• Pipeline qualification including end-use and rights.
• Configurations bounded before customer commitment.
• Partners compensated for evidenced legitimate work.
• Pricing reflecting secure support and compliance.
• Contracts conditional on credible approval paths.
• Relationships transferred beyond the incumbent.

The person

You bring 22–28 years in aerospace or defence commercial leadership, including international campaigns, export-controlled products, complex bids and government customers. Your record includes commercial succession and profitable growth across multiple markets.

Candidates must demonstrate an opportunity declined or redesigned after end-use or configuration review. The permanent hybrid appointment is based in Toulouse, with extensive customer travel. Export, security and conduct diligence are mandatory.

Compensation and terms

Base compensation is EUR 285,000–390,000 plus annual incentive and long-term participation linked to executable backlog, contribution, export integrity, customer trust and succession. The permanent hybrid Toulouse role reports to the Group Chief Executive or nominated executive-committee sponsor. Planned replacement permits an orderly relationship transition.

Confidentiality

The programme, customers, capabilities, configurations, intermediaries, licences and commercial pipeline remain confidential. Further information follows eligibility, conflicts and signed confidentiality. Applicants must not contact aerospace customers, governments or partners to identify the client.