Commercial Contracts Lead

Thames Water; England; Hybrid; GBP 68,605 - 102,910; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual Bonus

Contributory pension

26 days annual leave

Private Medical Health Care

Personal Medical Assessments

Benefits hub access

Job summary

A leading utility provider in the UK seeks a Commercial Contracts Lead to oversee major infrastructure projects worth over £5 billion. This hybrid position requires solid negotiation and leadership skills, with a focus on guiding teams and ensuring compliance with NEC4 contracts. The candidate will also need substantial experience in managing delivery partners and delivering impactful results. This role offers a competitive salary, annual bonus, and various employee benefits, promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Qualifications

• Proven successful experience working with many stakeholders.
• Significant experience in multi-billion-pound infrastructure projects.
• Previous experience as a Senior Commercial Quantity Surveyor Manager.
• Experience managing a Delivery Partner or Contractor on behalf of a client.
• Strong leadership skills and experience.

Responsibilities

• Support technical and programme partner service managers.
• Provide commercial support for partners under NEC4 contracts.
• Ensure commercial elements of the Partner Frameworks are met.
• Offer commercial and contractual guidance to Service Managers.
• Steer effective performance measurement and change control processes.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Influencing skills

Leadership

Experience working with stakeholders

Education

NEC contract experience

Job description

Join to apply for the Commercial Contracts Lead role at Thames Water.

This is a unique Commercial Contracts role within Thames Water because you will be part of our Strategic Resource Options (SRO) team, which is developing a portfolio of 5 major infrastructure projects, including a new reservoir in Oxfordshire and other water supply resilience infrastructure programmes.

These have a total capital value of over £5 billion.

This role works with the Head of Procurement & Supply Chain for the SRO Directorate. You will be the provider of Commercial and Contractual Management support for technical and programme management partners.

What you’ll be doing as the Commercial Contracts Lead

• You will be working alongside and supporting the technical and programme partner service managers.
• You will provide and build the capability for commercial support for the partners under NEC4 contracts.
• Focus on ensuring that both Thames Water and the Service Managers discharge their role correctly concerning the commercial elements of the Partner Frameworks.
• Work with the Service Managers to offer them commercial and contractual guidance.
• You will also work closely with the Head of Programme Controls and Insights, as well as the SRO Senior Leadership Team and others within the SRO Programme to ensure that the outputs, outcomes, resources and services that are provided by the Supply Chain Partners meet the required standards and provide best value for the overall programme.
• Steering and operating effective performance measurement, value management and change control processes.

This is a hybrid role with a base Location of Camelford House, 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP.

What you should bring to the role?

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are

• You will have strong negotiation and influencing skills with proven successful experience working with many stakeholders at the same time.
• Significant experience as an established and credible leader working on multi‑billion‑pound major infrastructure projects (such as construction, highways, utilities, railways, and the Tideway Tunnel).
• Previous experience as a Senior Commercial Quantity Surveyor Manager or Commercial.
• Lead within a similar major programme, managing a Delivery Partner or Contractor on behalf of a client entity.
• NEC contract experience, preferably within professional services or construction.
• Excellent leadership skills and experience.

Extra qualities that would be a great fit for our team

• RISC qualification and membership.
• You will be resilient and able to adapt and implement change at speed, whilst creating an environment for the people you are working with to thrive.
• Have a non‑negotiable work ethic concerning the health, safety and well‑being of team members and the wider environment.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary is between £68,605 - £102,910 per annum dependant on experience.
• Annual Bonus.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution – Maximum of 12% – 2x employee contributions.
• 26 days of annual leave per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Find out more about our benefits and perks.

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, let us know – we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.