Company Overview
Our client is an international contractor specialising in the delivery of major complex facilities, with a portfolio spanning pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturing, data centres and large-scale industrial complexes. These are project typologies defined by technical difficulty, regulatory scrutiny and demanding client expectations, and the business has built its position by consistently delivering where the margin for error is narrow.
Their client base consists largely of major international end users who invest repeatedly and hold their supply chain to exacting standards. Retaining that kind of client is a commercial discipline as much as a technical one, and the business has grown through a reputation for transparent contracting, sound governance and predictable outcomes rather than through aggressive pricing.
The Nordic region has become a significant growth market, supported by substantial capital investment into pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, data infrastructure and industrial facilities. Our client is expanding its regional footprint accordingly, with a secured workload that justifies building permanent senior commercial leadership on the ground rather than servicing the region remotely.
This is a business where the commercial function sits close to the top of the organisation rather than reporting into delivery as a support service. Commercial leadership contributes directly to strategy, project selection and risk appetite, and the appointment is being made with a long-term view of the individual’s place in the regional leadership team.
Working Environment & Projects
You will lead the commercial function across the region, taking accountability for commercial performance on a portfolio of high-value projects rather than a single scheme. The remit covers the full cycle — bid and tender strategy, contract negotiation and governance, procurement and subcontract strategy, risk and opportunity management, cash and margin performance, and final account resolution.
The projects themselves are technically complex and commercially substantial, frequently delivered under demanding programme conditions for clients with sophisticated in-house commercial teams of their own. Contracting arrangements vary and may include lump sum, target cost, reimbursable and framework models, which places a premium on structuring the right commercial approach at the outset rather than managing the consequences later.
You will build and lead the regional commercial team, working alongside operations, project and executive leadership as a genuine peer. Client-facing engagement is a significant part of the role, particularly around contract formation, change management and the difficult conversations that determine whether a commercially challenging project stays on good terms with its client.
Nordic operation brings its own commercial considerations: local contract forms and legal framework, labour regulation and supply chain norms, tax and compliance obligations, and a business culture where consensus, transparency and consistency count for more than they do in some markets. Experience of the region is helpful but the commercial fundamentals travel well.
Responsibilities
- Lead the commercial function across the region, with accountability for commercial performance on a portfolio of major projects
- Own bid and tender commercial strategy, including pricing approach, contract terms and risk positioning
- Negotiate and govern head contracts, ensuring terms are commercially sound and deliverable
- Define and oversee procurement and subcontract strategy, including package structuring and supply chain terms
- Take accountability for margin, cash flow, forecasting and the regional commercial risk register
- Manage change, claims and final account resolution, protecting both position and client relationship
- Build, lead and develop the regional commercial team, establishing consistent standards and processes
- Work as a peer to operations and project leadership on project selection, delivery strategy and risk appetite
- Report commercial performance, exposure and forecast to executive and board level
- Ensure compliance with local contractual, regulatory, tax and governance requirements across the region
What You Need
- Proven experience at Commercial Director, Commercial Manager or senior commercial level with a medium to large scale contractor
- Demonstrable exposure to high-value, technically complex building projects
- Strong contract negotiation and governance capability across a range of contracting models
- Full ownership of margin, cash, forecasting and risk at project or portfolio level
- Substantial procurement and subcontract strategy experience on major packages
- Proven ability to build and lead commercial teams and establish consistent standards
- Credible at executive and board level, and confident in senior client negotiation
- Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Economics or a related discipline preferred
- Chartered status (MRICS / MSCSI) preferred
- Pharma, life sciences, data centre or industrial sector experience is beneficial but not essential
- International or Nordic experience is beneficial but not essential
What You'll Get in Return
A base salary of €150,000 is on offer alongside an executive-level benefits package. The role is based in the Nordic region, and arrangements for candidates relocating internationally — including relocation support and working pattern — can be discussed confidentially as part of the process.
This is a leadership appointment rather than a project role. The commercial function reports at executive level, contributes to regional strategy and risk appetite, and the position carries a clear route into broader regional leadership, board-level involvement and long-term equity participation for a director who performs. The business is building its Nordic presence against secured workload, so the growth being described already exists on the order book.
The credential is a strong one to hold. Senior commercial leadership across complex facilities — particularly regulated pharmaceutical and life sciences environments alongside data centre and industrial delivery — combined with international operating experience, remains scarce at director level and positions candidates well across the European market.
How to Apply
To explore this opportunity in confidence, please forward your CV or project profile to [email protected] or contact 07481 954446 for an initial confidential discussion.