Commercial Lead

The Senior Commercial Manager works alongside the Design, Delivery, Commercial, Legal, Finance and Procurement functions to support the commercial management of data centre construction projects across the Wilton Campus, with potential support to UK/EMEA projects based on business requirements. The role ensures projects are commercially set up for success through robust, auditable tendering, procurement, contract development, cost control, change management, reporting, debt financing and governance. The role is accountable for protecting Pure’s commercial position across the project lifecycle, ensuring risks, costs, programme impacts, contractual exposure and stakeholder decisions are identified early, clearly reported and effectively managed through to project close-out.

Core Responsibilities & Deliverables

• Prepare and maintain informed budgets, cost plans, forecasts, cashflows and final cost projections, aligned to financial modelling and business approvals.
• Reconcile cost projections against design, procurement and programme status, escalating variances, risks and opportunities to the appropriate internal stakeholders.
• Lead transparent tender, procurement and package strategy processes for GC, enabling works, utilities, consultants, long-lead items and key technical packages.
• Maintain the accuracy and timely distribution and collection of tender documentation.
• Maintain the ongoing relevance of Pure’s internal policy and best practice.
• Ensure the completeness of tender outcome reporting and due diligence in accordance with Pure’s best practice procurement framework.
• Review the adequacy of design and scope information for tender, supporting accurate pricing, risk allocation and value-for-money outcomes.
• Assist in the preparation of pricing documents for all elements of work where sufficient design information is available together with schedules of provisional and prime cost sums.
• Reconcile project cost plans on selection of the contractor.
• Undertake regular fully evaluated cost checks and advise where the developing design is likely to exceed elemental allowances and achieve value for money.
• Negotiate and agree final accounts.
• Attend project progress meetings.
• Own post-contract change control, claims, EOT, delay, disruption, acceleration, entitlement tracking and commercial defence strategy.
• Own all aspects of the project business case capex, cashflow forecasting and contingency use.
• Maintain and develop Pure’s contractual document suite, including GC and other project contracts, with Legal.
• Manage payments, valuations, retentions, advance payments, bonds, securities, insurances, final accounts and commercial close-out.
• Own monthly commercial reporting, including accurate cashflow forecasting, commitments, accruals, change logs, risk and opportunity registers, contingency use, benchmarking, governance approvals and lessons learned.
• Support Pure’s financial team by providing all documents requested to support debt funding requests, drawdown requests on loans.
• Act as champion for Pure’s commercial integrity and ethical identity.

Team Management Responsibilities & Key Relationships

• Manage external cost consultants, QS teams and contract administration support.
• Maintain strong working relationships with Development, Design, Delivery, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Project Controls, JV partners, landlords, consultants, GCs and key suppliers.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant experience, likely 12+ years, in senior commercial, quantity surveying or cost management roles on major construction projects.
• Significant experience providing end-to-end cost management services within procurement, contract and post-contract environments.
• Proven demonstrable ability to prioritise own workload in order to consistently meet timelines.
• Significant exposure to tender processes, procurement strategy, package strategy, negotiation and commercial recommendation papers.
• MRICS, equivalent professional accreditation, or strong regional commercial experience.

Experience

• Strong understanding of UK/EU construction markets, supply chains, procurement practices and regional delivery environments.
• Data centre experience, including hyperscale, shell and core, fit-out, MEP-heavy packages, commissioning interfaces, power infrastructure and technical procurement.
• Experience with construction and contract law, including FIDIC, bespoke EPC, design-build, construction management and GC contracts.
• Strong understanding and application as a tool of Microsoft software packages.
• Strong working understanding of contract administration, claims, change, risk, contingency, value management, value engineering and multi-jurisdictional stakeholder environments.
• Experience working with local authorities, municipalities, permitting interfaces, JV partners and consultant teams in GCC project environments.
• Strong negotiation experience and exposure.

Note: The successful candidate will be required to complete pre-employment screening to BS7858:2019, or national equivalent.