Commercial Manager

Serve Talent

Ipswich

On-site

GBP 55,000 - 75,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Workplace pension

Life assurance / death in service

Discretionary sick pay

Free on-site parking

Employee Assistance Programme

Modern, team-focused environment

Charity and company events

Job summary

Serve Talent is seeking a Commercial Manager in Ipswich to lead the commercial and contractual elements of bespoke marine and industrial power generation projects from tender through delivery. You will protect margins, cash flow and contract positions while coordinating with Sales, Engineering, Projects, Procurement, Operations and Finance.

The role demands strong negotiation and practical, hands-on ownership of issues, with experience across engineering or capital equipment contracts.

Qualifications

Experience in engineering, manufacturing, marine, energy or capital equipment contracts.
Experience with project-based contracts, margin control and cash management.
Strong understanding of contractual risk, scope changes, variations and claims.
Confident negotiation and communication skills with the ability to influence colleagues.
Strong commercial judgement and a practical hands-on approach to issue ownership.

Responsibilities

Own and maintain the sales forecast and align with business priorities.
Control stock levels balancing availability, working capital and obsolescence risk.
Validate pricing, margins, payment profiles, assumptions and commercial risks.
Negotiate terms with customers, suppliers and sub-contractors within authority limits.
Support a clear commercial handover from sales to project delivery.
Monitor project margin, cash flow, variations, claims, invoicing and forecast outcomes.
Complete post-project analysis and capture lessons learned and improvements.
Ensure contractual notices, records and approvals are complete and issued on time.
Identify and escalate material risks and help resolve disputes.
Provide concise commercial reporting to the MD and leadership team.
Maintain proportionate commercial controls suited to the business size.

Skills

Commercial management

Contracts management

Tender pricing

Negotiation

Commercial reporting

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Industry knowledge

Education

Commercial/Legal/Engineering qualification

Job description

Job Title: Commercial Manager

Location: Ipswich, Suffolk (with UK and occasional international travel)

Salary: Competitive

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm (37.5 hours per week)

The Opportunity

An established and highly respected engineering and manufacturing organisation based in Suffolk is seeking an experienced Commercial Manager to lead the commercial and contractual side of its project portfolio.

The business specialises in bespoke power generation equipment for the marine and industrial sectors, alongside engine service, overhaul and testing. With over 80 years of experience, its in-house engineering design, fabrication, manufacturing and finishing teams deliver power generation solutions to customers worldwide, across sectors including defence, healthcare and utilities.

This is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of the commercial function within a practical, hands-on, mid-sized engineering business, working directly alongside the Managing Director and a small senior team.

The Role

As Commercial Manager, you will lead the commercial and contractual aspects of bespoke marine and industrial power generation projects, from tender through delivery and close-out. You will protect margin, cash flow and the company's contractual position, working closely with Sales, Engineering, Projects, Procurement, Operations and Finance.

Key responsibilities will include:

Owning and maintaining the sales forecast, ensuring it is accurate, current and aligned with business priorities
Controlling stock levels in line with trading requirements and the sales forecast, balancing availability, working capital and obsolescence risk
Validating pricing, margins, payment profiles, assumptions and commercial risks
Negotiating customer, supplier and sub-contractor terms within agreed authority limits
Supporting a clear commercial handover from sales to project delivery
Monitoring project margin, cash flow, variations, claims, invoicing and forecast outcomes
Completing post-project analysis covering final margin, commercial performance, lessons learned and improvement actions
Ensuring contractual notices, records and approvals are complete and issued on time
Identifying and escalating material risks, and supporting the practical resolution of disputes
Providing concise commercial reporting to the Managing Director and leadership team
Maintaining proportionate commercial controls suited to the size of the business

About You

The successful candidate is likely to have:

Commercial or contracts management experience in engineering, manufacturing, marine, energy or capital equipment
Experience of project-based contracts, tender pricing, margin control and cash management
A strong understanding of contractual risk, scope changes, variations and claims
Confident negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and operational colleagues
Strong commercial judgement, attention to detail and a practical, hands-on approach to owning issues
The ability to balance risk, customer relationships and profitable delivery while managing several live priorities
A commercial, legal, business or engineering qualification (desirable - practical experience is equally valued)
Marine, industrial power generation, export or international trade experience (advantageous)
Flexibility around major tenders, negotiations and project milestones

Candidates must already hold the Right to Work in the UK, as sponsorship is not available for this position.

What's on Offer