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Commercial Lead
Water & Environment
Sector Exposure: Water, Environment, Defence, Nuclear
Are you ready to lead commercial strategy across transformative infrastructure programmes? Our client is seeking a dynamic Commercial Lead to oversee high-value contracts in the Water & Environment sector, with opportunities to expand into Defence and Nuclear. This is your opportunity to shape delivery outcomes, drive commercial excellence, and influence the future of sustainable infrastructure.
If you're passionate about leading with purpose and delivering impact, we'd love to hear from you.
Your Role & Impact
You'll lead a team of commercial professionals across multi-million-pound contracts. You'll provide strategic oversight from procurement through to close-out, ensuring alignment with project timelines, budgets, and risk profiles. You'll also engage with senior stakeholders, regulators, and delivery partners to ensure commercial integrity and performance.
This role is ideal for a commercially astute leader with deep infrastructure experience and a passion for driving value, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Commercial Leadership
- Build, lead and develop the commercial and cost management function into a high performing team
- Support the work winning team to review and identify risks and accountabilities within tender packs and contractual terms
- Prepare, develop and implement commercial solutions to support work winning
- Lead commercial delivery across complex, multi-workstream programmes
- Oversee contract execution, supplier performance, and risk mitigation
- Ensure compliance with NEC3/4 and FIDIC contracts, UK law, and regulatory frameworks
- Guide procurement strategy and contract preparation across all phases
Project & Cost Management
- Support feasibility studies, benchmarking, and value management
- Lead cost planning, estimating, and final cost plan presentation
- Manage post-contract cost variances, valuations, and change control
- Oversee final account negotiation and post-project evaluation
Stakeholder Engagement & Business Growth
- Act as a trusted interface with clients, consultants, and delivery teams
- Collaborate with senior leadership to shape client-focused bids
- Provide commercial insight to strengthen proposal strategy
- Maintain a robust database of lessons learned and bid outcomes
- Drive continuous improvement across commercial processes and tools
Qualifications & Requirements
- Strong financial modelling experience
- Excellent client facing and supply chain facing skills
- Expert commercial acumen and problem solving skills
- Experience of managing teams
- Enthusiasm and ability to inspire and motivate people
- Extensive experience in water, environment, defence, or nuclear sectors
- Strong knowledge of CDM regulations and risk management
- NEC3/4 contract expertise (Options A, C, E essential)
- Experience with ECI/ESI in design & build programmes
- Valid CSCS card; Water Hygiene Card desirable
- Line management experience and ability to mentor junior QSs
- Willingness to work on-site a minimum of 3 days per week
RG Setsquare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
