About the Role
We are working with an established, employee-owned multidisciplinary design practice with studios across the UK, delivering architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design and planning across a broad range of sectors.
The practice is seeking a Commercial Manager to join its Technical Operations Group in a pan-practice leadership role. This is not a project-based appointment and not a business development position. The focus is the commercial health of live projects across the full life cycle — from bid, fee proposal and appointment through technical delivery, change management and close-out.
The successful candidate will strengthen commercial governance, improve risk visibility and protect project viability, while supporting Project Leaders and maintaining positive client relationships. Backgrounds in contracting, engineering consultancy or multidisciplinary consultancy are all welcomed.
Key Responsibilities
- Review and advise on bids, fee proposals, scopes, exclusions and consultant appointments to ensure risk allocation and deliverables are commercially robust
- Advise on standard construction contracts (JCT, NEC), novation, contractor-led procurement, liability positions, collateral warranties and professional indemnity
- Recommend mitigations, revised terms and additional fee positions on high-risk projects, escalating for leadership approval and flagging where specialist legal or insurance input is required
- Partner with Project Leaders to identify early commercial risks on live projects - scope creep, rework, fee erosion, programme extension and resource pressure — and support structured change control and fee recovery
- Lead on the consistent application of sub-consultancy arrangements across the practice, and support dispute avoidance, claims management and early resolution of commercial issues
- Develop commercial reporting for leadership and the Project Assurance Committee, and deliver coaching and training to build commercial confidence across project teams
About You
- Substantial commercial management experience within construction, engineering consultancy, development or contractor-side delivery
- Strong working knowledge of standard appointment documents, JCT and NEC contracts, novation, indemnities, liability caps and professional indemnity insurance
- Proven track record in contract review, scope definition, fee proposals and change management
- Experience supporting complex, multidisciplinary projects from inception to completion
- Experience with contractor-led procurement routes and managing consultant appointments
- Practical understanding of risk escalation and commercial governance frameworks
- Chartered status (MRICS or equivalent) advantageous
- The credibility and interpersonal skill to offer constructive challenge to colleagues and project leaders at all levels
- Excellent negotiation, analytical and written communication skills
- Willingness to travel between UK studios as part of a pan-practice remit
Why Apply?
Our client offers a genuinely different environment for a commercial professional — a design-led, purpose-driven practice where commercial rigour supports quality rather than competing with it.
Benefits include:
- Employee ownership, with a direct stake in the success of the practice
- Flexible and hybrid working, with full-time or part-time arrangements genuinely supported
- Private medical cover extending to immediate family, plus a comprehensive health cash plan
- Strong employer pension contribution
- A pan-practice leadership remit with visibility at board and committee level
- A contemporary studio environment in a central location
- An open, collaborative and ego-free culture within a purpose-certified business
