Commercial Manager - Co-op Property

Co-Op Company; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

28–32 days holiday

Pension (10% employer)

Private healthcare

Onsite gym access

Co-op product discount

Stream pay access

Virtual healthcare

Colleague support

Cycle-to-work

Job summary

Co-op is seeking a motivated Commercial Manager to join our Property team in Manchester. You will manage capital expenditure for construction, provide commercial reporting, and lead external QS support to drive informed decisions across property and construction programmes.

You will partner with Property, Construction and Finance to identify opportunities, manage risks and maximise value, ensuring budgets are controlled and investments support long-term success.

Qualifications

• Relevant commercial management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience of working with both clients and contractors.
• Previous construction or retail experience.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage with others at all levels of the business.
• Experience in budget management – end to end cycle.

Responsibilities

• Be the main point of contact for cost tracking and dashboards and external QS management.
• Track and monitor spend for all capital streams, providing updates to the senior teams on performance.
• Collaborate with finance to consolidate monthly performance insights.
• Maximise opportunities to drive down costs through trend analysis and interpretation of data.
• Provide data to support finance teams with cash forecasting.
• Offer advice to the property and construction teams, along with business partners at all levels.
• Manage our external resource to help make sure that accounts are completed, documentation is in place, and property governance is followed and maintained.
• Escalate risks, cost pressures, or opportunities early, making sure that mitigation strategies are in place.
• Build strong supplier relationships, driving performance, compliance, and commercial discipline.

Skills

Budget management

Cost tracking

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Construction experience

Retail experience

Budget reporting

Education

Commercial management qualification

Job description

Commercial Manager – Co-op Property
£55,000 - £60,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 5)
Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We're looking for a motivated Commercial Manager to join our Property team at Co-op. In this role, you'll be responsible for managing and tracking capital expenditure linked to construction activity, helping colleagues deliver projects successfully. You'll act as the main point of contact for cost tracking, commercial reporting and external quantity surveying support, providing insight that helps drive informed decision-making across our property and construction programmes.

Why this role matters

This is a great opportunity to play a key role in shaping the commercial performance of significant property investments across Co-op. You'll work closely with colleagues across Property, Construction and Finance, using data, trend analysis and commercial insight to identify opportunities, manage risks and maximise value. Your work will help ensure projects are delivered efficiently, budgets are well controlled, and investment decisions support the long-term success of our business.

What you’ll do

• Be the main point of contact for cost tracking and dashboards and external QS management
• Track and monitor spend for all capital streams, providing updates to the senior teams on performance
• Collaborate with finance to consolidate monthly performance insights
• Maximise opportunities to drive down costs through trend analysis and interpretation of data
• Provide data to support finance teams with cash forecasting
• Offer advice to the property and construction teams, along with business partners at all levels
• Manage our external resource to help make sure that accounts are completed, documentation is in place, and property governance is followed and maintained
• Escalate risks, cost pressures, or opportunities early, making sure that mitigation strategies are in place
• Build strong supplier relationships, driving performance, compliance, and commercial discipline

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• A relevant commercial management qualification, or you have equivalent experience
• Experience of working with both clients and contractors
• Previous construction or retail experience
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage with others at all levels of the business
• Experience in budget management – end to end cycle
• The ability to manage budgets, analyse commercial data, and control project cost performance

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Private healthcare
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.