Commercial Contract Manager

Job Description

The Non-Regulated business drives organic growth by identifying opportunities that support energy sector decarbonisation, meet investment criteria, and deliver sustainable long-term returns. This includes working with eHeat Networks Ltd to decarbonise buildings and support data centre development.

The Commercial Contract Manager plays a key role in leading investment opportunities from inception to closeout—developing financial models, contract strategies, and ensuring commercial viability. The role involves drafting and negotiating contract terms, ensuring legal compliance, and collaborating across departments to manage commercial risks.

This position also supports investment decisions at the executive level and engages with government bodies to shape strategies for deploying heat networks. Operating with high autonomy, the role requires close collaboration with internal stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment and support throughout development.

What you'll be doing

Provide Leadership & Direction within a team of professionally qualified staff in assessing/optimising multiple business and project opportunities that are critical to the future growth of the business:

Strategic Analysis

• Undertake financial analysis and formulate strategic proposals to provide the optimal contractual strategies for the projects. Identifying potential risks and proposing mitigation strategies.
• Review contract strategies adopted by competitors and make recommendations if these would be suitable for the specific project opportunity.
• Regular monitoring of contract performance and resolution of issues that arise during the project lifecycle. Reporting regularly to Senior Management and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Governance

• Active stakeholder collaboration, ensuring multiple corporate functions (Legal; Procurement; Risk Management; Compliance) are fully aware and involved in the decision process of the contracting strategy.
• Lead the development of contractual strategies to support the varied business opportunities.

Leadership & Direction

• Play a lead role to the overall direction and performance of the business, supporting the team to deliver their key objectives.
• Lead in the communication of the different and emerging contracting strategies to the team.
• Actively encourage, leading by example, a positive collaborative working environment across the team and wider stakeholders – building relationships and fostering a co-operative approach to the successful delivery of the business objectives.
• Play a lead role in maintaining a positive team environment and ensure staff are motivated, understand their objectives and foster a culture of regular communication and feedback.
• Manage and grow relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally. Playing a key role in maintain regular meetings and communication to support both the needs of the business and to support growth.

What you'll bring

• Preference for a Commercial Manager or other relevant post graduate qualification (e.g MBA) with significant PQE in managerial positions, leading teams with a high level of commercial contract and financial awareness.
• Knowledge of various industry contract terms and conditions, preference in energy sector projects and district heating.
• Experience in corporate finance concepts to support development of informed investment decisions, including analysing NPV, IRR, payback period, profitability index, projected cash flows and developing the business case.
• Proven leadership skills, while managing several wider internal and external stakeholders across multiple parallel proposals.
• Ability to utilise a network of contacts across the business to keep up to date with business strategy, issues and initiatives.
• Strong performance and delivery focus with the ability to balance conflicting requirements and time pressures.
• Combine extensive professional and commercial expertise with the ability to co-ordinate skills of others to achieve successful results.
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all organisational levels, including Leadership teams and Executives.
• Ability to constructively challenge at all levels to ensure strong understanding of business issues, plans and a range of complex, high value and commercially sensitive proposals and activities.
• Ability to make contractual decisions, considering all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of commercial and regulatory framework for heat networks and an understanding of the political, economic, social, regulatory and competitive drivers across the different technologies within the heat network landscape.
• Experienced in corporate finance concepts and proficiency in developing financial models, as well as developing the business case for the investment opportunities for presentation to Directors and Senior Management.
• Knowledge and understanding of commercial contracts and legal terminology.
• Knowledge in analysing complex contract terms and conditions, identifying areas of risk and proposing strategies and mitigation.
• Strong understanding of commercial management with ability to quickly grasp impacts and formulate preventative measures.
• Experienced at influencing and created change at an organisation and industry level.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with proven ability to communicate at all levels of the organisation and with external stakeholders.

Minimum Criteria

• Preference for experience in Commercial and Financial Management and/or other relevant post graduate qualification (e.g MBA)
• Highly developed negotiation skills
• Knowledge and awareness of land rental levels and their economic impacts on projects
• Knowledge and awareness of land option and lease legal agreements

What’s in it for you

As well as a competitive salary which is reviewed annually, you can also enjoy a number of other benefits. With our pension scheme, we’ll double match your contribution up to a company contribution of 10%.

At ScottishPower, we believe it’s the little things we do in life that make a big difference. From helping you look after your family’s wellbeing, save for your future and take personal steps for climate action – our benefits are designed to help you do just that - so that you have everything you need to take care of your world – today and tomorrow. That’s why our benefits include:

• 36 days annual leave
• Holiday Purchase – perfect your work/life balance with extra annual leave
• Share Schemes
• Payroll Giving and Charity Matched Funding
• Technology Vouchers – save more and spread the cost of your technology purchases
• Electric Vehicle Schemes – to help you transition to green/clean driving
• Cycle to Work scheme and Public Transport Season Ticket Loans
• Healthcare benefit options including: Dental Insurance, Private Medical Insurance, Health Cash Plan and annual Health Assessments
• Life Assurance (4x salary)
• Access to Savesmart financial wellbeing support
• Plus shopping, leisure, restaurant and gym discounts, and unique employee deals on travel insurance and more

Why ScottishPower

ScottishPower is part of the Iberdrola Group, one of the world’s largest integrated utility companies and a world leader in wind energy. With a commitment to generate all of our energy from renewable resources and a drive to create the energy infrastructure of the future, we’re at the forefront of the journey to Net Zero and investing over £6m every working day to make this happen. With diverse opportunities across our businesses and a commitment to invest in our own internal talent, ScottishPower can offer people real career opportunities that meet personal and professional goals, in a global organisation.

Inclusion, diversity, and a social purpose are at the heart of everything we do. Together with our values, they bring us together into a stronger, more sustainable business with direct links to the communities we serve. It takes all kinds of people to build a large-scale business like ours, so whatever your background, you’ll fit right in.

ScottishPower is committed to providing reasonable support or adjustments in our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long term conditions, mental health conditions, or who are neurodivergent or require pregnancy-related support. If you need support, please reach out to [email protected].

Mobility

Please note that any applicant who is not a citizen of the country of the vacancy will be subject to compliance with the applicable immigration requirements to legally work in that country. If/when required, the Company will support the employee with the necessary Immigration requirements.