Commercial Manager

About us

United Utilities (UU) is proud to be ranked #11 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of and to belong to.

Joining us

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll join a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution. These include:

• A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service, in addition to 8 bank holidays
• A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
• A 20% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
• A Car allowance of £5000
• A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme

Our projects are designed to be environmentally and socially responsible and will offer you opportunities to learn and grow throughout the project cycle. As part of our Commercial team, you will benefit from a range of training and development programs, such as Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) membership/chartered status, leadership coaching, professional accreditation and mentoring. We are here to support you in reaching your full potential and thriving in your career and beyond.

The role

Are you an experienced Commercial Manager looking for a rewarding career, that combines your passion for construction and stakeholder management with sustainable, large-scale projects that benefit society and the environment? If yes, then United Utilities (UU) have exciting opportunities for you to join our teams across multiple locations in the North West of England.

UU are experiencing a period of growth and transformation, creating several opportunities within our Commercial function to work alongside our largest and most ambitious new projects. As Commercial Manager you will lead and support one of several business-critical teams, managing a multitude of responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to manage end to end process, with a range of activities, including contract management, strategy management, risk analysis, supplier collaboration, dispute resolution and commercial operations, whilst ensuring value for money for our customers and our continued commitment to North West, England. Our roles will offer the opportunity for you to join during a period of unprecedented development, allowing you to grow within our organisation, tailoring your role to requirements and enhancing your value-contribution throughout your tenure.

In joining us, you will have full exposure to the organisation, our major projects and our largest industry partners. Stakeholder collaboration is vital for this role. You will therefore need to build strong working relationships, manage key internal and external stakeholders effectively and ensure a full business partnering model, whilst maximising value, collaborating with other experts and leading initiatives to tackle challenges unique to our industry, contributing to our success and helping us achieve our objectives.

United Utilities offer dynamic and long-lasting options that will help you grow professionally and personally and you will have the chance to enhance your skill, knowledge and experience in a supportive and collaborative environment. If you are passionate about making a positive difference for the North West of England and want to join us on our journey of transformation, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and become part of the UU family!

Key responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall commercial and contract strategy for circa £600m of infrastructure projects delivered in your allocated region, responsible for commercial performance and delivery of savings initiatives in that area.
• Lead and manage a team of Quantity Surveying professionals to robustly contract manage a large programme of infrastructure projects under NEC4 terms and conditions, in line with industry best practice.
• Negotiate contractual agreements with external organisations to ensure the service, quality, added value, total cost management and security of supply.
• Drive performance of contracts and suppliers throughout the contract lifecycle by influencing stakeholders and embedding a culture of strong contract governance procedures.
• Influence specification, supply and sourcing, particularly in terms of value for money, commercial risk, operational risk, economies of scale, innovation and efficiency.
• Use of negotiating, influencing and motivational skills is critical to this role.

Skills & experience

• Experience of end-to-end commercial management of large construction, engineering or building programmes.
• Degree educated, with a relevant post-graduate qualification (e.g. CIPS,RICS, MBA, MSC) OR equivalent skills, knowledge and experience.
• Experience of implementing and negotiating new commercial relationships cross functional and business boundaries and a quantifiable track record of savings delivery and change implementation.
• Knowledge of key construction procurement processes, tools and methodologies used by leading edge procurement practitioners.
• Experience of SRM and Contract Management.
• Knowledge of techniques for implementing commercial agreements in a complex and rapidly changing environment.
• The ability to influence at senior management levels to embrace and support the strategic agenda is essential.

If not already held, successful candidates will be supported to undertake the relevant level of study with the relevant industry body if not already held. This will be funded by UU.