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- Tasks: Support commercial strategy and build relationships with supply chain partners.
- Company: Join South West Water, a leader in the UK water sector focused on sustainability.
- Benefits: Generous holiday allowance, competitive pension, health benefits, and a share-save scheme.
- Other info: Great opportunity for graduates to learn and grow in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Kickstart your career with hands-on experience in a high-performing team.
- Qualifications: Degree in Civil Engineering, Commercial Management, or Business-related discipline preferred.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose. South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK's most stunning landscapes. We're proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future.
Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we're working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and support farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife. Whether you're starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career. Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.
We're looking for an Assistant Commercial Manager to join our Commercial Management team—our centre of excellence responsible for delivering consistent, high-quality commercial management across both day-to-day activity and major one-off programmes. Reporting to the Senior Commercial Manager, you'll support the delivery of our commercial strategy, develop strong collaborative relationships with supply chain partners, and help ensure our contracts are delivered safely, efficiently and to specification. This role is also a fantastic opportunity for a graduate looking to enter the industry - whether your degree is in Civil Engineering, Commercial Management, Quantity Surveying, or a Business-related discipline such as Business Management, Business Studies or Finance.
You'll gain hands-on commercial experience, supported by experienced mentors in a high-performing team.
What you'll be doing:
- Support the development, monitoring and reporting of commercial KPIs and improvement targets.
- Maintain and quality-check commercial data within our commercial model database.
- Analyse costs and contribute to future cost model development for upcoming procurement cycles.
- Assist in improving frameworks, contract documentation and commercial processes.
- Produce monthly and quarterly reporting for operational and strategic forums.
- Support procurement and tendering activity to ensure compliant and timely contract awards.
- Assist with project budgets, forecasting, accruals and financial reporting.
- Assess and certify contract payment applications.
- Build knowledge and capability in the NEC suite of contracts.
- Provide estimating input and support the CEDAR process.
- Maintain commercial trackers, registers and risk management processes.
- Work closely with Group Procurement to ensure alignment across contractual arrangements.
What we're looking for:
- Strong analytical thinking and data-handling skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commercial awareness and a proactive, collaborative mindset.
- The ability to build effective relationships across teams and suppliers.
- Experience of construction contracts or estimating is helpful, but not essential.
What's in it for you:
We know our people drive our success - so we're committed to offering an excellent range of benefits, including:
- Generous holiday allowance + bank holidays
- Discretionary bonus
- Competitive contributory pension
- Share-save scheme
- Health benefits
Assistant Commercial Manager employer: South West Water
Contact Detail:
South West Water Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Commercial Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors that you didn’t even know existed.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its values. Understand their goals, especially around sustainability and community impact, so you can show how you align with their mission.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your answers to common interview questions, but keep it natural. We want you to sound confident and genuine, not like you’re reading from a script!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Commercial Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Assistant Commercial Manager role. Highlight relevant experience and skills that match the job description, like your analytical thinking and communication skills. We want to see how you can contribute to our commercial strategy!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about joining South West Water and how your background aligns with our goals. Don’t forget to mention any experience with commercial management or construction contracts if you have it!
Showcase Your Skills: In your application, be sure to showcase your strong analytical and data-handling skills. Give examples of how you've used these in past roles or projects. We love seeing candidates who can demonstrate their proactive mindset and ability to build relationships!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for the best chance of success. It’s straightforward and ensures your application goes directly to us. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at South West Water
✨Know Your Numbers
As an Assistant Commercial Manager, you'll be dealing with KPIs and financial data. Brush up on your analytical skills and be ready to discuss how you've used data in past projects. This shows you understand the commercial side of things and can contribute effectively.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
You'll need to build relationships with various teams and suppliers. Prepare examples of how you've successfully communicated in previous roles or projects. This will demonstrate your interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate, which are key for this position.
✨Understand the NEC Contracts
Familiarise yourself with the NEC suite of contracts, even if you haven't worked with them before. Being able to discuss these contracts during your interview will show your proactive approach and willingness to learn, which is highly valued in this role.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's commercial strategy and how they measure success. This not only shows your interest in the role but also gives you a chance to assess if the company aligns with your career goals. It’s a win-win!