Great British Energy - Nuclear
Commercial Manager
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Great British Nuclear (GBN)
GBN is a new government arm’s length body supporting the delivery of Britain’s energy security and net zero, making sure that we can power Britain from Britain sustainably. It has been set up to turn nuclear ambition into reality.
GBN’s first step was to start the technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in July 2023. SMRs can potentially be quicker to deploy and less expensive to build than traditional nuclear power plants because they are smaller, have factory-based modular manufacturing, and more flexible deployment options.
GBN is aiming to deliver fast, based on a supportive and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity and creates an inclusive workplace. It draws on deep nuclear expertise – its Executive Committee has over 100 years of nuclear experience in this country and abroad. And it can unlock billions of pounds of private and public investment from design to operation, helping to get sites ready for development, and working to grow manufacturing capacity and skills capability.
Our Values
- Trust - We prioritise safety, we act responsibly and with integrity.
- Collaborative - We work as a team; we value diversity and expertise.
- Challenge - We are curious and courageous in the way we think and act.
- Care - We are thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of others.
- Drive - We get things done and we make a difference.
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at recruitment@gbnuclear.gov.uk and we will talk to you about how we can assist.
Job Profile
At a future point we will establish a Development Company (DevCo) to deliver an SMR Project, managing the Technology Partner contract, site operations and other contracts that make up the SMR programme. Until these are established, the capability to manage and deliver an SMR project will be developed and delivered within GBN as an Integrated Project Team (IPT).
To support GBE-N manage its obligations and develop its capability and capacity in relation to the development of the SMR project, a number of supporting contracts have been procured. These include the Project Advisory services (PAS), Foundation Project Management and Commercial Management fPM Owner’s Engineer (OE) and Foundation Engineering (fEng) contracts which are large and complex to administer, along with third-party works.
The OE Contract
The OE acts as a “Client Friend,” supporting DevCo’s Intelligent Customer (IC) and Intelligent Client (ICI) functions as a critical enabler to meet the IC statutory requirements, and fulfil the role of an ICI. During Stage One, knowledge transfer obligations and reporting milestones during the transition to DevCo will be developed, enabling the reduction of ambiguity on roles and responsibilities for each party.
The fENG Contract
The fENG contract will support GBE-N with critical engineering design activity in order to maintain the critical path of the SMR Project and to inform Concept Design Completion prior to moving into the Preliminary Design phase.
The PAS and fPMCS Contracts
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The PAS and fPMCS contracts support specialist project advice, and project management and commercial management of live contracts.
Role Overview
The role in the client IPT team overseeing an allocated Commercial programme of work relating to the these contracts.
Responsibilities
- Supporting the Commercial Lead - The Commercial Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day contract management and reporting associated with the OE contract and/or the fENG Contract. These are large NEC 4 Professional Services Contracts.
- The Commercial Manager will utilise a collaborative mindset to work closely with the wider project team in successful delivery of these contracts in a post-contract environment, ensuring that these contracts deliver the intended outcomes to support the overall SMR Project.
- The Commercial Manager will be expected to work autonomously to ensure effective stakeholder management and work within the commercial and wider business governance framework processes and procedures. You will drive performance management, risk management, issues resolution, financial management, change control and overall contract and statutory compliance whilst being responsible for continuous improvement.
- You will be part of the client team to stand up capability within the SMR Project Commercial function. Establishing a First of a Kind (FOAK) SMR Project is new to the UK, and whilst this is a fast-paced and exciting challenge, you will need to be comfortable with uncertainty, ambiguity and change.
Key Responsibilities
- Contract management for one or more of the organisation’s most high-profile, complex and strategic contracts,
- Management of activity relating to: managing the delivery and performance of the contract, cost assessment, carrying out contract changes, managing risk within the contract and managing contract transition and exit.
- Ensuring effective stakeholder management, governance, performance management frameworks, escalation, risk management, issues resolution, financial management, change control and compliance
- Managing contract variations, providing practical advice and strategic direction.
- Supporting with the development of programme-wide change control framework and collaborating cross-functionally to achieve appropriate outcomes.
- Evaluating whether a contract is achieving a successful return on investment, in the light of ‘value for money’ considerations
- Overseeing the realisation of benefits achieved as a result of the performance management regime or change control, challenging non-delivery of benefits and escalates when required
- Driving innovation and improvement in contracts
- Managing risk and reward mechanisms in contracts and key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Identifying where changes in the contract are required and adopting strategies to implement these
- Performing contract exit activity, from pre-emptive action to transactional and process-led tasks
- Evaluating suppliers’ performance against specific terms and conditions to ensure delivery of strategic outcomes and high contract performance
- Actively managing strategic relationships to deliver mutual benefit for those involved
- Holding suppliers accountable for their contractual commitments at a delivery level, resolving disputes effectively and efficiently
- Advising on and mitigating risks to the continuity of supply and owning business continuity approach for relevant contract(s)
- Maintaining quality and concurrency of systems, reporting and management information
- Working within a secure environment on sensitive projects as required
- Working to project strategies and with wider government commercial policies, taking into account internal and external forces and best practices e.g. Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Government Commercial Function, National Audit Office and professional associations.
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Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
Contract Management
- Has experience in managing one or more contracts of medium to high complexity/value/risk
- Has experience in managing NEC Professional Services Contracts
- Has a strong understanding of contract management and the principles of end-to-end commercial lifecycle management
- Solid comprehension of the principles of contract law
Procurement
- Has an understanding of public sector procurement, frameworks and the related legislation and national strategies
- Has experience in the early stage of projects developing processes to meet the need of the projects and contracts
Commercial Focus
- Has strong commercial knowledge, understands the need for trade-offs in an area of responsibility and can apply the commercial principles within the boundaries of contract law
- Demonstrates the ability to lead on securing ‘value for money’ through achieving good return on investment on commercial projects
Risk and Assurance Management
- Demonstrates the ability to analyse risks and understand margins of error in developing recommendations and making effective decisions
Commercial Ethics
- Demonstrates the ability to communicate standards to eliminate corruption, fraud and unethical behaviour in supply chains, taking appropriate actions in the event of any alleged breach of standards
Team Focus
- Demonstrates the ability to manage and build confidence in a team in order to deal with setbacks, resolve internal issues and can implement change at a local level by working with affected parties to identify and overcome challenges
Build Relationships
- Has strong stakeholder engagement skills and can present technical advice successfully in order to influence internal and external decision making
- Demonstrates the ability to articulate commercial motivations and expected behaviours of stakeholders, suppliers and networks
- Has the ability to constructively challenge other professionals to develop compliant scopes and other contract documentation
Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement
- Manages the trade-offs and contradictions within complex contracts and understands the impact and consequences on other areas.
- Where commercial judgements are based on established frameworks, challenges conventional wisdom to deliver better outcomes.
Qualifications
- Degree in a related field preferred or demonstrable professional experience
- Quantity Surveying / Supply Chain / Legal qualifications advantageous
- Appropriate Commercial Qualification e.g. RICS, CICES
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