Senior Commercial Manager - Pre-Contracts

Downer; Milton; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Work-from-home options

Health & wellness benefits

Employee assistance program

Retail discounts with major retailers

Job summary

Downer is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager - Pre Contracts to lead tender strategy and commercial governance across Energy & Utilities in Australia and New Zealand.

You will guide bids from opportunity identification to award, balancing customer expectations with risk and long-term growth while collaborating with bid, ops and legal teams.

Qualifications

• Experience reviewing tenders, contracts and commercial models.
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Responsibilities

• Shape bids through tender phase to deliver competitive, deliverable and sound commercial outcomes.
• Influence commercial strategy on complex opportunities with bid, operations and technical teams.
• Translate risks, opportunities and trade-offs into practical guidance for bids and senior stakeholders.
• Develop balanced commercial positions with specialists to protect Downer while enabling compelling bids.
• Identify value, risk and KPI opportunities to shape tender and negotiation positions.
• Present clear recommendations to governance for senior decision-making.

Skills

Tender governance

Commercial insight

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Law / contract law or related discipline

Construction management / engineering / accounting / QS

Job description

Take a leading role in shaping commercially smart, sustainable growth opportunities across Downer's Energy & Utilities business as a Senior Commercial Manager - Pre Contracts.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Commercial Director, the Senior Commercial Manager - Pre Contracts will play a visible and influential role in supporting sustainable growth across Downer's Energy & Utilities business in Australia and New Zealand. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of the tender phase, using commercial insight, strategic thinking and sound judgement to help the business decide which opportunities to pursue and how to position them for success. From early opportunity identification through to tender submission, negotiation, award and handover, you will help balance customer expectations, risk, value and long-term growth. You will join a collaborative, high-performing commercial team that provides practical advice, constructive challenge and clear commercial direction across Energy & Utilities pursuits.

What you’ll do

• Shape bids through the tender phase, using commercial insight to help the business pursue opportunities that support sustainable growth and are competitive, deliverable and commercially sound.
• Influence commercial strategy on complex tender opportunities, working with bid, operational and technical teams to help shape the solution, pricing approach, risk position and customer response.
• Bring clarity to complex customer contracts, commercial models and performance regimes by translating key risks, opportunities and trade-offs into practical advice for bid teams and senior stakeholders.
• Partner with specialist functions to develop balanced commercial positions that protect Downer while supporting compelling, customer-focused bids.
• Identify value, risk and opportunity in KPIs, performance regimes and commercial mechanisms, helping shape tender and negotiation positions that support sustainable business outcomes.
• Represent the commercial strategy through governance and approval processes, presenting clear recommendations that support confident decision-making by senior stakeholders.

What we offer

• Competitive remuneration with a leading ASX-listed company.
• Flexible working arrangements, including work-from-home options.
• Exposure to diverse tender opportunities across Energy & Utilities, with the ability to influence commercial strategy before contracts are awarded.
• Structured career pathways and the opportunity to work across different areas of the Utilities business, supported by a robust Commercial Operating Model.
• A suite of health and wellness benefits and initiatives, including employee assistance support.
• Retail discounts with major retailers, including Dell, The Good Guys, Samsung, Specsavers and ANZ

What we’re looking for

• A commercially astute professional with experience in construction, maintenance, infrastructure or service-based contracting, ideally with exposure to tendering, bid governance and commercial approval processes.
• The ability to review and interpret complex tenders, contracts, commercial models and performance regimes, and translate them into clear, practical advice for bid teams and senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial judgement, with confidence identifying key risks, opportunities, customer drivers and negotiation positions during the tender phase.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with the ability to influence, challenge constructively and build trusted relationships across bid, operational, technical, legal and functional teams.
• Confidence engaging senior stakeholders and contributing to governance and approval processes through clear recommendations and sound commercial reasoning.
• Tertiary qualifications in law, construction management, engineering, accounting, quantity surveying or a related discipline.

About Energy & Utilities

Downer's Energy & Utilities business unit is an integrated trans-Tasman team, providing services and solutions that connect communities to essential networks and infrastructure. We design, build, operate and maintain today's critical assets and networks, delivering complete services across the water, electricity, telecommunications, industrial and power generation sectors. Our expertise spans in-house technical smarts, specialist engineering, integrated OEM partners, and dedicated crews of qualified tradespeople.

Downer Group is an employer that acknowledges and embraces the importance of our people's diverse experiences, talents, and cultures. As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from everyone.