Affinity Water is looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to provide leadership and assurance across Capex, Opex and Indirect (Corporate) spend.

This is a key role within our established Procurement & Commercial function, comprising over 30 professionals, and will play a pivotal part in driving value, governance, risk management and supplier performance across the organisation.

The Role

In this role you will act as a trusted commercial advisor to senior stakeholders, delivering end-to-end commercial support across sourcing, contracting, supplier management and change control. The role requires strong leadership capability, excellent judgement, and the ability to influence and challenge constructively.

A core focus of the position will be the effective application and management of NEC4 contracts, ensuring best practice in contract administration, risk management and change mechanisms.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership & Assurance

Provide strategic commercial leadership and oversight across defined areas of spend
Ensure robust governance, compliance and value for money
Lead commercial input into procurement, contracting and supplier management activities
Embed consistent application of commercial and procurement standards

NEC4 Contract Management

Lead and advise on NEC4 contract implementation and best practice
Manage risk, early warnings, compensation events and contract changes
Support and mentor stakeholders and colleagues in NEC4 principles

People & Capability Development

Contribute to a high-performing, collaborative team culture
Support the development of capability across the wider function
Demonstrate inclusive and values-led leadership

Continuous Improvement & Digital Focus

Drive improvements through data, analytics and digital tools
Enhance spend visibility, forecasting and reporting capability
Lead initiatives to improve processes and commercial outcomes

Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement

Build and maintain strong relationships across the business
Lead engagement with key suppliers to deliver performance and long-term value
Collaborate effectively across the Procurement & Commercial community

Skills & Experience

Essential

Minimum 5 years’ experience in commercial or contract management
Strong practical expertise in NEC4 contracts
Experience managing Capex, Opex and/or Indirect spend
Strong commercial acumen, risk awareness and governance focus
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

Desirable

Experience in utilities, infrastructure or regulated sectors
Knowledge of ECC Option C (target cost) contracts
Experience in supplier relationship management and performance frameworks
Exposure to digital tools, analytics or reporting enhancements
Ability to leverage data to support commercial decision-making

About You

You will be a high-calibre, commercially focused professional with strong NEC4 expertise, proven negotiation skills and a proactive, forward-thinking mindset. You will be comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, influencing stakeholders and driving continuous improvement.

Benefits:

Competitive salary dependant on skills and experience
Learning and development opportunities, including mentoring and a range of formal courses and open learning resources.
Entry into the company annual bonus scheme.
Annual leave from 26-30 rising with length of service, and the option to purchase up to 5 extra days.
A ‘Celebration Day’ in addition to public holidays that people can use to celebrate a religious festival or other occasion that is important to them.
A generous 'double match pension scheme' that doubles the contributions you make (company contribution capped at 12%)
We offer a range of family benefits including enhanced Maternity, Adoption, Paternity, Shared Parental Leave, Fertility Support Leave and up to 5 full or 10 half days of paid Carers Leave.
Menopause policy and Reasonable Adjustment policy to help everyone perform at their best.
Access to our Wellbeing Centre with support for looking after your physical and mental health.
Discounts at a Range of Retail Outlets through our Tap4Perks scheme
Discounts on Dental and Medical Insurance through our Tap4Perks scheme through salary sacrifice
Up to 4 Affinity days a year to volunteer in the community.
Life Assurance.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, we’re committed to offering interviews to disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria and opt in on the application form. Ask the Talent Acquisition lead for the full job description to see all the criteria. If we have a very high volume of applicants and we’re not able to offer interviews to all, we’ll take a fair and proportionate number of disabled candidates through.

Affinity Water recognises the benefits of greater diversity in our workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We are committed to building a more inclusive culture where every member of our workforce can thrive.

You can find out what it’s like to work at Affinity Water through our career site https://www.affinitywatercareers.co.uk/ where our colleagues share their career development stories and you can get a feel for our company culture.