Commercial Manager in Birmingham

Brief Description

To provide post-contract commercial management of medium value/medium risk activity and support pre-contract activity within the Project delivery team's scope of work, providing specialist commercial advice, guidance and recommendations to mitigate commercial risks.

This role sits within the Civils part of the Capital Delivery Buildings, Civils and Lineside (BCL) organisation. This is within the North West and Central (NW&C) Region of Network Rail. NW&C is made up of three funding routes; these being North West, West Coast South and Central.

BCL are funded from these three routes to undertake circa £380m of renewals Works across the NW&C network during the current financial year. The commercial manager role being advertised here is specific to the Civils renewals Works on the Central and West Coast South routes.

The specific portfolio that this role will manage is currently circa £15million. The types of Structures Works is varied and includes for renewals to existing bridges, culverts and tunnels. The majority of these Works are planned via the annual remitted work-banks, however there are also emergency schemes that are introduced for immediate delivery (e.g. bridge repair Works).

This role requires liaison with multiple stakeholders. This will include for the internal delivery teams and external contractors.

This role will report to the Civils South senior commercial manager and will be based out of Baskerville House in Birmingham.

About the role (External)

1.Support the Programme and project teams in monitoring for breaches of corporate governance –compliance with Network Rail Corporate Governance rules in a timely manner.

2.Manage cost reporting of all allocated projects within the Network Rail reporting framework including Cost Forecasting, Anticipated Final Cost, Cost of Work Done, Gross Billing and Current Contract Value.

3.Monitor, manage and report on all commercial aspects of allocated projects, flagging issues and proposing mitigation actions at the earliest opportunity to Project Manager and/or Programme Commercial Manager (functional reporting line) and/or Senior Commercial Manager.

4.Monitor awareness of all site activities on allocated projects in order to influence decision making from a commercial perspective. Review contractor delivery; including leading valuation of medium value/medium risk contracts & attending all progress meetings to actively influence contractor's commercial behaviours, delivery and activity.

5.Manage assessment and valuation of contractor's applications and processing of payment certification in accordance with Network Rail processes, contractual terms and conditions and commensurate with contractual entitlement. Cost elements should be challenged, audited where appropriate and valuations should be consistent with agreed site progress.

6.Provide pro-active advice and guidance to Project Managers on all change including proposed scope changes, recommending appropriate action in accordance with Network Rail change control systems and produce all required documentation for approval in accordance with levels of delegated authority including comparative estimates where required in a timely manner.

7.Produce of applications for payment/invoices to outside clients in accordance with relevant funding agreements, including supporting documentation as appropriate.

8.Identify and advise on all commercial risk/claim events.

9.Provide of ad-hoc management information and analysis to promote informed decision-making.

10.Produce appropriate commercial correspondence and contractual notices for issue in accordance with contractual conditions. Commercial records should be retained and archived properly upon close out.

11.Undertake final account settlements and internal reconciliation to project close-out as per the project authority, project plan and within agreed timescales. For multi-year framework agreements, agree and reconcile annual accounts within 6 months of each year-end.

12.Support demonstration of efficiencies and continual improvement of estimating by undertaking cost analysis of completed projects and feedback as per Cost Allocation Feedback process.

13.Support with pre and post contract procurement activities as appropriate.

14.Provide support to estimating resources, offering guidance and advice on project scale/scope as required.

15.Support the negotiation of all prices under existing contracts/framework agreements (including the negotiation of target costs) and fully participates in the associated quantitative risk assessment and value management workshops, as required.

16.Check whether all contractual specifications set out for the management of safety, and as determined by Network rails standards, procedures etc., are effectively implemented and thereafter monitored to prevent any potential non-compliance, delay, or lack of organisational cover etc. which could introduce the importation of risks to the programme managers portfolio. 

17.Check whether both Occupational and Operational risks are inputted into project Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA's).

In order to be successful in this role, we would like you to have/to be:

·5 years' experience in commercially managing investment projects

·Demonstrable relevant experience

·Good understanding of railway and construction industry forms of contract

·Good understanding of the construction/railway industry

·Good negotiation skills

We would also like but it isn’t crucial to have/to be:

·Educated to degree standard in related subject

·Membership of a relevant professional institute, chartered status

·Significant experience of working within a generalist commercial environment

·Awareness of industry issues

·Six Sigma Yellow Belt