Commercial Manager

Commercial Manager Location: Ireland / UK / Europe as required Job Type: Full-Time Reporting to: Managing Director Salary: €125,000–€150,000 per annum, depending on experience, plus a performance-related bonus. Big salaries come with big expectations. Prove your ability, deliver results and keep improving, we’ll reward you for it.

Build Your Career with Centum Engineering Centum Engineering is growing across Ireland, the UK and Europe, delivering major engineering projects within data centres and other technically demanding sectors. We are looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to lead commercial performance across our projects and operations.

You will take responsibility for contracts, cost control, forecasting, cash flow, procurement, variations, claims and commercial risk. Reporting to the Managing Director, you will work closely with Quantity Surveying, Planning, Finance and project delivery teams, providing clear direction and holding people accountable for delivery.

You must be able to lead people, protect margin and back your decisions with evidence. We want to understand what you have managed, what you have improved and what you have delivered. The Role You will provide commercial leadership from tender and estimation through project delivery and final account, ensuring work is properly structured, costs are controlled and contractual entitlements are recovered.

Your remit will extend across the group’s labour hire, contract works and development activities, with clear reporting to senior management on financial performance, cash position and risk. Know the numbers. Know the risks. Act early. Senior management should hear about a problem while there is still time to fix it. You must have substantial electrical construction projects under your belt, with clear evidence of the teams you’ve led, the budgets you’ve controlled and the commercial results you’ve delivered.

Key Responsibilities

Contracts & Commercial Governance Lead contract reviews, negotiations and commercial agreements. Establish clear scope, payment terms, assumptions and risk allocation. Ensure teams understand contractual obligations, notice requirements and deadlines. Provide commercial input during tendering and lead effective handover into delivery.

Cost Control, Forecasting & Cash Flow Oversee labour, materials, plant and subcontractor expenditure. Maintain accurate cost-to-complete, final margin and cash-flow forecasts. Identify margin erosion early and lead practical recovery plans. Oversee payment applications, certifications, retentions and outstanding debts.

Work with Finance to ensure forecasts reflect actual performance and receipts. People & Team Leadership Lead the Quantity Surveying function and provide commercial direction to Procurement and Planning. Set clear expectations, allocate responsibility and follow through on delivery. Develop capable teams and address underperformance promptly and fairly.

Keep commercial and operational teams aligned across multiple projects. Managing people means more than chairing a meeting. You need to give clear direction, have difficult conversations when required and make sure agreed actions get done. Variations, Claims & Procurement Lead change control across variations, dayworks, scope changes and client instructions.

Ensure contractual and Early Warning notices are issued within required timescales. Ensure variations and claims are properly priced, evidenced, submitted and progressed. Oversee negotiation of variations, Extensions of Time, other commercial claims and final accounts. Protect budgets through effective supplier and subcontractor negotiations.

Align procurement with project budgets, programmes and cash flow. Manage contractual disputes and work with external advisers where necessary. Reporting & Commercial Strategy Provide accurate reporting on earned versus spent, margin, cash flow, variations, claims and commercial risk. Give senior management clear recommendations supported by reliable information.

Maintain consistent commercial controls, reporting standards and audit-ready records. Improve the use of job-costing systems, dashboards and site evidence across the business. What We’re Looking For You will typically bring 5–10 years of relevant commercial or Quantity Surveying experience , including demonstrated responsibility for managing people and commercial performance.

Candidates with greater experience are equally welcome. We are looking for: A strong construction or engineering background, ideally within electrical, MEP, data centre or mission-critical projects. Proven experience leading Quantity Surveyors or commercial teams. Strong contractual knowledge across Irish, UK and/or European projects.

Demonstrable results in cost control, forecasting, cash flow, variations and claims. Confidence negotiating with clients, subcontractors and professional advisers. Advanced Excel skills, particularly in forecasting, cash flow and margin analysis. Experience with job-costing systems, commercial reporting and project dashboards.

Clear communication, sound judgement and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Willingness to travel across Ireland, the UK and Europe as required. Bring the Evidence Experience matters. Evidence earns trust. Through your application and follow-up conversations, we want to understand: People managed: team size, reporting structure and your direct leadership responsibilities.

Projects controlled: values, scope, complexity and the commercial decisions you owned. Results delivered: margin protected, cash collected, variations recovered or forecast accuracy improved. Problems resolved: examples of addressing underperformance, contractual risk or a project moving off plan. Be ready to explain your own contribution and provide references that can substantiate it.

Anonymised examples and figures are welcome; confidential employer or client documents are not required. Why Join Centum? This is an opportunity to take a senior role in a growing international engineering business, with direct access to the Managing Director and real influence over commercial strategy. You will help shape how projects are priced, controlled and delivered, develop the commercial team and establish standards that support our next stage of growth.

We will give you the authority to lead. We expect you to use it, take ownership and deliver results. Apply Today Apply with your CV and a brief summary of the teams you have led, the projects you have managed and two or three commercial results you are proud to stand over.