Commercial Manager

Prime Appointments Ltd; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Prime Appointments Ltd in Ipswich is seeking an experienced Commercial Manager to lead commercial and contractual aspects of engineering projects across the UK and internationally. This hands-on role requires strong commercial judgement and close collaboration with MD and cross-functional teams.

You will own sales forecasts, pricing reviews, cash flow management, and contract risk mitigation, ensuring profitable project delivery and robust customer relationships.

Qualifications

• Proven commercial or contracts management experience in engineering, manufacturing, marine, energy or capital equipment.
• Experience with tender pricing, margins, and risk management.
• Ability to manage cash flow, payments and forecasting.
• Negotiation of terms with customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Own and control commercial processes and margins across projects.
• Maintain sales forecast and align with business priorities.
• Review pricing, margins, payment profiles, and risks.
• Negotiate terms and support handover from Sales to delivery.
• Monitor project margin, cash flow, variations and invoicing.
• Prepare post-project reviews and lessons learned.

Skills

Commercial management

Contract management

Tender pricing

Cash flow management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Team collaboration

Education

Commercial management or related field (advantageous)

Job description

Location: Ipswich
Hours: Full time, permanent - Monday to Friday, 9.00am-5.00pm
Salary: Competitive

An opportunity to make a real commercial impact

We are looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to join a successful and growing engineering business specialising in bespoke power generation solutions for customers across the UK and internationally.

This is a hands-on role with genuine commercial ownership. You will be responsible for managing the commercial and contractual aspects of projects from tender and pricing through to delivery, close-out and post-project review, working closely with the Managing Director and teams across the business.

Our projects are technically challenging and varied, supporting customers including the MOD, NHS and National Grid and delivering power generation solutions across applications ranging from warships to care homes.

With a turnover of approximately £16m, this is an environment where your commercial judgement, initiative and ability to work collaboratively will have a visible impact on business performance.

The Role

As Commercial Manager, you will take ownership of key commercial processes and controls, helping to protect margin, cash flow and the company's contractual position while supporting strong customer relationships and profitable project delivery.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Owning and maintaining the sales forecast, ensuring it remains accurate, current and aligned with business priorities.
• Managing stock levels in line with trading requirements and the sales forecast, balancing availability, working capital and obsolescence risk.
• Reviewing and validating pricing, margins, payment profiles, commercial assumptions and risks.
• Negotiating customer, supplier and subcontractor terms within agreed authority levels.
• Supporting an effective commercial handover from Sales into project delivery.
• Monitoring project margin, cash flow, variations, claims, invoicing and forecast outcomes.
• Completing post-project reviews covering final margin, commercial performance, lessons learned and improvement actions.
• Ensuring contractual notices, records and approvals are properly maintained and issued within required timescales.
• Identifying and escalating material commercial risks and supporting practical resolution of disputes.
• Working closely with Sales, Engineering, Projects, Procurement, Operations and Finance.
• Providing clear, concise commercial reporting to the Managing Director and leadership team.
• Developing and maintaining proportionate commercial controls appropriate to a £16m engineering business.

About You

We are looking for someone with proven commercial or contracts management experience gained within an engineering, manufacturing, marine, energy or capital equipment environment.

You will ideally have experience of:

• Project-based contracts and commercial management.
• Tender pricing and margin control.
• Cash flow and payment management.
• Contractual risk, scope changes, variations and claims.
• Negotiating customer, supplier and subcontractor agreements.
• Working collaboratively with technical and operational teams.

A qualification in commercial management, law, business or engineering would be advantageous, but practical experience and commercial judgement are equally important.

Experience within marine engineering, industrial power generation, export or international trade would be particularly beneficial.

What We're Looking For

You'll be a practical and commercially astute professional who is comfortable taking ownership and making decisions in a hands-on engineering environment.

You will have:

• Strong commercial judgement and excellent attention to detail.
• A pragmatic, hands-on approach and a clear sense of ownership.
• The ability to balance commercial risk, customer relationships and profitable delivery.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the confidence to influence technical and operational colleagues.
• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage multiple live priorities.
• A resilient, solutions-focused approach.

The Working Environment

You'll work alongside a close-knit senior and operational team within a technically diverse engineering business where no two projects are necessarily the same.

The role involves UK travel and occasional international travel to customer, supplier and project sites. Some flexibility may be required around major tenders, negotiations and key project milestones.

All work is undertaken in accordance with the company's health, safety, quality and environmental requirements.

Right to Work

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they already have the necessary Right to Work in the UK. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

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