Director, Commercial Management

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Commercial Management is a senior commercial leader within the Major Projects team responsible for protecting and enhancing project margin through disciplined contract governance, supply chain strategy, and change order management.

This role leads and continues to formalize the commercial management function across complex transmission, substation, and large-scale infrastructure projects. The Director ensures contractual risk is proactively managed, procurement strategies align with execution models and change management processes are rigorously administered to preserve commercial entitlement.

Operating with significant autonomy, the Director partners closely with Operations, Project Directors, Finance, and Market Development to ensure commercial structures support profitable delivery. While core contract and supply chain capabilities exist, the function is evolving; this role carries a mandate to strengthen systems, standardize workflows, and build scalable commercial governance to support increasing project size and complexity. The Director leads a specialized commercial team (typically Supply Chain and Contracts / Change Order Management) and advances the maturity of commercial practices across the Major Projects portfolio.

Core Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy & Governance

• Assess current commercial practices and implement scalable, standardized commercial management frameworks across Major Projects, ensuring consistent application of contract review, risk allocation, and entitlement strategy.
• Establish standardized commercial operating procedures including:
  • Prime contract risk assessment
  • Subcontract flow-down governance
  • Procurement strategy alignment
  • Change order documentation and approval protocols
• Change order documentation and approval protocols
• Partner with Market Development during pre-award to support contract negotiation strategy, commercial risk evaluation, and pricing assumptions.
• Provide executive-level reporting on commercial exposure, risk trends, and margin protection initiatives.

Contract Management & Risk Mitigation

• Oversee interpretation and administration of prime contracts and major subcontracts.
• Lead structured contract review sessions at project mobilization to ensure alignment between commercial terms and operational execution.
• Identify contractual risks early and develop mitigation strategies in collaboration with Legal and Project Leadership.
• Ensure compliance with notice provisions, documentation standards, and entitlement preservation requirements.
• Support dispute avoidance strategies and, where necessary, assist in formal claims preparation and resolution processes.

Change Order & Entitlement Management

• Establish disciplined change management processes across all Major Projects.
• Oversee validation, pricing, and submission of change orders, ensuring alignment with contractual mechanisms and project controls.
• Implement standardized documentation frameworks to support:
  • Scope change tracking
  • Time impact analysis
  • Cost justification
  • Client correspondence logs
• Monitor aging of outstanding change orders and drive resolution strategies to protect cash flow and margin.
• Partner with Finance to ensure revenue recognition aligns with commercial status and entitlement certainty

Supply Chain & Procurement Leadership

• Assess current supply chain capabilities and implement structured procurement governance, vendor qualification standards, and strategic sourcing processes appropriate for large-scale transmission and substation delivery.
• Provide strategic oversight to the Supply Chain function within Major Projects.
• Align procurement strategies with project risk profile, execution schedule, and cash flow considerations.
• Oversee major equipment and subcontractor contracting strategies, including:
  • Bid leveling and commercial evaluation
  • Risk transfer and indemnity structures
  • Escalation and market volatility management
  • Long-lead material strategy
• Ensure subcontract agreements reflect appropriate flow-down of prime contract obligations.
• Design and implement preferred supplier frameworks and national procurement consistency standards where not yet established.

Commercial Performance & Financial Integration

• Collaborate with Project Directors and Finance to monitor:
  • Margin erosion risk
  • Cost-to-complete forecasts
  • Commercial exposure dashboards
  • Contingency utilization trends
• Drive alignment between project controls, commercial documentation, and financial reporting.
• Support quarterly portfolio reviews by providing commercial risk analysis and recovery strategy updates.
• Implement lessons-learned frameworks to continuously improve commercial execution models.

Leadership & Function Development

• Lead and mentor commercial management personnel (typically 2 direct reports including Supply Chain Lead and Contracts / Change Order Manager).
• Build the commercial management function from its current state toward a disciplined, scalable operating model capable of supporting portfolio growth over the next 3–5 years.
• Build scalable commercial infrastructure capable of supporting increased Major Projects volume.
• Develop training programs for Project Managers and operational leaders on contract fundamentals, entitlement preservation, and commercial discipline.
• Promote a culture of proactive risk management rather than reactive claim management.
• Contribute to succession planning and capability development within the commercial stream.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• 15+ years of commercial, contract management, or procurement leadership experience within heavy civil, powerline, transmission, or industrial construction environments.
• Deep understanding of EPC, unit-rate, lump sum, and cost-reimbursable contract models common to large infrastructure delivery.
• Demonstrated experience leading change order strategy and entitlement preservation on high-value projects.
• Strong knowledge of supply chain risk, subcontract negotiation, and commercial governance frameworks.
• Experience partnering closely with Operations and Finance to protect margin in field-driven execution environments.
• Ability to interpret complex contractual language and translate it into operational action.
• Strong executive communication skills and ability to present commercial risk analysis to senior leadership.
• Proficiency with project controls systems (SAP, Viewpoint, Primavera, Procore, or similar platforms).
• Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field preferred.