Commercial Lead

Anglian Water Services; Selby; Hybrid; GBP 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services provider in the East Anglia area seeks a Commercial Lead to oversee commercial management within the IOS Alliance. The ideal candidate will have a relevant degree, a thorough understanding of NEC3 contracts, and strong commercial acumen. Responsibilities include leading a team, advising on contractual matters, and developing strategies that align with business objectives. The position offers competitive salary and benefits including a comprehensive pension scheme, personal health care, and annual leave options.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Excellent family-friendly policies

Personal private health care

Annual bonus scheme

Flexible benefits to support wellbeing

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel within the AW Region.
• Capacity to constructively challenge decisions for better outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of commercial management, financial assurance, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Provide expert advice on NEC3 contractual matters.
• Develop and implement a Commercial Strategy aligned with business objectives.

Skills

Relevant degree in construction or commercial/financial management

Thorough understanding of NEC3 forms of contract

Leading complex teams and processes

Strong commercial acumen

Dispute resolution

Education

Relevant professional qualification e.g. RICS, CIOB, ICE

Job description

Commercial Lead Location: Within the East Anglia area to include: Lincoln, Peterborough, & Norfolk Contract: Permanent/Full time Salary: circa £75,000 dependent on experience and skills

At Anglian Water our values are that together, we will: Build trust, do the right thing, and we are always exploring.

Who are we?

Here within Anglian Water, we collaborate with a number of alliance partners to provide the best water and water recycling services across the region by maintaining our existing assets and undertaking new projects to safeguard future water supplies.

Playing a key part in our drive to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we serve through our commitment to Love Every Drop are our Integrated Operational Solutions (IOS) Alliance. Comprising of Anglian Water, MGroup, Barhale and Kier, the IOS Alliance work together to concentrate on solutions across the water recycling and clean water asset base.

What will you be doing as our new Commercial Lead?

The Commercial Lead will serve as the Employer’s Commercial Representative within the IOS Alliance working under the Senior Commercial Manager, managing projects under the NEC3 contract suite, with a focus on Options E (pre-contract planning) and A (Priced Contract with Activity Schedule). In this leadership capacity, the role requires close collaboration with the Project Manager and delivery teams to ensure rigorous management of contractual obligations and adherence to Anglian Water’s governance standards. The Commercial Lead will be accountable and lead a team of commercial professionals, driving strategic commercial objectives, securing financial assurance, and actively managing risk throughout all stages of the project lifecycle.

A strong leader, you will manage a team of commercial professionals and will be accountable and/or responsible for the following in respect of IOS Alliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of commercial management, financial assurance, and risk mitigation strategies for the IOS Alliance.
• Provide expert advice and interpretation on NEC3 contractual matters to minimise risk and ensure contract compliance.
• Develop and implement a Commercial Strategy aligned with Anglian Water’s business objectives and performance targets.
• Promote and maintain high standards of commercial integrity and financial self‑assurance.
• Ensure timely, transparent, and accurate reporting of commercial and contractual positions.
• Enforce compliance with Anglian Water and alliance governance structures, meeting all legal and contractual obligations.
• Support commercial dispute resolution processes while actively promoting dispute avoidance.
• Identify and drive implementation of commercial best practices and process efficiencies.
• Proactively manage financial and commercial risks across all project stages.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of commercial challenge and innovation to improve efficiency and enable performance excellence.

A little bit about your skills, experience and behaviours

• Relevant degree in construction or commercial/financial management
• Thorough understanding of NEC3 forms of contract
• Leading complex teams and processes
• Relevant professional qualification e.g. RICS, CIOB, ICE
• Strong commercial acumen
• Managing geographically dispersed teams
• Willingness to travel within the AW Region
• Able to communicate effectively with all stakeholders
• Contract drafting
• Dispute resolution with an emphasis on equitable and sustainable outcomes for all
• Being able to prioritise the alliance needs over the needs of home organisations
• Acts in a truly collaborative fashion and inspires others to do the same
• Be proactive in managing allocated programme and promptly escalates issues as necessary
• Demonstrate resilience if there are setbacks
• Willingness to take accountability of any problems
• Constructively challenge any decisions and behaviours that do not deliver the best outcomes for the alliance or the Water Business Stream
• Translate strategy and plans into local implementation

Why Anglian Water?

At Anglian Water, our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we ensure their hard work is recognised and rewarded. Some of our benefits include:

• Competitive pension scheme – Anglian Water double‑matches your contributions up to 6%
• Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity / adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paternity / partner pay. Opportunity for shared parental pay.
• Personal private health care
• Annual bonus scheme
• Up to 26 days leave, rising with service + Bank Holidays, with the option to swap Christmas and Easter holidays for those celebrated by your religion
• Flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle
• Lots of great benefits including 20% off new EE mobile contracts, discounted cinema tickets and a Cycle2Work scheme
• Free parking at all offices, site and leisure parks
• Life Cover at 8x your salary
• Personal Accident cover – up to 5x your salary

Inclusion is for everyone and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong.

If the opportunity to add value to a commercial team who deliver community‑centric and vital projects appeals to your career aspirations, please apply today.

Closing date: 4th December 2025

#loveeverydrop