Description

To support AWE’s expanding mission, they are recruiting a Commercial Infrastructure Director to work with Exec members and their senior management team to shape and drive the strategic direction on all commercial aspects of capital spend in the region of £17-19 billion.

Reporting into the Chief Commercial Officer, this is a key senior leadership and change management role with an overarching goal of developing a strong commercial function for AWE Construction and Infrastructure programmes.

The Commercial Infrastructure Director will head up all capital commercial activities with a key focus on driving efficiency effectiveness, removing duplication and creating a single channel for all capital commercial activities.

The role will be responsible for providing executive oversight on commercial aspects of flagship programmes and strategically important contracts. A critical element will focus on establishing and managing complex and strategic working relationships with external parties including commercial and government partners through building a high level of credibility.

These external parties will include, but not be limited to, Cabinet Office, Government Commercial Function, DNO, relevant MOD bodies and key government partners to drive cross industry collaboration to share best practice and identify opportunities for wider collaboration on construction and infrastructure programmes. Importantly this role shall be accountable for ensuring the integration of the Commercial Infrastructure teams with the broader transformation programme.

‍

Key accountabilities

• Ensuring alignment of team objectives with both AWE, Commercial and relevant programmes goals and objectives. 
• Providing strategic commercial leadership across the AWE infrastructure programmes ensuring commercial strategies are aligned with AWE’s goals, and ensuring AWE Executive and senior management are fully engaged and aligned with strategic approach.
• Providing strategic guidance on development and delivery of commercial strategies drawing on their wealth of both industry and commercial knowledge and expertise.
• Overseeing strategic partnerships with key government and supply chain partners.
• Provide leadership to team on complex commercial constructs and major contracts drawing upon knowledge and expertise in creating appropriate and innovative commercial delivery of infrastructure.
• Ensuring team demonstrate excellence in the application of appropriate and progressive commercial constructs that incentivise the whole enterprise towards the defined programme outcomes.
• Leading team on developing and executing progressive commercial strategies and plans for the specification, procurement and management of all contracted and outsourced activity including supporting any engagement with other senior directors and their teams to adequately specify requirements for major complex projects / programmes.
• Working with peers across the Commercial senior leadership team to ensure effective cross commercial engagement and collaboration, and utilisation of capabilities delivered by commercial enabling functions (Commercial Excellence, Commercial Partnering and Market Development) to ensure adherence to policies, standards and processes, and importantly enabling team to focus on strategic delivery.
• Working with the Chief Commercial Officer and wider Exec and their Senior Leadership to ensure that the Construction and Infrastructure programmes represent value for money, in accordance with HM Government’s guide to Managing public money.

‍

Experience required

• Recognised commercial leader with a visionary and strategic mindset, and ability to steer major commercial initiatives.
• Proven track record in delivering major multi-billion commercial infrastructure programmes (incorporating major new builds and upgrades to existing infrastructure as well as decommissioning of existing infrastructure).
• Significant experience in the application of commercial policy, standards and controls across the commercial lifecycle.
• Up-to-date knowledge Cabinet Office and IPA policies and related major programme industry initiatives would be preferred, with practical hands-on experience of having implemented for major public sector investment programmes.
• Significant experience of leading commercial functions with need to augment and develop teams an in a complex group structure.

‍

Preferable qualifications

• Business Degree or equivalent proven professional experience
• MBA or advanced business degree. Member, or working towards membership, of professional body.
• Compliance with LC/AC/ADAC, legislation and regulations.

AWE has exclusively retained Newsom Consulting to assist with the recruitment of this position.