In this role, I was responsible for the day-to-day management of the F-35 Depot Maintenance, Repairs, Overhauls, and Upgrades (MRO&U) contract. This involved liaising with our prime contractor in regards to commercial and financial matters, and understanding and applying FARS/DFARS regulations to the management of the contract. The complexity and dynamism of the MRO&U contract required balancing multiple priorities, competing short- and long-term views for the project, and the needs of different stakeholders both within BAE and the wider F-35 program. Due to my performance in the Hawk Lead in Fighter (LIF) team, I was direct-appointed into this position.

As a Commercial Officer in the Hawk LIF team, I was responsible for assisting the Commercial Lead and Senior Commercial Officers across the In Service Support (ISS), Engine Replacement, and Capability Development Environment (CDE) projects. This involved liaising with the customer on routine commercial and finance matters, supporting the preparation and submission of deliverables (such as Contract Status Reports, Financial Reports, and Project Management Plans), and preparing Contract Change Proposals through to execution. In addition, I undertook a number of projects to improve contract and team efficiency. These included: a deliverable rationalisation project, commenced in conjunction with the customer to streamline deliverables and ensure that they met the Commonwealth’s information requirements; a series of cross-functional customer workshops held to develop processes for financial true-ups and budget changes; and improvements to the BAE Commercial team’s systems for managing deliverables and correspondence.

In this role I was responsible for administering port, rail, and track contracts for Glencore's Australian coal operations. This role involved reviewing our contractual agreements in order to devise means of obtaining optimum logistics outcomes at the lowest cost, and to ensure infrastructure providers are meeting their performance obligations under their contracts. I routinely prepared written briefings for management and other stakeholders to explain the nature of our contracts, and advised mine site and logistics personnel as to how our operations may be affected by the operation of certain contractual provisions. My role also involved drafting contractual agreements and preparing legal correspondence and documentation. I also regularly evaluated our legal arrangements from a financial perspective, such as by determining the cost of various rail transport options in order to recommend the lowest cost ordering strategy, utilising financial models in order to generate long-term forecasts of infrastructure costs, and conducting NPV analysis for projects and contract proposals. This role enabled me to develop and refine a wide skillset, including data analysis, problem-solving, and effective communication skills, and required me to draw on a range of knowledge areas (e.g. legal, finance, logistics, accounting) to meet the objectives of both my team and the wider Glencore group.

In this role, I was responsible for managing the tax and financial needs of numerous clients, including individuals, sole traders, partnerships, trusts, companies, self-managed superannuation funds, not-for-profits, and groups of related entities. This position required me to prepare interim and end-of-year financials and tax returns, research taxation law in order to determine the tax treatment applying to a particular client and/or to determine the impact of recent taxation law changes, prepare workpapers and documentation to ensure clients had accurate and complete financial records for legal purposes, and liaise with clients to request information and discuss their accounting needs and end-of-year tax position. Throughout my time in this role, I developed the ability to identify issues, problem-solve, work autonomously as well as part of a team, and effectively communicate with people of a variety of backgrounds.