Senior Commercial Manager

This is a very exciting time to join Costain and particularly within Costain Engineering Limited (CEL) design team which has doubled in size in the last 18 months. There is a strong drive from the wider business and executive team to continue this growth in design and engineering. Due to this growth, CEL, our in house Engineering Services team is looking for a Senior Commercial Manager to support our robust pipeline of work across various sectors. This role is integral to our strategic growth ambitions as we aim to be an engineering-led business.

You will be accountable for the management and continuous improvement of our contractual engagement and commercial governance systems across our engineering and design service offering, as well as the effective control of all commercial risks, liabilities, exposures, and opportunities to ensure business profitability.

The role will report directly to the Group Director of Engineering Services and offers a hybrid working arrangement predominantly based in London or Manchester typically 3 days with a flexible approach to home working to promote well being.

At Costain, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.

• Commercial Strategy & Leadership; Lead the commercial function for our Engineering Services team, establishing rigid processes for contract negotiation and set up and ensuring appropriate governance procedures are followed
• Contract Management: Oversee the set up and execution of Internal Trading Agreements and Sub-contract Professional Services Agreements for the delivery of all in-house engineering and design services
• Risk & Opportunity: Identify commercial risks and opportunities early in the project lifecycle, preventing unforeseen challenges and "scope creep" to ensure smooth design delivery which is aligned to the agreed contractual mechanism and payment terms
• Financial Reporting: Manage WIP (Work in Progress), monthly cost-value reconciliations (CVR), profit & margin management and internal cross-charging between the Engineering Services consultancy and Costain Sectors
• Procurement: Oversee the selection, management and engagement with external 3rd party designers or sub-contractors required to facilitate engineering delivery, ensuring their terms are back-to-back with our primary obligations
• Change Control: Rigorously manage the change process, ensuring that any variations in design scope are captured, costed, and approved
• Sector Knowledge: Deep understanding of engineering design phases and cycles across the primary infrastructure sectors and how they impact large-scale construction projects
• Continuous Improvement: Commitment to the development of new or improved commercial procedures, systems and processes aligned with Costain’s strategic objectives and growth ambitions

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in commercial management, ideally with a mix of consultancy (fee-based) and contracting (delivery-based) experience in the construction industry
• Demonstrable financial and commercial acumen
• A practical, strategic and innovative approach to problem-solving with strong analytical skills and ability to maintain a measured approach in a challenging and dynamic commercial environment
• Excellent communication, negotiation and customer facing skills who can speak the language of both design engineers and sector side / site-based project managers
• Proficient in technical minute taking at contractual meetings and able to demonstrate the ability to collate information and prepare financial reports, applications for payment etc
• Understanding of commercial priorities and risks within a fee/rate based engineering consultancy service
• Proficient in financial monitoring and reporting procedures including cost value reconciliation and profit & loss reporting
• Proficient in developing & implementing procurement and contract strategies, and in drafting effective contractual correspondence
• Proven team-working and team management skills demonstrating the ability to motivate, inspire, persuade and lead teams to deliver to or above target levels of performance
• Demonstrable legal, contractual and construction knowledge and experience including NEC3/4
• Proficient in implementing and delivering strategic objectives and associated change programmes

Desirable

• The ability to constantly improve and evolve as a commercial leader, taking account of and enabling company strategy and growth ambitions

Qualifications

Essential

• Holds an RICS / CICES accredited degree.

Desirable

• Full Membership of RICS or CICES.
• May also be a member of other professional bodies or hold additional qualifications.