Commercial Manager - Infrastructure Contracts & Supplier Strategy

Job Description

Transpower plans, builds, operates and maintains New Zealand's National Grid, enabling the safe and reliable delivery of electricity across Aotearoa. Our core purpose is to empower the energy future for New Zealand - a future that delivers a net-zero carbon economy and a reliable and secure electricity system.

About the team

Within Corporate Services (CFO), the Procurement & Commercial team provides a centre-led commercial and procurement function, supporting enterprise outcomes from more than $500m of annual project and programme spend across domestic and international suppliers.

Our focus is on strengthening commercial discipline, consistency, and value across the full lifecycle of delivery models, contracts, and supplier relationships.

The opportunity

As Principal Strategic Commercial & Procurement Manager, you'll provide senior commercial leadership across Transpower's infrastructure programmes and supplier portfolio.

Working alongside our Strategic Commercial Manager, you will influence how Transpower structures long-term commercial arrangements, governs supplier relationships, manages risk, and realises value from complex construction and delivery activity.

This is a senior individual contributor role (no direct reports), with an enterprise mandate and strong influence across delivery groups.

In this role, you will:

• Lead multi-year sourcing and category strategies, delivering endorsed strategies, options/business cases and market engagement plans
• Build and govern commercial frameworks (panels, alliances, long-term agreements) with standard templates/playbooks, clear approvals and measurable adoption
• Provide senior advice on contract models, terms, risk and incentives-setting negotiation positions and documenting decision rationale
• Lead high-value supplier negotiations end-to-end, aligning stakeholders and approvals to secure agreed commercial outcomes
• Negotiate or provide guidance to project teams on disputes and claims, particularly in relation to construction contracts.
• Embed governance and supplier performance (KPIs, reviews, reporting, escalation), lifting consistency and standards across the portfolio

A key focus is principal-level capability uplift - developing practical guidance, tools and coaching that build confidence and consistency in contract management and commercial decision-making across the business.

You'll lead through influence, partnering closely with delivery leaders and Legal, to support safe, efficient and value-focused delivery of Transpower's works programmes.

What you'll bring

You can demonstrate leading enterprise-level commercial work in complex, high-value environments, influencing senior stakeholders without formal authority.

You'll bring:

• Proven experience shaping commercial or procurement strategies across a portfolio of projects or programmes
• Demonstrated experience developing and governing long‑term contracting frameworks across a portfolio (e.g. panels, preferred suppliers, MSAs), beyond single projects
• Strong construction and delivery contract expertise (e.g. NZS 3910, NZS 3916, FIDIC Yellow Book and/or NEC)
• Experience negotiating complex, high-value contracts, variations, claims and disputes
• A track record of developing commercial frameworks, standards or guidance that scale across an organisation
• Experience supporting or lifting commercial capability through mentoring, coaching or training
• Accountability for material external spend and commercial outcomes
• Experience in utilities, infrastructure, or large capital delivery environments will be strongly advantageous.

Why join us at Transpower?

At Transpower, the work you do matters. We're responsible for the electricity transmission network that underpins everyday life across Aotearoa, and our people play a critical role in enabling a safe, reliable and resilient energy system.

You'll join a supportive, collaborative environment where expertise is valued, and people are trusted to make an impact. We offer flexible working arrangements, opportunities to grow your capability, and the chance to work on complex, nationally significant infrastructure challenges.

We're committed to inclusion and diversity and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experience.

You must have the right to work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.

For further information, please review the position description on our careers website and apply.