Commercial Director

Commercial Director

Kier Utilities (Telecoms) is seeking to appoint a Commercial Director to help form, implement and manage the Business Unit Commercial strategy of mitigating risk while optimising opportunity for each project. The role will lead both pre-construction estimating and governance requirements and provide uniform commercial process across all live contracts.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial

• To be a pivotal member of the Divisional leadership team
• To contribute to the divisional direction and Business Plans.
• To work closely with the Business Unit Management Team to implement standardisation initiatives
• To lead a team including Commercial, Surveying, Procurement and Administration. This will also cover all aspects associated with performance management, Personal Performance Reviews, disciplinary action and learning and development of the team.
• Accountability for the profitability against a range of differing contracts through a Contract Review process and taking ownership for the bridge between tendered and required margins.
• Lead commercial tender production and ownership for tender settlement. To ensure the commercial team play a pivotal role in the handover of the tender and are proactive in setting tough but fair profitability targets. It is an essential part of the role that the candidate will not only be able to quickly understand tender risk but also the nett pricing and assumptions made within the bid and to develop coping and mitigation strategies in line with Kier Standing Orders.
• Accountable for the team who manage the selection of subcontractors for tender enquiries ensuring that a balanced range is chosen capable of delivering the required price, quality and duration.
• Accountability for the valuation process ensuring that applications are maximized and made on time and then ensuring that this is converted as a minimum to the contract terms into invoices and cash. Also being responsible for hitting required cash targets. Production, monitoring and ownership of cashflow forecasts.
• To oversee the team who regularly meet and contact clients to ensure commercial delivery and to sort issues as they arise.
• Accountable for the resolution of contractual issues both client and supply chain facing.
• To ensure that the contract review process focuses on contract performance, WIP, debt, etc. and to ensure that forecast final cost, value and profit reconciliations are produced against the contracts on a monthly basis. This will be part of the Kier Value Cost reconciliation and End Life Forecast.
• To manage the commercial team to ensure all variations are produced and claimed, including other formal records for extra works and to maximise the evaluation of these.
• Responsibility for the collection of Certificates of Practical and Partial Completion and the on time release of retentions, bonds, Parent Company Guarantees, reserves, etc.
• Manage the coordination and timely requests for extensions of time, plus recovery of loss and expense when required.
• To ensure the team produces claims for accelerations, loss and expense as required for submission when required.
• To take ownership for contractual issues that arise within the Business Unit including pre-contract.
• To drive the efficiency of the Business Unit in line with Kier requirements.
• To own and drive the pre-contract and Risk Review Process.
• The candidate should have a broad knowledge of contract law and be able to deal confidently with both lawyers and clients.

Health & Safety and Compliance

• To play an active role in the promotion of health and safety, the continuing drive for safer working and to ensure that any unsafe acts are reported. The role will also require the candidate to visit sites specifically to undertake safety audits.

Generally

• To ensure appropriate resourcing and capacity management against varying project demand.
  • To act as a source of expertise on all commercial related issues.
  • To develop and nurture a team spirit across all disciplines.
  • Provide Solutions and Actions.

Skills & Experience

• Professionally qualified to degree level with CIMA / MRICS / CIPS / CIOB or equivalent
• Excellent influencing skills
• Ability to establish teams with appropriate skills, and to recruit, train, retain.
• Involvement in the whole commercial process (in an appropriate sector environment) from initial enquiry with a Client, through to bidding and winning projects or frameworks, trades procurement, and / or delivering single large scale contracts or long term framework agreements.
• Post Contract supply chain management experience.
• Commercial / contractual experience to include exposure to varying forms of contract / forms of subcontract
• To be customer focussed (internal and external customers)

Kier benefits?

• A company car
• Private healthcare
• A matched pension scheme up to 7.5%, 26 days’ annual leave + bank holidays
• Two employee Share Scheme options (Sharesave and Share Incentive Plan

To find out more about the rewards and benefits at Kier, click here.