Commercial Director

Downer; Milton; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration package

Professional development

Career growth opportunities

Safety focused culture

Flexible work practices where possible

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Downer Energy & Utilities is seeking a Commercial Director to lead the commercial strategy, risk and performance on a major transmission infrastructure project in Australia.

You will oversee contractual, financial, cash flow and risk management, guiding project delivery and collaborating with clients, delivery teams and executive stakeholders to maximise commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in a senior commercial leadership role on major projects.
• Experience on projects valued over $1 billion.
• Strong knowledge of construction contracts and relevant legislation.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead all commercial activities across the project lifecycle.
• Develop and implement project commercial strategies.
• Manage contractual obligations, claims, variations and dispute resolution.
• Drive commercial governance and compliance with Downer frameworks.
• Lead risk identification, mitigation and opportunity management.
• Ensure accurate commercial reporting, forecasting and cash flow management.
• Provide expert commercial advice to project and executive leadership teams.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients, subcontractors and stakeholders.
• Lead and develop high performing commercial teams to deliver outcomes.

Skills

Commercial leadership

Contract management

Negotiations

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Financial acumen

Contract law knowledge

Leadership of teams

Project governance

Education

Degree in Law / Quantity Surveying / Construction Management

Job description

Join Downer as Commercial Director and lead commercial strategy, risk and performance on major power projects.

The Opportunity

Downer Energy & Utilities is seeking an experienced and commercially astute Commercial Director. This is a critical senior leadership role responsible for driving commercial excellence across one of Australia's most significant transmission infrastructure projects.

Reporting to the Commercial Director Power Projects, you will lead the project's commercial function, ensuring the protection and maximisation of commercial outcomes while managing contractual, financial, cash flow and risk exposures. You will play a key role in supporting project delivery, influencing strategic decision making and maintaining strong relationships with clients, delivery teams and executive stakeholders.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading all commercial activities across the project lifecycle
• Developing and implementing project commercial strategies
• Managing contractual obligations, claims, variations and dispute resolution
• Driving commercial governance and compliance with Downer frameworks and methodologies
• Leading risk identification, mitigation and opportunity management
• Ensuring accurate commercial reporting, forecasting and cash flow management
• Providing expert commercial advice to project and executive leadership teams
• Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with clients, subcontractors and key stakeholders
• Leading and developing high performing commercial teams to deliver successful project outcomes

What We're Looking For

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• More than 10 years' experience in a senior commercial leadership role within major construction or infrastructure projects
• Proven experience on large scale projects valued over $1 billion
• Strong experience within transmission, energy, renewables or major infrastructure sectors
• Demonstrated success leading commercial functions and teams in complex project environments
• Expertise in contract management, commercial negotiations, claims management and dispute resolution
• Strong financial, risk management and business acumen
• Sound knowledge of construction contracts and relevant commercial legislation
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills
• A degree qualification in Law, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related discipline is highly regarded
• A passion for developing people, driving continuous improvement and building commercial excellence across project teams

What We Offer

At Downer, we value our people and are committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace. In return, we offer:

• Opportunity to lead the commercial function on a nationally significant power project
• A collaborative and high performing leadership team
• Competitive remuneration package
• Ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities
• A strong safety focused and values driven culture
• Access to employee benefits, wellbeing programs and flexible work practices where possible

About Energy & Utilities

Downer Energy & Utilities delivers integrated solutions across the electricity, gas, water and telecommunications sectors. We design, build and maintain critical infrastructure that connects communities and supports Australia's growing energy future.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, veterans, mature age workers and people with disability to apply.