Mace
Senior Commercial Manager - Water Sector
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Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.
About the Role
The Senior Commercial Manager is the Alliance wide, centrally accountable leader for performance assurance, reporting, cost control, and insight across the IMR WR Alliance. The role provides a single, coherent view of commercial, delivery assurance, and operational performance, ensuring that decision making at Alliance and Anglian Water governance forums is informed by accurate, timely, and integrated data.
The role oversees and coordinates all Regional Commercial Managers, ensuring consistency of approach, strong commercial discipline, and alignment with IMR WR governance expectations.
Responsibilities
You’ll be responsible for:
- Managing key central capability functions - Commercial Lead, Senior Quantity Surveyor, Estimator, and Programme Data Manager to create a robust, end to end performance management system across the Alliance.
- The Commercial Performance Manager acts as the custodian of performance truth for the Alliance, driving transparency, assurance, and continuous improvement across AMP8 delivery.
- Liaising with Anglian Water Finance to ensure budgets and costs are correctly allocated to the Alliance.
- Ensuring that all performance data - forecasting, cost, change, risk, efficiency, delivery confidence, and outcomes - is consistent, assured, and aligned across regions and central teams. It strengthens financial stewardship, delivery confidence, and governance effectiveness by embedding rigorous controls, common standards, and clear accountability.
- Working collaboratively with Anglian Water and Alliance partners - including the NEC ECC Project Manager, AWS Commercial Performance Manager, Programme Delivery Manager, and Delivery Assurance Manager - the role supports the achievement of required outputs, outcomes, and efficiencies under AMP8.
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Requirements
You’ll need to have:
- Professionally qualified in a relevant discipline (e.g. Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Finance or Engineering), or equivalent experience. Membership of a recognised professional body (e.g. RICS, CICES, CIMA) is preferred.
- Senior commercial leadership experience within complex, multi-partner delivery environments (e.g. Alliances, Joint Ventures, or major frameworks), with demonstrable accountability for performance, cost control, and governance at programme or portfolio level.
- Strong working knowledge and practical application of NEC contracts (ideally NEC ECC Option C/E), including Defined Cost, compensation events, forecasting, and pain/gain mechanisms.
- Proven experience in leading and developing high-performing commercial teams across multiple locations, driving consistency, capability, and alignment to a common framework.
- Demonstrable experience in designing, implementing, and operating robust commercial and performance management systems, including reporting, forecasting, and assurance processes.
- Strong financial and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret complex data sets, generate meaningful insight, and support strategic decision-making at senior governance level.
- Excellent financial numerary skills, excel advanced, and willing to get into the detail of Alliance cost management and cost value engineering.
- Experience of working collaboratively with clients and partner organisations, influencing across organisational boundaries and operating effectively within a “one team”/Alliance environment.
- Track record of driving continuous improvement, cost efficiency, and value optimisation across large-scale programmes.
- Strong understanding of risk management, delivery assurance, and programme controls within an infrastructure or utilities environment (water sector experience desirable but not essential).
- High level of commercial acumen, integrity, and professionalism, with a strong commitment to transparency, governance, and the principles of mutual trust and co-operation.
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Our Values
- Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of wellbeing in every team.
- Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables, strategic outcomes and build long term relationships with our clients.
- Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry, while always aligning with our compliance obligations.
- Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.
Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfil all the criteria, please apply as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.
We are also open to discussing part time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.
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