Senior Commercial Manager

Chronos Energy; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy firm in the UK is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager to oversee contract management and compliance for district heating schemes. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in commercial strategy, risk management, and will support both pre and post contract activities, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. This position is vital for maximizing income while minimizing costs in the ongoing and future projects.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in contract management and compliance.
• Ability to work independently on commercial discussions.
• Deep understanding of contract law and regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Review and communicate contract obligations and liabilities.
• Identify and mitigate commercial risks.
• Manage contract negotiations to reach financial close.

Skills

Contract management

Negotiation

Risk management

Financial acumen

Compliance

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Job description

The Senior Commercial Manager will work with the Regional Director and the operational and functional teams supporting commercial activity to provide an influential pre and post contract commercial management service. The role's primary geographic focus will be on established and new schemes in the north region, supporting densification of schemes and ensuring contract and regulatory compliance with a requirement to support the wider commercial portfolio as necessary.

Responsibilities

• To review, understand and clearly communicate the obligations and liabilities contained within a contract with the overall aim of maximising income, minimising costs, and ensuring contractual and business compliance, by:
• Identifying, monitoring, valuing, and reporting on risks.
• Supporting the management and mitigation of risks at all levels (operational, commercial, technical, etc).
• Taking a key role in the management and negotiation of new contracts and contractual claims / disputes with clients and other third parties.
• Management of variations / change control.
• Repository for confidential / commercially sensitive information.
• Managing the compliance with the business governance process.
• Ensuring policies and contract requirements are being complied with.
• Aiding the quality of service by ensuring awareness of contractual responsibilities among colleagues (including contract deliverables, scope of services etc.).
• Assisting in the search for efficiencies and service optimisation.
• Enforcing commercial compliance (by audit and support against commercial requirements / expectations).
• Dealing with clients directly to identify and resolve variations from the contract deliverables.
• Negotiating, on an equitable basis, internally and externally to ensure that the business is not exposed to unacceptable risks.
• Contract negotiations with clients and other third parties to reach financial close with business development teams, with support from legal team and other colleagues.
• Dealing proactively in setting a contract review and governance framework.
• Dealing reactively in mitigation of key risks as they arise, and providing support to colleagues to resolve these in a timely manner.
• Working with the Finance team to pull together P&L impact of new projects, or risk impact.
• Working within the operating environment to ensure policies are thoroughly understood, adhered to and promoted across the business to ensure safe, compliant and consistent working practices.
• Behaving with integrity and demonstrating professional image at all times.
• To take personal responsibility and accountability for actions, constantly striving to improve and exceed expectations ensuring safety and quality are never compromised.

Key Performance Indicators

• 100% of contracts compliant with legal and regulatory requirements.
• 100% of external KPI reports under contracts submitted on time.
• Number of identified vs. mitigated commercial risks for both new and existing contracts.
• Monthly risk & opportunities reporting.
• Successful resolution rate of contract disputes.
• Amount of revenue safeguarded or generated through contract optimisation.
• Cash collection success rate on escalated accounts.
• Compliance with internal reporting requirements.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in contract management, commercial strategy, and compliance, within a similar industry sector such as utilities, infrastructure and/or built environment.
• The ability to work independently and take the lead on commercial discussions.
• Deep understanding of contract law, regulatory frameworks, and risk management.
• Experience in concession agreements, infrastructure projects, or public-private partnerships (PPP).
• Ability to analyse contract data, identify risks, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Strong negotiation and dispute resolution skills.
• Excellent financial and commercial acumen, with experience in budgeting and cost control.
• Proficiency in reporting and KPI analysis.
• Ability to work with legal teams to draft and negotiate contract terms.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in District heating/Heat network/Low carbon heat energy infrastructure schemes.
• Knowledge of grant funding applications and financial incentives.
• Professional accreditations e.g. RICS, MCMI, CIArb, IACCM.

Technical Skills Required

• Knowledge of heat and cooling sector.
• Financial literacy.
• Microsoft literacy in Word, Powerpoint, Excel & Outlook.
• Applicable internal software packages.

Chronos Energy are partnering up with a well-known and successful operator of large District heating schemes to recruit a Senior Commercial Manager.