Commercial Director

Areté Ventures; New Mexico; On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Areté Ventures seeks an exceptional Commercial Director to lead the commercial strategy for a multibillion-dollar US nuclear infrastructure programme, based in New Mexico. You will shape contracting and procurement, establish cost management and assurance, challenge forecasts and contractor claims, and provide independent, decision-ready advice to the Programme Director and Board.

This is a high-visibility, leadership role within a sophisticated client-side organisation.

Qualifications

• Senior commercial leader on major capital programmes.
• Experience with EPC/EPCM delivery models.
• Knowledge of FIDIC/NEC contracting approaches.
• Owner/client-side experience is essential.
• Ability to challenge forecasts and contractor claims.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the overall programme commercial strategy.
• Shape contracting and procurement strategies across packages.
• Lead commercial risk management and claims strategy.
• Provide independent commercial judgement to senior stakeholders.
• Build a high-performing client-side commercial organisation.

Skills

Commercial Strategy

Procurement & Supply Chain

Cost & Commercial Assurance

Commercial Risk

Governance & Reporting

Executive Judgment

Owner/Client-side

Job description

A rare opportunity to become the commercial leader behind one of the most significant major capital programmes currently being developed in the United States.

We are seeking an exceptional Commercial Director to join the senior leadership team of a multi-billion-dollar investment programme delivering major new infrastructure within the US nuclear energy sector.

Based in Eunice, New Mexico, this is not a traditional Commercial Director appointment.

Operating on behalf of the asset owner, you will become the programme's commercial conscience — shaping the commercial strategy, contracting model, procurement approach, cost and commercial assurance framework that will underpin successful delivery of a complex, highly regulated capital programme.

You will work alongside the Programme Director and senior functional leaders, providing independent commercial judgement while ensuring that the organisation operates as a sophisticated and intelligent client.

The mandate

You will hold leadership responsibility across the programme's commercial agenda, including:

• Developing and implementing the overall programme commercial strategy.
• Shaping contracting and procurement strategies across EPC, EPCM, engineering, construction, commissioning and specialist packages.
• Determining appropriate commercial structures and allocation of risk between the owner and its delivery partners.
• Establishing robust programme-wide cost management, forecasting, contingency and commercial assurance.
• Providing independent challenge to forecasts, changes and contractor claims.
• Creating the commercial governance, delegated authorities and assurance frameworks required for a programme of this scale.
• Leading commercial risk management, contractual protection, claims strategy and dispute avoidance.
• Building strategic relationships with major contractors and suppliers while maintaining appropriate commercial tension and accountability.
• Establishing and leading a high-performing client-side commercial organisation.
• Providing clear, decision-ready commercial advice to senior executive and Board-level stakeholders.

The individual

We are particularly interested in senior commercial leaders who have operated on major capital programmes exceeding $1bn and who can demonstrate genuine breadth beyond contract administration.

You are likely to have operated as a Commercial Director, Programme Commercial Director, Commercial Executive, Programme Commercial Lead or equivalent, with substantial experience across:

• Contract & Commercial Strategy, selecting and structuring appropriate delivery and contracting models, with a sophisticated understanding of risk allocation.
• Procurement & Supply Chain, leading major procurement strategies, supplier selection and the commercial mobilisation of significant delivery partners.
• Cost & Commercial Assurance — providing confidence in forecasts, contingency, investment performance and ultimate outturn cost.
• Change, Claims & Commercial Risk, anticipating exposure, protecting the owner's position and resolving complex commercial issues without unnecessarily inhibiting delivery.
• Commercial Governance, establishing the controls, authorities, assurance and reporting required to support major investment decisions.
• Executive Commercial Judgement, the confidence and credibility to challenge programme leadership constructively, balance risk against value and delivery, and advise senior executives on consequential commercial decisions.
• Owner/client-side experience is particularly important.
• We are open to candidates from nuclear, major energy infrastructure, LNG, petrochemicals, chemicals, defence, utilities, transportation infrastructure and other complex high-hazard environments.
• Experience with EPC/EPCM delivery models is highly relevant, while exposure to FIDIC, NEC, alliance or other sophisticated major-project contracting approaches would be advantageous.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to influence a programme from a formative stage rather than inherit a commercial model that has already been established.

You will help determine how billions of dollars of investment are commercially structured, governed and deployed; build the commercial capability required to support delivery; and work at the heart of a programme with long-term significance for US energy infrastructure.

It requires someone who combines commercial intellect with delivery pragmatism, able to protect the owner's interests without becoming an obstacle to progress, and equally comfortable interrogating a contractor claim, shaping a contracting strategy or advising senior executives on a major investment decision.

For the right individual, this represents an opportunity to operate at genuine programme leadership level and leave a substantial professional legacy.

Location: New Mexico, USA