Senior Digital Commercial Manager

Southern Water; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a Senior Digital Commercial Manager to define, procure, negotiate and manage a complex portfolio of third‑party digital contracts, including hosted and managed services, software licences and cloud arrangements. The role is hybrid in Durrington, West Sussex, with 2 days per week on site.

You will collaborate with Procurement, Legal, Information Governance and Digital leadership to drive strategy, govern contract lifecycle, and provide senior commercial input across

Qualifications

• Experience managing high-value, high-risk digital contracts in a multi-supplier environment.
• Ability to deputise for a manager and lead a workstream.
• Advanced understanding of software licensing, managed services, cloud contracts.
• Strong commercial governance and contract lifecycle management.
• Excellent stakeholder relationship and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead on high value, high risk digital contracts and shape procurement strategy.
• Act as senior SME for digital procurement and contract matters.
• Provide mentoring and assurance on governance and lifecycle management.
• Lead BAU contract renewals and assess extensions/replacements.
• Negotiate new digital contracts through appropriate routes.

Skills

High-value contracts management

Digital procurement

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Leadership experience

Job description

Closing Date

2026-09-18

Job Title : Senior Digital Commercial Manager

Location : Durrington, West Sussex (Hybrid, 2 days per week)

Contract Type : Permanent

Hours : 37, Monday to Friday

Salary : circa £60-65,000, depending on skills and experience

There has never been a more important time to join Southern Water. As we move through AMP8 , we are delivering one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes in the industry, focused on improving environmental performance, service resilience and long‑term affordability for customers.

About the role

The Senior Digital Commercial & Contracts Manager works with Procurement, Legal, Information Governance, Data Protection and Digital leadership teams to define, procure, negotiate and manage a complex portfolio of third-party Digital contracts. These include, but are not limited to, hosted services, managed services, software licences, support services, frameworks and strategically important supplier arrangements across Digital spend categories.

What you will be responsible for

• You will lead on higher value, higher risk and technically complex commercial and contractual activity as well as provide senior commercial input to support the Digital Commercial and Supplier Manager in shaping and implementing agreed Digital commercial strategy.


• You will be required to act as a senior subject matter expert for Digital procurement and contractual matters and deputise for the Digital Commercial and Supplier Manager, where required.


• Provide mentoring and assurance to colleagues to support consistent commercial governance and effective contract lifecycle management.


• Lead the BAU contract renewal process for higher value, higher risk and technically complex contracts, assessing extension, termination or replacement options in line with business demand.


• Lead the negotiation and agreement of new Digital contracts under Procurement Self-Service and other appropriate commercial routes, particularly where the requirement is high value, high risk or technically complex.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Significant experience of managing high-value, high-risk and technically complex Digital contracts within a large, multi-supplier environment.


• Experience of deputising for a manager or leading a functional workstream, including workload prioritisation, escalation management and stakeholder representation.


• Advanced understanding of Digital contract structures, software licensing, managed services, cloud services, framework agreements, commercial risk, supplier performance and contract lifecycle management.


• Experience of advising senior stakeholders on complex commercial, contractual, procurement and supplier management matters.

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.

“At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.”

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK,criminal recordcheck (DBS)and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all preemployment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also requirehigher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.