Commercial Manager

Coventry University Group; Coventry; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution

Annual leave 30 days

Holiday purchase scheme

Life Assurance 4x salary

BUPA Cash Plan

Discount scheme

Job summary

Coventry University Group is seeking a Commercial Manager to maximise commercial benefits across a major enterprise portfolio. You will lead pricing, risk and compliance agendas for large strategic bids, ensuring robust financial submissions and strong governance.

The successful candidate will bring exceptional commercial acumen, leadership, and a track record of managing multi-million-pound projects from bid to delivery; knowledge of the public sector or higher education is highly desirable.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or equivalent; business/finance background desirable.
• Experience managing high-value bids/projects and driving change through commercial reporting.
• Knowledge of public sector, higher education, research, or contract law desirable.
• Highly developed numeracy and strategic thinking for analysing operating models and risks.

Responsibilities

• Commercial Pricing: analyse competitor financials, market rates and internal cost models to develop robust submissions.
• Risk & Compliance Frameworks: establish and embed a culture of commercial compliance and protect IP.
• Contract Negotiation & Third-Party Management: mitigate risks and manage relationships with third-party providers, including SLAs and liabilities.
• Contract Change Control: lead post-award changes to cost and price variations while protecting targets.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Education

Degree-level education

Finance/business qualification

Job description

Coventry University Group is a global education group with a mission of Creating Better Futures. Driven by our passion and belief that through education, equity and innovation, our students, people and communities are empowered to transform their lives and the world around them.

This role sits within CU Services Limited, which serves as the home for Enterprise and Innovation within the Coventry University Group. The Enterprise & Innovation Organisation (EIO) acts as a strategic platform designed to provide a pathway through which business and society can leverage the teaching, research and wider expertise of Coventry University Group to transform lives, support lifelong learning, stimulate industrial research and commercialise new ideas.

The Role

As the Commercial Manager, you will be responsible for maximising commercial benefits while minimising operational, financial, reputational and legal risks across the enterprise business-to-business portfolio. You will lead the pricing, risk and compliance agenda for all commercial opportunities, with a particular focus on large, strategic commercial bids.

Key responsibilities include:

• Commercial Pricing: Analyse competitor financials, market rates and internal cost models to develop robust, competitive and profitable financial submissions.
• Risk & Compliance Frameworks: Establish and embed a culture of commercial compliance, safeguard institutional IP and develop financial risk models.
• Contract Negotiation & Third-Party Management: Mitigate contract risks during award stages and manage commercial relationships with third-party resource providers, including rates, SLAs, liabilities and risk exposure.
• Contract Change Control: Lead post-award change-control processes to cost and price scope variations, protecting project surplus targets.

Our Successful Candidate

Our ideal candidate brings exceptional commercial acumen, strong leadership and demonstrated experience of managing multi-million-pound commercial projects from initial bid to contract delivery.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree-level education, an equivalent professional financial/business qualification, or extensive equivalent experience (a business or finance-related degree is desirable).
• Demonstrated experience managing high-value commercial bids/projects and driving organisational change through commercial reporting.
• Knowledge of the public sector, higher education sector, research, or contract law is highly desirable.
• Commercial Acumen & Financial Skills: Highly developed numeracy and strategic thinking to analyse operating models, weigh commercial risks against rewards and optimise surplus.
• Stakeholder Management & Influencing: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with a history of influencing senior stakeholders with conflicting priorities.
• Analytical & Critical Thinking: Skilled in scenario planning, data analysis, competitor intelligence and independent problem-solving.
• Leadership & Attention to Detail: Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate direct reports while maintaining high levels of accuracy in pricing, governance and contractual details.

The Benefits

As a staff member of CU Servcies Limited, you will have a access to a wide range of industry leading rewards and benefits which includes:

• Excellent Employers Pension Contribution
• 30 days Annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• New Holiday Purchase Scheme up to 5 additional days
• Life Assurance 4 x Salary
• BUPA Cash Plan
• CU Reward Scheme – Discounts across a range of High Street/ Online Retailers

Our Culture

As a global Education Group, equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded within the fabric of our organisation and are a key focus of our core values. We harness the power and potential of the diverse cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and experiences of our students, colleagues, and partners to create opportunities for all.