Senior Commercial Manager - Major Projects

UGL; North Sydney Council; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

16 weeks paid parental leave

Salary continuance insurance

Medibank health insurance

Individual Development Plan

Wellness Program with AIA Vitality

OneRewards Discount Program

Job summary

UGL in North Sydney leads the commercial function for the Major Projects business, overseeing governance, risk and performance across major road, rail, data centre and defence programs. You will mentor Commercial Managers and drive value throughout project lifecycles.

The role requires senior leadership, strong contract governance, and the ability to navigate complex client and stakeholder negotiations to protect company interests.

Qualifications

• Senior commercial leadership experience in large infrastructure contracting.
• Strong contract governance and risk management expertise.
• Proven ability to lead multi-project programs and teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the commercial function across the Major Projects unit.
• Develop and implement commercial strategies for project delivery.
• Oversee claims, variations and dispute resolution with clients and sub contractors.
• Provide strategic guidance to project teams on commercial decisions.

Skills

Senior leadership

Contract management

Dispute resolution

Stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Education

Engineering or Quantity Surveying degree

Tools

ERP systems

Contract management software

Job description

About the role

Exciting opportunity available to lead the Commercial function for our Major Projects business unit and lead Commercial Managers who are supporting some of Australia’s most significant infrastructure projects in Road, Rail, Data Centre and Defence.

Located in North Sydney, this role is accountable for leading the commercial function across the Major Projects business unit, ensuring the successful commercial management of projects throughout their lifecycle. The role provides strategic and operational leadership to commercial teams, driving commercial performance, protecting business interests, and enabling project delivery outcomes.

Key responsibilities

Lead and manage the commercial function across the Major Projects business.

Establish and maintain commercial frameworks, policies, processes and governance standards.

Develop and implement commercial strategies that support business objectives and project delivery outcomes.

Provide strategic commercial leadership and guidance to project commercial teams.

Drive a culture of commercial accountability, performance, compliance and continuous improvement.

Mentor and develop commercial professionals across the business.

Project Commercial Management

Maintain oversight of all commercial aspects of projects in delivery, ensuring proactive management of risks and opportunities.

Monitor project commercial performance, including revenue, margin, cash flow, claims and contractual obligations.

Support project teams in the administration of client and subcontractor contracts.

Review and challenge commercial assumptions, project forecasts and key commercial decisions.

Ensure early identification and escalation of potential commercial issues.

Contract, Claims and Dispute Management

Oversee the management of contractual obligations across all projects.

Lead the development and execution of commercial strategies relating to claims, variations and dispute resolution.

Support project teams in preparing and negotiating significant variations and claims.

Manage complex commercial negotiations with clients, subcontractors and stakeholders.

Lead the resolution of commercial disputes to achieve favourable outcomes while maintaining key client relationships.

Engage with legal counsel where required to protect company interests.

Establish and maintain robust commercial risk management practices across the business.

Identify, assess and mitigate commercial, contractual and financial risks.

Ensure risk registers are actively managed and integrated into project governance processes.

Support project teams in developing mitigation strategies for emerging risks.

Provide regular reporting on key commercial risks and exposure.

Client and Stakeholder Management

Develop and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients and key stakeholders.

Act as the senior commercial representative for the business in client engagements.

Influence commercial outcomes through effective negotiation and relationship management.

Support business leaders in strategic client discussions and contract negotiations.

Contribute to the development of long-term client partnerships and repeat business opportunities.

Governance and Reporting

Ensure compliance with contractual, legal, regulatory and corporate governance requirements.

Provide commercial reporting, insights and recommendations to the Executive Team.

Monitor commercial performance against budgets, forecasts and key performance indicators.

Support internal and external audit requirements as required.

Drive best-practice governance standards across commercial operations.

Business Growth and Strategic Support

Contribute to the strategic planning and growth of the Major Projects business.

Support tender reviews and provide commercial input into major bids and pursuits.

Identify opportunities to improve commercial outcomes, efficiencies and risk allocation.

Participate in business planning, investment evaluations and strategic initiatives.

About You

Extensive senior commercial leadership experience within a large infrastructure contracting organisation

A technical background with qualifications in building, engineering, or quantity surveying, with further qualifications in contractual law an advantage

Demonstrated experience managing commercial functions across large-scale project portfolios.

Strong expertise in contract management and commercial governance.

Proven capability in claims management, dispute resolution and commercial negotiation.

Experience managing complex client relationships and stakeholder environments.

Strong financial and commercial acumen.

Experience leading and developing high-performing commercial teams.

Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.

About UGL

As a member of the CIMIC Group of companies, we value diversity in our team’s backgrounds, ideas, work styles.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourage applications from women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, mature aged workers and individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds.

What we offer

Benefit from 16 weeks of paid primary parental leave.

Complimentary salary continuance insurance.

Discounted Medibank health insurance.

Shape your career with an Individual Development Plan.

Participate in our Wellness Program with AIA Vitality.

Access our OneRewards Discount Program.