Commercial Manager Full Time

Permanent
Full time
London, UK / Arnhem, Netherlands / Ghana, Africa / Uganda, Africa / Tanzania, Africa / Malawi, Africa

Job Description

DO

• Oversee the transition of projects from WIN to DO in relation to all commercial and operational matters, including engagement of partners, accommodations leases, supply contracts, contingent hire contracts and other procurement activities of Mott MacDonald and our partners.
• Support PPs and PMs to manage budgets in order to deliver the ROCE and project profit approved in the CAAP; or subsequently approved by the Portfolio Manager
• Review projects from a commercial and operational lens, challenging Project Principals on non-compliance or notable deviation from the forecast of project performance. Where necessary support corrective actions, identify claims for additional fees and changes to staff requirements. A particular focus should be on early identification and management of profit deterioration, rising working capital and billing and work with Project Principals to improve project performance.
• Ensure that the UMT’s risk and opportunity registers are maintained, refreshed and updated by the project team and once items have been managed or fully mitigated that the associated contingency is audit fit and either released or correctly used on projects in line with STEP, CB and Group requirements.
• Attend or provide support to engage with Monthly Project Control Meetings and/or Project Reviews.
• Provide ad hoc support to projects for commercial matters which may occur from time to time or undertake such work as instructed by the CM, IDS.
• Advise the CM, IDS of any underperforming PMs or PPs or who might have gaps in their knowledge to sufficiently undertake such roles.
• Champion the use of Enhanced Project Control (‘EPC’) and ensure the EPC tools are complete and are regularly updated, where necessary, in response to the monthly reviewing cycle.  In particular, check that all Competency Trackers are completed by project staff, for the trackers to be refreshed on an annual basis during Q1 and stored centrally.  In addition, check that the appointed Project
• Principal and Project Manager are suited to the Complexity of the project and that the appropriate level of project control support is provided.
• Assessing the financial aspects of contracts in order to facilitate invoicing and payments and to identify grounds for additional fees.

LEARN

• You shall either be working towards or be maintaining membership of a suitable professional institution and undertake continuous professional development to ensure their understanding of the latest legislation and guidance remains current.
• Inform the PCM, IDS of any specific development needs in the Bid/Project Delivery Teams, notably PPs and PMs, to drive standards, consistency, compliance and commercial awareness across this team.
• Contribute to continuous improvement in proposal approval, CAAP’s, MPCMs and project/ post-project reviews.
• Develop commercial thought leadership, add to the commercial practice site.
• Effective review and dissemination of lessons learned with customers, bids and in projects, inside the unit and more widely BMS performance: targeting commercial e-Forms and MPCM at 100%.
• Become an active member of the C&O community within IDS.

ENABLE (FINANCE/OPERATIONS)

• Lead and/or support the implementation of key focus areas of the annual Commercial and Operations Action Plan

Candidate Specification

• Demonstrably strong commercial focus and acumen
• Good written and verbal communication skills and have strong negotiation skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask and prioritise to meet deadlines
• Lucid and persuasive oral and written communicator/negotiator
• Knowledge of project management and risk management
• Possess a collaborative mindset and works well as part of a team
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams to develop accurate and commercially viable bids
• Ability to challenge and make sure corporate governance is followed
• Successful track record in bidding and tendering
• Excellent organisational skills to balance and prioritise their workload and meet deadlines
• Presentational skills
• Strong analytical and financial modelling skills
• Degree qualified or equivalent

Desirable

• Previous experience in a similar commercial role
• Some exposure to International Development projects and/or clients
• Strong strategic and negotiation skills to make sound commercial decisions
• Relevant professional qualification and/or masters’ degree
• Solid financial skills, including tax experience
• Knowledge of laws and regulations ideally within the International Development context

Job Profile

The key focus of the commercial team is to embed consistent approaches for minimising the Unit’s exposure to financial, commercial, reputational, and operational risk whilst maximising scope, consistency, and effectiveness in winning and delivering profitable business. The commercial team is part of the Commercial and Operations Core Function in IDS. The Commercial Manager (CM) will work closely with WIN- and DO-team across the Unit to deliver strong commercial bids that fully manage financial and commercial risks and to ensure that projects deliver strong commercial outcomes,

Key Responsibilities

WIN

• Working closely with the Bid Manager and Bid Principles to deliver strong commercial bids that fully manage financial and commercial risks and support the preparation of commercial strategy, contracts, budgets, pricing strategy and process, project logistics/accommodation, leasing.

More specifically, the you will;

• Assisting in the evaluation and preparation of bid proposals.
• Ensure that all commercial and operational matters have been addressed and comply with STEP and MM policies.
• Ensure that relevant special commitments are identified, and approvals/waivers have been requested and granted.
• Ensure that relevant commercial reviews are conducted (Yellow Review, Gold Review) as part of WIN governance and support the development of robust and commercially viable fee bids and/or models.
• Ensure project budgets have sufficient level of effort for commercial support to manage the risk appropriately and that proposed bid is supported and uses suitably qualified and experienced resources that will protect the interests of MM and its shareholders.
• Ensure appropriate agreements, including pre-bid agreements, with third parties are in place, including subconsultant organisations and strategic and JV partners.
• Ensure the EPC tools are completed, and appropriate amount of contingency included in budget. In addition, ensure that the appointed Project Principal and Project Manager are suited to the
• Complexity of the project and that the appropriate level of project control support is provided.
• Ensure that all commercial risks are adequate mitigation actions that affectively deal with either the probability of the risk occurring, or its impact should the risk occur; transfer, tolerate, terminate or treat.
• During WIN the risk and opportunity register shall include those elements in the contract review that have not been fully managed or mitigated during bidding and/or the contract negotiation stage.
• Support project teams in understanding key issues and securing sound and equitable commercial outcomes in contract negotiations.
• Develop contract high-level summaries for Platinum and Gold Client contracts and frameworks.

Other Information

Equality, diversity and inclusion

• We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

Agile working

• At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team and personal commitments. We embrace agility, flexibility and trust.

More about Mott MacDonald

We’re a global engineering, management and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.
A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.
Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence