Water Commercial Manager — Hybrid & Impactful Projects

WSP in the UK & Ireland; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Commercial Manager (quantity surveyor level) to lead commercial activities across a portfolio of water and environmental projects. You will embed a strong project culture around commercial excellence, balancing client, staff and commercial expectations with business performance.

You’ll bring real passion, a constructively challenging mindset, and an open and accountable approach, with experience in business operations including work winning, recruitment and staff development.

Qualifications

• A degree (or equivalent professional experience), in a relevant discipline.
• A background in quantity surveying AND project commercial management.
• Advanced MS Excel skills and confidence using similar tools to analyse, manage and report commercial data.
• Solid working knowledge of NEC 3/4 contract administration.
• The ability to produce clear, well‑structured reports and deliver information confidently through presentations and meetings.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with clients, stakeholders and project teams.
• Experience planning project timescales, resources and commercial inputs, with the ability to monitor and report progress against programme and budget.
• An understanding of fee structures and cost drivers across different project stages, with the ability to support effective commercial decision‑making (desirable).
• A mind that is open to the opportunities presented by the adoption of AI.

Responsibilities

• Manage and deliver commercial services to both internal and external clients across a variety of water and environmental sector projects.
• Provide risk and commercial advice during the bid and project lifecycle to assess performance and provide support to the wider business.
• Ensure suitable prospect governance is in place.
• With support from the finance team provide effective reporting and forecasting of the commercial performance of projects within the Water business.
• Carry out detailed analyses of projects and report on the issues and findings from both a commercial and financial perspective.
• Ensure changes are managed rigorously with a focus on commercial implications of change, manage commercial risk and opportunity generally.
• Ensure that activities meet both internal company standards and external requirements. Support the commercial team’s business improvement initiatives.

Skills

Quantity surveying

Project commercial management

Advanced MS Excel

NEC contract administration

Report writing

Interpersonal skills

Project planning

Fee structures & drivers

AI awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

WSP is seeking a Commercial Manager (quantity surveyor level) to lead commercial activities across a portfolio of water and environmental projects. You will embed a strong project culture around commercial excellence, balancing client, staff and commercial expectations with business performance.

You’ll bring real passion, a constructively challenging mindset, and an open and accountable approach, with experience in business operations including work winning, recruitment and staff development.