Engineering Delivery Commercial Manager

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water; Newport; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services company in Newport is seeking a Commercial Lead for DPC Projects, responsible for managing large-scale procurement strategies and ensuring value for money. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in infrastructure procurement, strong financial modelling skills, and the ability to simplify complex contracts for senior decision-makers. The position is primarily office-based with flexibility for remote working, offering a competitive salary and a generous benefits package.

Benefits

Market competitive salary

Annual incentive scheme

Employer pension scheme up to 11%

28 days annual leave plus public holidays

Private healthcare

Qualifications

• Extensive commercial experience in infrastructure development.
• Demonstrable experience of OJEU procurement for large scale infrastructure projects.
• Highly competent in MS Excel cashflow modelling for investment.

Responsibilities

• Manage engagement with Financial Advisors to deliver best life cost solutions.
• Work closely with Legal Advisors to develop contract documents.
• Evaluate commercial models and contracts developed by bidders.

Skills

Commercial experience in infrastructure development

OJEU procurement experience

MS Excel cashflow modelling

Strategic decision-making

PFI/PPP project delivery

Job description

Purpose of the role: Reporting to the Head of Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC), as part of the DPC Management Team, the Commercial Lead for DPC Projects will play a critical part in enabling the wholesale business to deliver large scale, long term commercial contracts through Direct Procurement for Customers.

Supporting the Head of DPC across a number of projects, but initially the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy, the successful candidate will deliver appropriate solutions to commercial challenges, from setting out underlying assumptions and evaluation methodologies during procurement to agreeing contractual positions such as risk transfer and liability caps.

The ability to understand and produce cash flow modelling, to challenge margins, contingency pots and risk premiums put forward by bidders is key. You will be primarily responsible for managing the commercial and financial aspects of the project and acting as part of an intelligent client interface between Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (DCC) and external parties, providing clarity and challenge to ensure bidders and advisors focus on the right issues to drive quality and Value for Money (VfM).

Responsibilities:

• Directly managing the engagement with the Financial Advisors to ensure the procurement and evaluation process is structured in a way to deliver the best whole life cost solution for DCC, reducing waste and achieving the strategic objectives of the project.
• Working closely with the Legal Advisors to develop the CAP agreement and all associated contract documents for the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy, ensuring that all aspects of regulatory finance with the potential to be impacted by the project are addressed.
• Playing a significant part in the delivery of the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy procurement including Business Case (OBC) submissions, Stage Gate approval and ultimately bid selection.
• Delivering a diverse set of complex objectives and prioritising effectively to ensure targets are met. Effective co-ordination of work streams between multiple stakeholders internally and externally.
• Working with the steering group to actively influence decision making, project direction & delivery.
• Representing DCC at bidder days and in dialogue with industrial sponsors and funders.
• Evaluating commercial models and contracts developed by bidders and constructively challenging where necessary to identify and bank opportunities and eliminate costly risk transfer.
• Identifying and removing blockers to drive faster, better decisions throughout the procurement and ensure we prioritise the right issues at the right time to maximise VfM and reach contract quicker.
• Helping DCC to evaluate innovative service delivery solutions provided by bidders, which may be outside of current practices but represent a VfM opportunity
• Driving long term value from DPC projects by selecting Competitively Appointed Providers (CAPs) that are able to deliver assets which are fit for purpose and contractually simple to administer.
• Ensuring the team can right-size and flex with the skills required to meet the programme needs.
• As part of the DPC Management Team, ensure that all stages of governance from internal and external processes, and stakeholders are complied with fully and in a timely manner to achieve the programme milestones. Assist in reporting into the DPC Steering Group and DCC Board in order to decision making and gain the approvals required to progress the scheme.
• Ensure robust budgets for each phase of work are developed and the desired outcomes are achieved within the approved sums. Work with the PMO to maintain risk registers and manage change.
• Other Commercial Lead activities include supporting the Head of DPC and the wider DCC business in the development of Dwr Cymru's PR29 strategy along with production of the necessary supporting information to support any PR29 DPC submission.
• As part of the DPC Management Team, lead on all aspects of health, safety, and wellbeing.

Who you'll work with:

Internal: MD of Water, MD of Commercial, Director of Water Services, Director of Procurement, Director of Strategy & Regulation, Director of Capital, Head of Water Capital Programme and DPC, Head of DPC Procurement, DPC Delivery Lead, and strong working relationships across multiple departments but primarily Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Strategy & Regulation and Legal.

External: Financial, legal and procurement advisors; External Bid Teams including Industrial Sponsors & Lenders; OFWAT.

About you:

• Extensive commercial experience in infrastructure development. Direct experience of strategic decision-making in a complex, regulated, industry.
• Demonstrable experience of OJEU procurement for large scale infrastructure projects including the economics of large infrastructure developments, provision of tender documentation, evaluation and award.
• Highly competent in MS Excel cashflow modelling for investment. Experience of creating financial evaluation models and business plans to commercially appraise risk, opportunities and trade-offs to determine value for money.
• An intuitive ability to simplify complex commercial concepts and contracts into principles and focus areas for senior leadership to digest and make decisions.
• Ability to work in a fast-moving environment with an openness towards working to a common goal through significant personal contribution. An ability to think strategically whilst ensuring day to day delivery of services.
• A track record of delivering PFI/PPP projects, working the interfaces between engineering, legal and finance on contracts for investment and construction is desirable

Good to know:

Flexible with 3 days per week in Ty Awen office. Some travel. No shift patterns or standby requirements. 37hrs per week.

We know that if our employees are happy, our customers are happy. That's why we offer a great benefits package. As one of the biggest companies in Wales, our reward and benefits package includes:

• Market competitive salary
• Annual incentive scheme (bonus) - maximum opportunity 15% of base salary
• Employer pension scheme up to 11%
• Flexible working considered
• Relocation considered
• Onsite carpark
• 28 days annual leave plus public holidays
• Private healthcare
• Generous range of employee benefits and discounts
• And many, many more.

Who we are:

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company's required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work.

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.