Commercial Lead

Southern Water; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK water service provider is seeking a Commercial Lead to join their Major Projects team. This role involves leading negotiations for infrastructure projects, working with regulators, and ensuring financial efficiency. The ideal candidate has a strong background in project finance and a proven track record in high-value contract negotiations. The role offers hybrid working and a full-time schedule.

Benefits

Company and performance-related bonus

Generous pension up to 11% company contribution

25 days annual leave

Life assurance equal to 4x salary

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Health Cash Plan

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record of negotiating and closing high-value infrastructure contracts.
• Experience working with regulators and public bodies.
• Strong understanding of financial modelling and risk allocation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the structuring and negotiation of complex PPP-style agreements.
• Engage with regulators and external markets to shape delivery models.
• Provide critical commercial input to project approvals.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Skilled negotiation

Project finance expertise

Contract law understanding

Stakeholder management

Education

Relevant qualifications in commercial, legal, or financial disciplines

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Commercial Lead

Location: Falmer (Hybrid Working)

Salary: from £75k

Southern Water is seeking a high-calibre commercial leader to join our Major Projects team — someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy, negotiation, and infrastructure delivery. This is not just another commercial role. It’s a career-defining opportunity to lead the contractual and financial structuring of some of the most complex and innovative infrastructure projects in the UK water sector.

From Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) to Specified Infrastructure Projects Regulations (SIPR), you’ll be at the forefront of pioneering delivery models that redefine how major assets are financed, built, and operated. You’ll work closely with regulators like Ofwat, negotiate long-term agreements with strategic partners, and ensure every deal delivers value for customers, shareholders, and the environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the structuring and negotiation of complex PPP-style agreements, including DBFOM and Bulk Supply Agreements, ensuring they are commercially robust, aligned with regulatory guidance, and deliver long-term value for Southern Water and its customers.
• Engage with regulators and external markets including Ofwat, investors, and contractors to shape and secure commercially viable delivery models for major infrastructure projects under frameworks such as DPC and SIPR.
• Shape bespoke commercial models, risk allocation strategies, and payment mechanisms for multi-£100mn projects.
• Provide critical commercial input to project approvals and assurance stages.
• Ensure risks are effectively mitigated and contracts deliver financial efficiency.
• Collaborate across Legal, Finance, Regulatory, and Technical teams, and manage complex external relationships.
• Contribute to the broader commercial strategy and help grow Southern Water’s commercial capability.

About You

We’re looking for a strategic thinker and skilled negotiator with deep experience in PPP, DBFOM, or PFI-style agreements. You’ll have a strong grasp of project finance, contract law, and regulatory frameworks, ideally within a regulated sector like water, energy, or transport. You’ll bring:

• A proven track record of negotiating and closing high-value infrastructure contracts
• Experience working with regulators and public bodies (Ofwat experience is a plus)
• Strong understanding of financial modelling, risk allocation, and value-for-money assessments
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• Relevant qualifications in commercial, legal, or financial disciplines

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday 37 hours a week. Southern Water operate a hybrid approach to working between our Falmer office and home.

Benefits

• Company and performance-related bonus
• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.

Privacy Statement

Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.