Commercial Director

Overview

The Commercial Director leads all commercial, contractual, and cost management functions across a major capital works programme on behalf of the PMC. The role provides strategic commercial leadership, ensuring robust contract administration, effective cost control, commercial governance, risk management, and successful commercial outcomes throughout the project lifecycle. The position acts as the client's trusted commercial advisor, administering contracts under FIDIC conditions and managing the commercial interface between clients, contractors, consultants, and key stakeholders.

The Commercial Director is accountable for the establishment of commercial policies, claims management strategies, cost assurance processes, procurement oversight, contract compliance, and the commercial performance of the programme.

• Provide strategic commercial leadership across large-scale mixed-use developments.
• Develop and implement commercial management frameworks, controls, and governance procedures.
• Advise client executives and project leadership teams on commercial risks and opportunities.
• Lead commercial negotiations with contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain project commercial reporting and performance measurement systems.
• Drive commercial best practice and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Lead administration of contracts under FIDIC Red Book, Yellow Book, Silver Book, and bespoke conditions.
• Provide authoritative interpretation of contractual provisions and obligations.
• Manage contractual correspondence and notices.
• Oversee Variations, Change Orders, Extensions of Time (EOT), and compensation events.
• Ensure compliance with contract conditions and project governance requirements.
• Assess contractor submissions, claims, and entitlement positions.
• Support Dispute Avoidance Boards (DAB) and dispute resolution processes.
• Prepare commercial strategies to mitigate contractual exposure.
• Manage contractual interfaces between multiple project packages.

• Direct all cost planning, estimating, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting activities.
• Establish and maintain programme-wide cost control systems.
• Monitor cost performance against approved budgets.
• Lead value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.
• Review contractor applications for payment and certify payment recommendations.
• Ensure robust change management controls are implemented.
• Lead cash flow forecasting and cost risk assessments.
• Develop executive-level cost reports for client leadership.

• Lead assessment and defence of contractor claims.
• Prepare detailed entitlement reviews and commercial recommendations.
• Support forensic delay and quantum assessments.
• Lead resolution of commercial disputes through negotiation and settlement.
• Interface with claims consultants, legal counsel, and external specialists.
• Develop strategies for dispute avoidance and early intervention.

• Support procurement strategy development and contract packaging.
• Lead commercial evaluations and tender assessments.
• Participate in contractor selection and award recommendations.
• Ensure procurement activities align with programme commercial objectives.
• Manage post-award commercial administration.

• Identify, quantify, and mitigate commercial risks.
• Maintain commercial risk registers.
• Evaluate contractual and financial impacts of project decisions.
• Advise senior leadership on risk exposure and mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance and client requirements.

• Lead multidisciplinary commercial and quantity surveying teams.
• Mentor and develop commercial managers, contracts managers, and cost consultants.
• Establish high-performance commercial management culture.
• Manage resource planning and capability development.
• Support recruitment and succession planning activities.

• Client Executive Management
• Programme Director
• Project Directors
• Engineering and Design Teams
• Construction Managers
• Contractors and Joint Ventures
• Legal Counsel
• Government Authorities
• Financial Controllers
• External Consultants

• Bachelor's Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Master's Degree preferred.

• MRICS / FRICS
• MCIOB / FCIOB
• AACE International
• RIBA (where applicable)
• Chartered Quantity Surveyor

• 20+ years of…