Commercial Manager

The role of Asset Commercial Lead reports to the Shafts and Headhouses Delivery Unit (SHDU) Commercial Lead, providing essential commercial support and leadership to projects. The primary objective is to ensure commercial discipline is maintained throughout and to guide and develop all Asset staff on commercial issues.

Job Introduction

As the Asset Commercial Lead, you will work closely with the Asset Delivery Lead, taking overall responsibility for all commercial management aspects associated with the Asset. This includes the commercial administration of MWCC requirements, managing Early Warnings and Staff Forecasting, and collaborating with various teams such as Work Package/Subcontract Commercial, Change, Project Controls, and Risk and Planning. You will have overall responsibility for reporting the commercial performance of the Asset, providing expert advice on contractual and commercial matters, and seeking support when needed. This role is integral to the wider Commercial Team (SHDU and MWCC) and contributes to the delivery of overall SHDU objectives.

Main Responsibilities

• Define and maintain a complete asset scope, ensuring transparency and clear reflection of all instructed changes by HS2, which will form the basis of forecasting.
• Clearly identify how each aspect of the scope is delivered, whether through self-delivery or by a subcontractor, including the subcontractor's name if applicable.
• Commercially manage Asset NCRs and Defects, ensuring correct contractual processes are followed to avoid the risk of MWCC Disallowed Cost.
• Understand the Asset Route to Assurance and Handover, coordinating with the Assurance Team to ensure all subcontractor information is received before the issuance of their Completion Certificate.
• Ensure any remaining scope requiring procurement is clearly visible and communicated to the procurement team for inclusion in their schedule, working closely to ensure timely procurement and issuance of instructions to subcontractors to avoid programme delays.
• Ensure Stage 5 design scope for subcontractors is clearly understood and design progress is visible.
• Support the Delivery Team in understanding the scope.
• Review the Asset Programme narrative before the MWCC Cl.32 submission to HS2, ensuring it is contractually and commercially accurate, with cross-referencing of CEs/PMIs, EWNs, and accurate reflection of variance causes, linking back to Risk where appropriate.
• Ensure that productivity rates allowed for in the programme are clear and visible at all times.
• Clearly identify at all times which changes have not yet been accounted for in the Cl.32 or the Asset Estimate at Completion (EAC) in monthly reporting.
• Ensure Asset Risks are accurate, managed, and maintained, with clear mitigations and understood mitigation costs.
• Attend and participate in regular Asset Risk Review meetings.
• Ensure Asset Risks are reviewed at a minimum of monthly.
• Capture the entire forecast to complete the works for the Asset in the Asset Forecast at Completion.
• Maintain Asset Assumptions and Exclusions and report these at the monthly Asset L3 reporting meetings.
• Ensure that end dates for Asset staff resources are maintained in BookIT, and that EAC Forms for QSRA drawdown are drafted and agreed for BookIT updates.
• Be responsible for ensuring EAC Forms are raised to explain monthly variances in the EAC and for presenting these forms to HS2 for agreement.
• Hold overall responsibility for the monthly Asset L3 commercial reporting, presenting the commercial aspects of these reports in close collaboration with the Asset Lead. This includes updating the Asset EAC forecast and explaining variances from the previous month and current Asset baseline, ensuring information is correctly captured by project controls systems.
• Ensure that all change is managed appropriately and recovered where possible.

The Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience in leading commercial functions and operating at a senior level within large, complex programmes and/or businesses, preferably within contracting organisations.
• Commercial awareness partnered with a strategic mindset.
• Relevant experience in managing contracts, from strategic negotiation to operation, ideally within a large-scale infrastructure environment.
• Experience in successfully building and leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Self-motivated and confident.
• Excellent organizational and great leadership skills.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.

About The Company

The role is part of the HS2 project, the UK's new high-speed rail network designed to be a catalyst for economic growth. Skanska | Costain | STRABAG (SCS JV) is delivering the HS2 Main Civils Contracts for Lots S1 and S2, involving complex works such as twin-bored tunnels, SCL tunnels, shaft sinking, and more, with completion expected in 2025.

You will be a welcomed member of the wider team, with opportunities for professional development, networking, and community engagement. We are committed to supporting your personal and professional growth. We monitor job applications to ensure an inclusive recruitment process and require candidates to complete a diversity form anonymously to help us improve our approach.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.