Commercial Manager

Overview

As Commercial Manager, you will lead commercial governance and assurance for complex projects in a highly regulated setting. You will work with senior leaders across Finance, Procurement and Delivery to safeguard commercial performance, contract integrity and financial governance. Your focus includes project performance reviews, close-out, transition activities and finishing projects strongly. You will shape consistent commercial practices and manage risks, opportunities and contractual obligations. This role offers visibility across projects and a chance to influence critical commercial outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial leadership, advice and assurance to project and business leadership teams
• Support informed commercial and contractual decision-making
• Ensure compliance with contracts, delegated authorities, company policies and governance requirements
• Maintain effective commercial processes, controls, reporting and governance
• Identify and manage commercial risks, opportunities and contractual obligations
• Promote consistent commercial best practice across projects and business areas
• Lead monthly project reviews and provide insight into project performance
• Review and challenge costs, forecasts, EAC/FTC, budgets, milestones, risks, opportunities and change
• Track actions from project reviews and escalate issues to senior leadership
• Develop concise commercial dashboards and management information for decision-making
• Lead the commercial close-out of projects and contracts
• Manage outstanding contractual actions, final accounts, changes, purchase orders, accruals, claims, disputes, subcontractor close-out and financial reconciliation
• Establish a consistent contract close-out process and ensure lessons learned are captured
• Work with stakeholders to ensure contracts are formally and effectively closed
• Develop a practical and repeatable commercial approach for projects approaching completion
• Support project teams with commercial close-out, change management, final forecasting, risk, supply-chain close-out, deliverables, lessons learned and audit requirements
• Monitor implementation and report progress and issues to leadership
• Provide commercial support, challenge and assurance across projects and business areas
• Support reporting, forecasting, governance and commercial decision-making
• Promote consistent commercial management processes across the organisation
• Manage contracts through lifecycle (pre-award to close-out)
• Administer NEC and, where applicable, FIDIC contracts
• Manage variations, compensation events, claims, change and negotiations
• Ensure changes are identified, notified, assessed and reflected in forecasts and reporting
• Maintain robust contractual records and support dispute resolution

Key requirements

• Strong commercial and contract management experience within major projects or complex programmes
• Experience managing multiple projects or contracts simultaneously
• Strong knowledge and practical application of NEC contracts
• Demonstrable experience of contract administration, change control, claims, variations and commercial negotiations
• Experience taking contracts and projects through commercial close-out and final account
• Strong understanding of project financial management, including forecasting, EAC, cost control, cash flow and variance analysis
• Degree or equivalent professional experience in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction, Engineering, Law, Business or a related discipline is desirable

• Stakeholder management
• Clear communication of complex commercial matters
• Mentoring and knowledge transfer
• NEC contracts
• Contract administration
• Change control

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