About the Role
A fast-growing defense-technology manufacturer with an expanding pipeline of government and defense contracts. This person will own the commercial calendar end to end — bids, demonstrations, export licences and factory site visits — and sit at the centre of Business Development, Programme Management, Legal and Operations. The hire comes as deal volume accelerates and the business needs someone to stop bids, licences and demos slipping through the cracks under pressure. It is a rare seat for someone who wants real ownership of commercial operations inside a defense hardware business at scale.
The role
- Own and maintain the rolling commercial calendar of bids, milestones and deliveries
- Flag conflicts, capacity constraints and resourcing risks before they land
- Link Business Development, Programme Management, Legal and Operations teams
- Own export licence applications, end-user certificates and classification requests
- Act as main point of contact into Legal for export licensing matters
- Liaise with export-control authorities and customs to keep applications moving
- Coordinate demonstration activity and translate customer requirements into briefs
- Coordinate customer and partner visits to manufacturing sites and facilities
- Support major pursuits by holding planning discipline under time pressure
What you'll bring
- 5-8 years in commercial planning, sales operations or commercial project management
- Strong planning and organisational discipline with high accuracy
- Proven coordination and stakeholder-management skills across functions
- Comfortable working to export-control and trade-compliance rigour
- Fluent English; Dutch, German or Spanish an advantage
- Degree in Business Administration, International Trade, Law, Supply Chain or Engineering
What's on offer
- A central operational role inside a growing defense-sector company.
- Direct cross-functional exposure to Business Development, Legal and Programme teams
- Ownership of export licensing and commercial planning at scale
- A mandate that grows as the company's bid and delivery pipeline expands
Why apply through Guildhall
- Boutique executive search firm in Dubai, established 2010
- 8x independent industry awards since 2020
- 4.9-star Google rating from 250+ reviews
- Direct access to the retained consultant running this search, with a confidential process
Hiring a Commercial Planning Manager in Madrid Or UAE
A Commercial Planning Manager in defense or aerospace typically sits between Business Development, Programme Management and Legal, keeping bids, demonstrations and export licensing on schedule. The role is less about closing deals and more about making sure commitments made during the sales process hand over cleanly into delivery, without breaking under compliance pressure. Demand for this profile tends to rise when a defense manufacturer wins larger or more complex contracts and needs someone dedicated to export-control administration and cross-functional coordination. It suits professionals who have worked inside government-facing hardware businesses and understand ITAR or EU dual-use licensing in practice, not just in theory.
Common questions
Commercial Planning Manager – Madrid Or UAE
They maintain the commercial calendar of bids, milestones, demonstrations and deliveries, and make sure sales commitments transfer cleanly into delivery. They also own export licence administration and act as the coordination point between Business Development, Programme Management, Legal and Operations. In many organisations they are also the main contact for customer and partner site visits.
What experience do I need to apply?
Typically 5-8 years in commercial planning, sales operations or commercial project management, ideally within defense or aerospace. Strong planning discipline, high accuracy and proven stakeholder-management skills across functions are essential. Hands-on exposure to export-control regimes such as ITAR or EU dual-use licensing is a strong advantage.
How do I apply?
Apply directly on this page. A Guildhall consultant reviews every application personally and the process remains confidential throughout.
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This search is managed by Guildhall — an 8× award-winning executive search and recruitment agency, rated 4.9★ across 250+ Google reviews, recruiting in Madrid and across the GCC.