Head of Commercial & Project Delivery

Location: Kent

Please note: Candidate must be located in the Southern Home Counties or within a sensible commuting distance of Central Kent. 2 to 3 days per week in the office is the preferred baseline, with greater flexibility only for a truly exceptional individual.

Are you ready to take your operational and commercial leadership career to the next level by owning project delivery performance, commercial outcomes and margin protection for one of the UK’s most respected names in high security entrance and access control solutions? This is a senior, business critical leadership position within a market leading organisation known for protecting highly sensitive environments across government, critical infrastructure and commercial settings.

Sitting at the intersection of sales, delivery, finance and operations, this role exists to ensure that revenue, margin and forecast outcomes are actively managed after order intake, not reviewed too late once performance has already been affected. Working directly for the Managing Director, you will take ownership of post order commercial performance while leading and elevating the wider project delivery function through a commercially disciplined lens.

You will be responsible for improving forecast integrity, tightening change control, driving stronger PM standards and creating clear ownership below MD level, reducing the need for routine escalation and ensuring the business is better positioned to protect EBITDA, margin and delivery performance.

This role demands someone who can combine strong construction and project delivery understanding with real commercial ownership, operational authority and leadership maturity. You will need to be equally comfortable challenging forecasts, protecting margin, driving accountability, leading people and ensuring the wider delivery function is operating with clarity, structure and commercial discipline.

Why This Role Stands Out:

• A senior leadership role with genuine ownership across commercial and project delivery performance
• Direct influence over revenue, margin, forecast integrity and operational decision making
• Lead and shape a multidisciplinary delivery function in a business-critical role
• Reduce commercial leakage, improve PM standards and create stronger accountability below MD level
• Operate within a highly respected brand known for premium engineering, reliability and high security project delivery

Key Responsibilities:

Commercial Ownership, Margin Protection & Forecast Integrity

• Own commercial performance after order intake, ensuring revenue and margin outcomes are actively managed rather than reactively reported
• Protect EBITDA and project margin through stronger governance, timely intervention and commercially disciplined decision making
• Take ownership of forecast credibility post order, challenging and validating PM assumptions as site conditions, sequencing and programme realities evolve
• Ensure site change, slippage, variation and commercial risk are identified early, managed properly and not simply absorbed by the business
• Drive consistent change control discipline across the project delivery function
• Own commercial escalation on project issues requiring stronger intervention, judgement and leadership
• Maintain oversight of applications for payment, variation orders, final accounts, contractual position and wider commercial risk, with the QS carrying out the day to day detail and this role retaining accountability for the outcome
• Maintain oversight of commercial reporting and system integrity, including SIMPRO workflows and wider operational data accuracy
• Oversee credit check and cashflow related disciplines, ensuring risks are identified and managed appropriately

Project Delivery Leadership

• Lead, develop and elevate the operational project delivery function to achieve revenue, margin and performance objectives
• Set clear expectations around project progress, commercial discipline, forecast ownership, escalation thresholds and delivery standards
• Drive backlog conversion and revenue timing discipline through structured engagement with Project Managers and wider delivery stakeholders
• Chair regular operational meetings with a clear focus on project performance, commercial risk, forecast accuracy and delivery priorities
• Improve consistency of PM behaviour, standards and accountability across the function
• Reduce the need for routine MD intervention by creating stronger leadership, ownership and decision making at the right level
• Champion process, systems and workflow improvements that improve productivity, profitability and delivery control

Team Leadership & Functional Scope

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of 3 Project Managers, Rollouts / Programmes lead, Project Administrator, Quantity Surveyor, Engineering Manager, Installation Supervisor and Installation Technician team
• Build a culture of ownership, accountability, clarity and continuous improvement across the function
• Develop team structures, responsibilities and performance expectations aligned to business objectives
• Support recruitment, onboarding, capability building and succession planning where required
• Act as the key bridge between project delivery teams and senior leadership, ensuring the function is aligned to wider commercial and operational objectives
• Operate as a senior peer to the Head of Sales and a key functional counterpart to finance, service, engineering and wider divisional leadership.

Installation Technical Resource Oversight

• Provide strategic leadership for the allocation, planning and utilisation of technical installation resources
• Lead through the Installation Supervisor and wider technical resource base to ensure projects are properly supported, appropriately deployed and aligned to delivery priorities and commercial expectations
• Oversee the quality and effectiveness of installation planning to ensure project delivery remains commercially and operationally sound
• Work closely with engineering and service functions to ensure delivery feasibility, coordination and cost control are maintained

Training, Capability & Upskilling

• Own the framework for training and upskilling across project delivery and installation teams
• Identify capability gaps and ensure appropriate development plans and training interventions are implemented
• Drive higher standards of competence, consistency and commercial awareness across the team
• Embed a culture of professional growth, ownership and continual improvement

Subcontractor Network Management & Vetting

• Oversee the management, vetting and performance of the subcontractor network
• Set standards for subcontractor selection, onboarding, approval and ongoing review
• Ensure subcontractors operate in line with company expectations, legal requirements, project standards and commercial objectives
• Maintain strong relationships with key subcontractor partners to support delivery consistency, quality and risk control

Site Activity, Health & Safety & Risk Management

• Provide strategic oversight into site activity, ensuring delivery teams operate in line with legislation, company policy and required standards
• Set frameworks for risk identification, assessment and mitigation across project environments
• Ensure robust Health & Safety practices are embedded and maintained across the project delivery and installation function
• Oversee the reporting, escalation and resolution of site-based risks, incidents and near misses
• Liaise with internal H&S specialists and external bodies when required to maintain compliance and protect the business
• Champion a proactive culture of safety, risk awareness and operational discipline

Collaboration, Communication & Cross Functional Leadership

• Act as the primary point of integration between sales intent, delivery reality and financial outcome
• Work closely with the Head of Sales to improve handover quality, pipeline realism, forecast integrity and delivery readiness across live opportunities and secured work.
• The role sits alongside the Head of Sales within the divisional structure and is expected to bring strong cross-functional leadership across those areas.
• Strengthen collaboration between sales, project delivery, finance, engineering and service functions
• Ensure smoother handovers from sales into delivery, with stronger alignment on forecast realism, risk and operational readiness
• Support key account development through sound strategic input, clearer delivery alignment and stronger internal coordination
• Improve the quality and pace of decision making across the business by creating stronger cross functional communication and ownership
• Work with finance as a strategic counterpart, recognising that finance retains reporting and assurance responsibilities while this role owns operational and commercial decision making across the delivery function.

Financial, Systems & Risk Discipline

• Ensure activity, documentation and data are entered correctly into company systems through team accountability and process ownership
• Maintain a robust paper trail across project and commercial activity to reduce legal and financial risk
• Lead initiatives that improve compliance, data integrity, operational governance and business protection
• Translate financial insight into practical action rather than commentary alone
• Operate with full authority on operational matters while working within agreed parameters on discretionary and non-budget spend

What we’re looking for:

• Senior leadership experience across commercial, project delivery or operational functions within construction, engineered systems, security, access control or similarly project driven environments
• Strong understanding of P&L, EBITDA, margin protection and commercial accountability within live project environments
• Demonstrable experience leading Project Managers and broader delivery teams, ideally including commercial, engineering, installation or technical resource elements
• Strong construction and project delivery understanding, with the commercial judgement to challenge assumptions and protect business performance
• Proven ability to manage change control, forecast integrity, variation recovery and operational risk
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and balancing the needs of sales, delivery, finance and operational stakeholders
• Strong leadership presence, capable of stepping in, taking ownership and driving standards quickly
• Highly organised, commercially minded, resilient and solutions focused
• Strong working knowledge of UK construction, installation and Health & Safety frameworks
• Confident communicator with the credibility to operate at senior leadership level and influence outcomes across the business

Security Clearance Requirement

• Must be eligible for SC clearance — non negotiable DV clearance preferable (Typically requires British Citizenship and 5+ years UK residency)

This is not simply another Head of Project Delivery appointment. It is an opportunity to take ownership of commercial and project delivery performance within a highly respected specialist business, creating clearer accountability, stronger PM standards, better forecast integrity and more consistent protection of revenue and margin. You will play a major part in shaping how the business performs after order intake, while leading a wider multidisciplinary delivery function and helping the organisation operate with greater structure, control and commercial maturity. The organisational design positions this hire as one of the key functional leaders beneath the Managing Director.

SALARY & BENEFITS

• Salary: Up to £85,000 (DOE)
• Bonus Scheme: 10% of basic on achievement of self-funding EBITDA target
• Car: EV company car (Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX3, or similar) or competitive car allowance
• Benefits: 5% Employer contribution pension, healthcare, life cover, 25 days holiday, mobile, laptop, retail discounts
• Career: A genuine opportunity to grow, develop, and make your mark in a global leader