Commercial Manager

ZipRecruiter; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking two dynamic Commercial Managers to join their Procurement team. This pivotal role involves providing strategic guidance and expert advice on cost management, ensuring contractual compliance, and resolving disputes. As part of a forward-thinking company, you will play a crucial role in maximizing value from construction contracts while contributing to ambitious projects aimed at enhancing service delivery. The position offers a hybrid working model and a competitive salary, along with a range of attractive benefits designed to support your professional growth and work-life balance.

Benefits

Company and performance-related bonus

Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution

Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary

Health benefits through a Cash Plan

Two paid community volunteering days a year

25 days annual holiday

Occupational health service

Perkbox benefits offering discounts

Study support for job-related qualifications

Competitive maternity leave and flexible return options

Qualifications

• Experienced Quantity Surveyors with a focus on cost management and commercial support.
• Knowledge of procurement best practices and contract management is essential.

Responsibilities

• Deliver cost management services and provide commercial advice to business units.
• Ensure compliance with procurement best practices and manage contract lifecycle.

Skills

Cost Management

Commercial Support

Contract Compliance

Dispute Resolution

Quantity Surveying

Procurement Support

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying

Chartership (preferred)

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Commercial Manager
Location: We offer a hybrid approach to working, approximately 2 days on-site and 3 from home. We can be flexible with the base location of this role across East Sussex, West Sussex and West Hampshire.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday
Salary: Competitive salary commensurate to experience.

Job Overview
We’re growing our team again! Having successfully filled over seven roles, we’re now looking for two more Commercial Managers to join us in Falmer as we gear up for our biggest AMP yet—featuring multiple large-scale projects. As a Commercial Manager in our Procurement team, you’ll be a key commercial business partner, providing expert advice and strategic guidance. Your role will involve cost management, pre-contract commercial support, ensuring contractual compliance, and resolving disputes—helping Southern Water maximise value from its construction contracts. Our Business Plan 2025 to 2030 is our largest and most ambitious plan ever.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

1. Support delivery of cost management services within a specified business directorate, providing commercial support and advice to the business including appraisal of options, feasibility studies, cost planning, procurement support, cost management, change management, and cost appraisals throughout the contract/project lifecycle.
2. Operate within a defined framework of commercial/cost management, control, and audit in line with procurement best practices and techniques.
3. Work closely with commercial Project Managers to provide pre-contract capabilities.
4. Ensure all commercial and cost activity is recorded using agreed processes, and that it is incorporated into the costs and budgets.
5. Work with Project Managers and contractors to support setting of target costs/fixed prices as appropriate for the contract form.

About You
We are keen to hear from experienced (and preferably fully qualified) Quantity Surveyors who are looking to take their next step into an exciting yet challenging Commercial Management career. Experience within the Utilities industry, and Chartership would be advantageous but are not essential.

Package
This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working. We can be flexible with the base location of this role within Sussex and West Hampshire. We are offering a competitive salary depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including:

• Company and performance-related bonus
• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution
• Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary
• Health benefits through a Cash Plan
• Two paid community volunteering days a year
• 25 days annual holiday
• Occupational health service
• Perkbox benefits offering discounts and savings on several products and experiences
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• We offer competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options

Join Southern Water and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

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. 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.