Role Purpose
The Commercial Manager is responsible for providing strategic commercial leadership, governance, and oversight across tendering, contracts, billing, subcontractor management, and commercial systems.
Acting as a trusted commercial advisor to Management, the role safeguards commercial risk, protects margins, and enables informed decision-making across the project lifecycle. The Commercial Manager provides people leadership and functional oversight of the Commercial Team, working closely with the Deputy Commercial Manager who manages day-to-day team operations.
Core Accountabilities & Responsibilities :
1. Commercial Governance & Strategic Leadership
- Apply sound commercial judgement to ensure all commercial activities comply with company policies, contractual obligations, and Commercial SOPs.
- Review, enhance, and continuously improve Commercial SOPs to strengthen governance, consistency, risk management, and commercial discipline.
- Lead commercial discussions in Daily Commercial Meetings and Weekly Commercial Meetings, providing direction on priorities, risks, and interdependencies.
- Analyse commercial performance trends and prepare KPI dashboards, Monthly HOD Reports, and Monthly Commercial Reports, translating data into clear insights and actionable recommendations for Management.
2. Tendering, RFQ & Pre-Contract Strategy
- Provide commercial analysis and recommendations to Senior Management on RFQ selection, bid/no-bid decisions, pricing strategy, and commercial risk exposure.
- Oversee and coordinate the end-to-end tendering process, ensuring submissions are competitive, compliant, and commercially robust.
- Develop, challenge, and validate pricing strategies, cost build-ups, and commercial assumptions prior to tender submission.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial and contractual risks at pre-award stage, proposing alternative strategies where appropriate.
- Lead commercial negotiations and manage clarifications, complaints, and disputes during tender and post-award stages, including settlement discussions when required.
- Ensure accurate, traceable, and up-to-date maintenance of the Inquiry Masterlist and Quotation Masterlist.
3. Contract, Billing & Change Management
- Exercise commercial judgement to ensure billing, claims, and submissions align with contractual entitlements, purchase orders, and agreed payment milestones.
- Provide commercial leadership to Operations in the preparation, substantiation, and negotiation of change orders, variations, and claims, protecting the company's contractual position and margins.
- Proactively identify emerging commercial risks and recovery opportunities during project execution and advise stakeholders on mitigation strategies.
- Support the preparation of Service Reports and other contractual and commercial documentation.
4. Subcontractor & Procurement Commercial Oversight
- Provide commercial oversight and guidance in the sourcing, evaluation, and selection of subcontractors in collaboration with Operations and procurement stakeholders.
- Review subcontractor quotations, pricing structures, scopes, and commercial terms, identifying risks, exclusions, and opportunities for value optimisation.
- Ensure the Subcontractor Masterlist is maintained accurately, with complete documentation, approvals, and audit traceability.
5. Project Handover & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Oversee the preparation and coordination of comprehensive commercial handover documentation for awarded projects to Operations and Project Teams.
- Provide commercial inputs and leadership during Weekly Integrated Meetings to ensure alignment across Commercial, Operations, SCM, and Finance.
6. Client Relationship & Commercial Influence
- Represent the company professionally and credibly in commercial discussions with clients, fostering trust-based working relationships.
- Act as a senior commercial interface on pricing, contractual clarifications, negotiations, and dispute resolution matters.
- Support Management in navigating sensitive commercial discussions, balancing relationship management with protection of the company's commercial interests.
7. Commercial Systems, Data & Strategic Enablement
- Drive effective utilisation of ERP systems and commercial digital tools to enhance data accuracy, transparency, and decision-making.
- Ensure integrity and consistency of commercial data across ERP systems, QS Server, and reporting platforms.
- Use commercial data to tell a clear story, providing insights, trend analysis, and scenario assessments to support strategic planning, budgeting, and business growth initiatives.
- Identify system gaps and inefficiencies, and lead or support improvements to commercial processes, reporting structures, and digital workflows.
- Support company-wide initiatives by embedding disciplined data practices, standardised reporting, and meaningful performance metrics within the Commercial function.
8. People Leadership & Capability Development
- Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to the Commercial Team, setting clear standards, expectations, and priorities.
- Work closely with the Deputy Commercial Manager, providing guidance and support on complex commercial matters and escalations.
- Review and endorse key commercial outputs to ensure quality, consistency, and risk alignment.
- Support performance reviews, capability development, and succession planning in collaboration with Management.
- Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, collaboration, and strong commercial discipline within the team.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Professional certifications in contract management, procurement, or project management (e.g. MRICS, PMP) are an advantage.
Requirements :
- Minimum 8 years experience in commercial management, contracts, tendering, or procurement within a project-based environment.
- Strong hands-on experience in RFQs, tender submissions, pricing strategy, contract negotiations, and commercial compliance.
- Demonstrated ability to operate as a trusted commercial leader and advisor within cross-functional teams.
- Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working with ERP systems and structured commercial reporting environments
Skills & Competencies :
- Strong commercial and financial acumen with sound judgement in contracts, pricing, and risk management.
- Ability to influence decisions and provide leadership through expertise, guidance, and credibility.
- Effective negotiator with strong stakeholder and client management skills.
- Clear communicator able to translate complex commercial issues into practical insights.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using ERP systems, KPIs, and commercial data for decision-making.
- Professional, proactive, and accountable, with the ability to operate independently in a project-based environment.
