Commercial Manager

Stride Treglown; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £85k–£95k per year

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions

Positive studio environment

Supportive, employee-owned culture

Job summary

Stride Treglown, a leading employee-owned design practice, seeks an experienced Commercial Manager (Associate Director level) to strengthen commercial governance across live projects. Based in one of the UK studios, you will support Project Leaders from bid through delivery, balancing risk with design quality and client relationships.

You will oversee bids, fee proposals, contracts, and change control while mentoring teams and driving commercial confidence across the practice.

Qualifications

• Substantial commercial management experience within construction, engineering consultancy, development, or contractor-side delivery.
• Strong working knowledge of standard appointment documents, JCT/NEC contracts, novation, indemnities, liability caps, and professional indemnity insurance.
• Experience supporting complex, multidisciplinary projects from inception through to completion.
• Sound commercial judgement balancing contractual clarity and risk management with practical delivery.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Review bids, fee proposals, scopes, exclusions, and consultant appointments to ensure risk allocations are robust.
• Advise on standard contracts (JCT, NEC), novation, procurement, liability positions, collateral warranties, and PI considerations.
• Recommend mitigations and revised terms on high-risk projects with input from leadership.
• Identify early commercial risks on live projects and support structured change control and fee recovery.
• Support dispute avoidance, claims management, and early resolution of commercial issues.
• Lead on consistent sub-consultancy arrangements and commercial reporting for leadership.

Skills

Contract review

Fee proposals

Change management

Risk governance

Project leadership

Negotiation

Communication

Travel across UK studios

Job description

We are changing the way we work in our industry. We are doing things differently, and we are looking for an experienced commercial professional who is ready for a positive change to join us.

Whether your background is in contracting, engineering, or multidisciplinary consultancy, this is an opportunity to bring your commercial expertise into a supportive, employee-owned design practice with a clear commitment to people, planet, and purpose.

This role can be based in our Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, London, or Manchester studios, with travel across our UK locations.

A bit about us

Stride Treglown is a 100% employee-owned architectural and multidisciplinary design practice and a certified B Corp®.

Since 1953, we have believed that great design requires a human approach, deep local knowledge, and specialist expertise, all backed by verified results.

We are one of the UK’s largest design practices, with over 300 specialists across architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, town planning, graphic design, and social research. Across our nine UK studios, we are embedded in the communities where we live and work, bringing creativity and technical proficiency to every project.

Commercial Manager (Associate Director level)

Sitting within our Technical Operations Group, this is a pan-practice leadership role focused on strengthening commercial governance, supporting Project Leaders, improving risk visibility, and protecting project viability while maintaining positive client relationships.

This is a dedicated delivery and project governance role rather than a business development or sales position. Your focus will be on the operational and commercial health of our live projects across their full life cycle, from bid, fee proposal, and appointment through to technical delivery, change management, and close-out.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing and advising on bids, fee proposals, scopes, exclusions, and consultant appointments to ensure risk allocations and deliverables are commercially robust.
• Advising on standard construction contracts (JCT, NEC), novation, contractor-led procurement, liability positions, collateral warranties, and professional indemnity considerations.
• Recommending clear mitigations, revised terms, and additional fee positions on high-risk projects, advising when specialist legal or insurance input is needed, and escalating matters for formal leadership approval where appropriate.
• Partnering with Project Leaders to identify early commercial risks on live projects (including scope creep, rework, fee erosion, programme extension, and resource pressure), supporting structured change control and additional fee recovery.
• Supporting dispute avoidance, claims management, and the early resolution of commercial issues on live projects.
• Leading on the consistent and robust application of sub-consultancy arrangements across the practice.
• Developing clear commercial reporting for leadership and our Project Assurance Committee, identifying recurring themes and commercial stress points.
• Delivering practical guidance, coaching, and training to build commercial confidence across project teams and future leaders.
• Working collaboratively with our Technical Operations team to balance commercial risk with design quality and technical assurance.

You will have:

• Substantial commercial management experience within construction, engineering consultancy, development, or contractor-side delivery.
• A strong working knowledge of standard appointment documents, JCT/NEC contracts, novation, indemnities, liability caps, and professional indemnity insurance.
• Experience supporting complex, multidisciplinary projects from inception through to completion.
• Sound commercial judgement, with the ability to balance contractual clarity and risk management with practical project delivery and collaborative client relationships.
• The confidence, interpersonal skill, and credibility to provide constructive challenge and advice to colleagues and project leaders at all levels.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and written communication skills.
• A practical and collaborative approach focused on early problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Essential skills:

• Proven track record in contract review, scope definition, fee proposals, and change management.
• Experience with contractor-led procurement routes and managing consultant appointments.
• Practical understanding of risk escalation and commercial governance frameworks.
• Ability to present commercial data and trends clearly to project teams and senior leadership.
• Willingness and ability to travel across our UK studios as part of a pan-practice remit.

What We Offer

• Salary:£85,000 to £95,000 per annum (based on 37.5 hours per week, pro rata for part-time)
• Working hours:Full-time or Part-time (3 or 4 days per week / minimum 60% full-time equivalent)
• Flexible working:Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Healthcare:Private Medical Insurance for yourself and your immediate family, plus a comprehensive Health Cash Plan
• Pension:6% employer pension contribution
• Environment:A contemporary working environment in an excellent studio location (Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, London, or Manchester)
• Culture:A friendly, open, caring, and ego-free culture within a certified B Corp practice

Stride Treglown is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and is committed to inclusive recruitment practices. We will provide a fully accessible recruitment process and offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Stride Treglown is registered as a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We are committed to inclusive recruitment practices and believe that every individual can bring their full purpose to life regardless of their background. We will provide a fully accessible recruitment process and offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

This role would not meet the criteria under the Home Office Skilled Worker route. We are therefore unable to provide sponsorship, and candidates applying will need to provide their own right to work in the UK.