Commercial Lead / Senior Commercial Manager

Our client is a fast-scaling data centre delivery specialist, delivering hyperscale, colocation, and mission-critical projects for leading digital infrastructure clients across the EMEA region. They're strengthening their commercial function with a Commercial Lead / Senior Commercial Manager.

This is a chance to shape commercial delivery across a growing project portfolio — protecting margin, managing risk, and embedding governance from pre-contract through final account, working closely with project directors and client stakeholders.

Ideal for someone with a strong data centre or mission-critical commercial track record, ready to step up. Candidates considered at Commercial Lead, Senior Commercial Manager, or Commercial Director level, depending on experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as senior commercial point of contact for clients, main contractors, and key subcontractors, building trusted stakeholder relationships.

• Set commercial strategy across projects, including procurement approach, contract selection, and risk allocation appropriate to each market.

• Oversee cost plans, budgets, and cash flow forecasts, reporting cost position and forecast final account to senior leadership.

• Lead negotiation and award of major subcontract and supply chain packages, protecting commercial position while maintaining strong supply chain relationships.

• Manage escalation and resolution of variations, claims, and disputes across UK and international contract frameworks (e.g. NEC, JCT, FIDIC).

• Line manage, mentor, and develop a team of Quantity Surveyors and Cost Managers as the team scales across new markets and projects.

• Coordinate with project directors, construction leadership, and engineering teams to align commercial delivery with programme and technical objectives.

• Present cost reports, forecasts, and risk registers to senior client and internal stakeholders, including at board level where required.

• Ensure compliance with contract terms and local market practice across all jurisdictions in which projects are delivered.

• Support business development and bid activity, including commercial input into tenders and pricing strategy as the business pursues new opportunities.

• Contribute to the ongoing development of commercial processes and best practice as delivery capability scales across UK & EMEA.

Requirements

• Extensive experience as a Senior Quantity Surveyor, Commercial Manager, Commercial Lead, or Director on data centre or other mission-critical construction projects.

• Strong track record managing large, complex commercial packages, ideally including MEP/electrical scope on hyperscale or colocation schemes.

• Experience operating across multiple European or international markets highly desirable given the scale of this role.

• Experience leading and developing commercial teams on large-scale sites or across a multi-project portfolio.

• Strong knowledge of UK and international contract forms (NEC, JCT, FIDIC) and the ability to adapt commercial approach to local markets.

• Excellent negotiation, leadership, and stakeholder communication skills, with the gravitas to operate at client director/board level.

• Commercially minded with a strategic outlook, balancing day-to-day delivery with longer-term business growth objectives.

• Relevant qualification (BSc/MSc in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, or equivalent); RICS/MRICS advantageous.

• Willingness to travel across UK and EMEA project locations, with flexibility around location and working arrangements.

English language proficiency essential; additional European languages advantageous but not essential.

What's on Offer

• A genuine opportunity to shape the commercial function of a scaling data centre delivery business across the UK and EMEA.

• Exposure to a growing portfolio of major hyperscale and mission-critical projects for globally recognised end clients.

• Competitive salary and package, dependent on experience, with scope to shape the role as the business grows.

• Long-term career opportunity with real influence over how the commercial function is built and run.

• All visa statuses considered for the right candidate — support and guidance provided where possible.

To apply, please submit your CV, or contact us for a confidential discussion about the role.