Project Commercial Manager

Hull | £160m+ Industrial EPC Project | Industry-Leading Salary & Benefits Package

Commercial Talent Solutions is working exclusively with a major international engineering contractor to appoint a Project Commercial Manager for a £160m+ industrial EPC project in Hull.

The contractor provides engineering, fabrication, construction and maintenance services across the UK’s energy, process and manufacturing sectors.

This appointment sits within a well-established engineering division delivering complex mechanical, electrical and process-led projects for major industrial clients.

The successful individual will take overall commercial responsibility for one of the contractor’s largest live UK projects, reporting directly to the national Commercial Director and working alongside the Project Director and wider site leadership team.

The Project

The project involves the EPC delivery of a major process manufacturing expansion within an operational industrial facility.

The scope includes

• Several thousand tonnes of structural steelwork.
• Major pipework fabrication and installation packages.
• Mechanical equipment installation.
• Electrical and instrumentation works.
• Insulation and associated specialist packages.
• Heavy lifting, testing, commissioning and project completion activities.

The main contract is being delivered under NEC3 Option B, incorporating priced bills of quantities and remeasurement.

The project is now well into its construction phase, with a significant level of commercial activity relating to measurement, subcontract management, change, programme impact and the ongoing development of the final commercial position.

The incoming Project Commercial Manager will inherit an established commercial team and will be expected to quickly understand the current project position, provide clear leadership and take control of the account through the remaining construction, commissioning and close‑out stages.

The Position

This is the most senior project-based commercial role on the scheme, with responsibility for the full upstream and downstream commercial position.

The Project Commercial Manager will provide commercial leadership across the project, ensuring contractual entitlement is properly identified, evidenced and recovered while maintaining control of cost, cash, risk and margin.

The successful individual will need to be comfortable joining a complex live project, challenging existing assumptions and establishing a clear commercial plan for the remaining delivery period.

• Key Areas of Responsibility
• Main Contract Management
• Take ownership of the commercial administration of the NEC3 Option B main contract.
• Ensure early warnings, compensation events and contractual notifications are issued within the required timescales.
• Oversee measurement and remeasurement against the bill of quantities.
• Establish clear entitlement for changes to scope, quantity, programme and working methodology.
• Ensure commercial submissions are properly evidenced through site records, cost information and programme analysis.
• Lead negotiations with the client regarding valuations, change, claims and the developing final account.
• Maintain a clear record of accepted, outstanding and disputed commercial items.
• Take responsibility for the project’s overall commercial and financial performance.
• Lead monthly CVR reporting, forecasting and cost-to-complete reviews.
• Provide an accurate assessment of project margin, cash flow, risk and opportunity.
• Review package-level forecasts and challenge inconsistencies or unsupported assumptions.
• Identify emerging commercial exposure and ensure appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.
• Provide clear commercial reporting to the Project Director and Head of Commercial.
• Maintain focus on margin protection, cash recovery and the project’s final commercial outcome.
• Change, Claims and Programme Impact
• Develop and manage the project’s change-control strategy.
• Ensure additional work and changes in scope are identified, notified, valued and recovered.
• Work closely with planning and project controls to assess delay, disruption and programme impact.
• Support the preparation of commercial narratives, quantum assessments and substantiated claims.
• Ensure site records provide sufficient evidence to support contractual entitlement.
• Challenge changes in client instruction, access, design information, sequencing and productivity where these affect cost or programme.
• Lead difficult commercial discussions and elevate contractual issues where necessary.
• Supply Chain Management
• Provide commercial oversight across major structural steel, pipework, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation packages.
• Review subcontract procurement, scope, contractual terms and package exposure.
• Oversee subcontract valuations, variations, payment applications, claims and final accounts.
• Ensure commercial responsibilities and risks are properly allocated through the supply chain.
• Challenge subcontract forecasts and establish an accurate view of remaining liabilities.
• Support the commercial team with complex subcontractor negotiations and disputed items.
• Ensure downstream commercial positions remain aligned with the main contract strategy.
• Lead, support and develop the site‑based commercial team.
• Establish clear ownership across the main contract and individual subcontract packages.
• Review the quality and consistency of commercial administration across the project.
• Provide guidance on NEC compliance, change control, measurement, forecasting and negotiation.
• Ensure the commercial team remains closely integrated with engineering, construction, planning and project controls.
• Create a commercially focused culture based on accurate information, early intervention and accountability.
• Candidate Background

The position is likely to suit an established Project Commercial Manager, Senior Commercial Manager or experienced Commercial Lead who has held full commercial responsibility for a major live construction or engineering project.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate

• Strong NEC contract knowledge, ideally including NEC3 or NEC4 Option B.
• Experience of priced bills of quantities, measurement and remeasurement.
• Commercial responsibility for a substantial construction, engineering or EPC project.
• Experience managing both the upstream client account and downstream subcontract packages.
• Strong knowledge of change control, claims, delay, disruption and contractual entitlement.
• Responsibility for CVRs, forecasting, cost to complete, cash flow and margin performance.
• Experience leading and developing a project-based commercial team.
• The ability to negotiate effectively with senior client and supply-chain representatives.
• A practical, site-visible approach and the confidence to challenge the wider project team.

Experience within industrial engineering, process manufacturing, chemical, pharmaceutical, energy, oil and gas, power or major mechanical and electrical installation would be particularly relevant.

Candidates from major infrastructure or civil engineering backgrounds may also be considered where they can demonstrate strong NEC knowledge, complex package management and experience working across mechanical, electrical or process-related scopes.

Previous experience taking over a live or commercially challenging project would be highly beneficial.

Working Arrangement and Package

This is a permanent, predominantly site-based position in Hull.

The role requires someone who can work closely with the project team and maintain a detailed understanding of progress, change and commercial activity on site.

The package includes

• Industry Leading Salary.
• Company pension.
• Annual leave and wider company benefits.
• Travel or accommodation support may be considered where appropriate.

This is an opportunity to take commercial leadership of a major UK engineering project at a critical stage of delivery, with direct access to senior operational and commercial leadership.

#J-18808-Ljbffr