Commercial Manager

Basildon, Essex
Keltbray

Commercial Manager – Keltbray Environmental Services

Responsible for overseeing the commercial and financial performance of projects, including budgeting, reporting, contracts, and client management, to ensure successful project delivery and profitability. The role is responsible for the full commercial and financial management of the business unit at the project level, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, contract management, reporting, and client relationship management. It involves close collaboration with the managing director, oversight of the junior commercial team, and regular site visits to monitor progress, ensure accurate records, and manage variations. Strong communication, negotiation, and teamwork skills are essential to successfully deliver projects in a demanding commercial environment.

1. Team management – the ability to select, develop and manage teams.
2. Conflict management – the ability to identify, address and resolve differences between individuals and/or interest groups.
3. Leadership – the ability to empower and inspire others to deliver successful change initiatives.
4. Risk, opportunity, and issue management – the ability to identify and monitor risks (threats and opportunities), to plan and implement responses to those risks, and respond to other issues that affect the change initiative.
5. Consolidated planning – the ability to consolidate and document the fundamental components of a change initiative: scope; schedule; resource requirements; budgets; risks; opportunities and issues; and quality requirements.
6. Governance arrangements – the ability to establish and maintain governance structures that define clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for governance and delivery of change initiatives and align with organisational practice.
7. Clients, stakeholders, and communications management – the ability to manage stakeholders, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.
8. Reviews – the ability to establish and manage reviews at appropriate points, during and after change initiatives, which will inform governance of the change initiatives, by providing evaluations of progress, methodologies, and continuing relevance.
9. Change control – the ability to establish protocols to alter the scope of change initiatives, implementing the protocols when necessary, and updating configuration documentation, including contracts to develop, maintain and apply quality management processes for change initiative activities and outputs.
10. Budgeting and cost control – the ability to develop and agree budgets for change initiatives, and to control forecast and actual costs against the budget.

Role Specifics

1. Manage the business unit’s monthly P&L account at the project level.
2. Review, track, and forecast the overhead budget.
3. Conduct quarterly budget reviews for presentation to the executive board.
4. Prepare annual turnover (TO) and gross margin (GM) budgets.
5. Produce monthly CVR (Cost Value Reconciliation) reports.
6. Review and update cashflows as required.
7. Review contracts and terms & conditions (T&Cs) across all projects.
8. Negotiate and prepare contract reviews.
9. Maintain a solid understanding of all forms of contract, particularly JCT and NEC.
10. Conduct subcontract reviews and comparisons.
11. Develop and ensure up-to-date estimating costings are provided to the estimating team.
12. Build and maintain client relationships; attend commercial client meetings.
13. Ensure sales and invoicing processes are up to date, overseeing the junior team and their responsibilities.
14. Carry out a monthly review of subcontractor liabilities.
15. Possess a good understanding of COINS or demonstrate the ability to use a cost reporting system.
16. Asbestos knowledge is preferred but not essential.
17. Work closely with the business unit managing director on project budgets, preparing applications for payment (including valuations of variations and loss and/or expense), monitoring budgets against monthly costs and projections, and maintaining strong relationships with clients, consultants, and colleagues. Site visits are essential to monitor variations, maintain accurate site records, and address related matters.
18. Communicate effectively at all levels.
19. Be an excellent collaborator with the ability to perform under pressure in a demanding commercial environment.
20. Involve others appropriately in decision-making and foster positive group morale and productivity.

Qualifications

1. Degree Level qualification or equivalent (E)
2. A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a Senior Commercial Position (E)

Desirable

• RICS

Equal Opportunities

Keltbray are an equal opportunities employer, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.