Project Commercial Lead

Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact.

We co-create engineering solutions that have a positive impact and improve people's lives. Zutari values inclusion and recognises the importance of a diverse, talented workforce, believing that people need other people to succeed.

What kind of talent do we pursue?

We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset, who are motivated by doing the right thing, getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

Role overview:

The role of a Project Commercial Lead is integral to enabling Project Executives to ensure the financial and business success of their projects whilst maintaining the highest quality of delivery.

This position involves overseeing various commercial aspects of projects including contractual, technical, and financial operational requirements, whilst ensuring that the Project Team operates efficiently and profitably.

The Project Commercial Lead plays a key role in negotiating contracts, managing costs, mitigating risks, and fostering positive client relationships by freeing the Project Executive up to focus on the core e and relational aspects of the project executive role.

Role responsibilities

• Capability and Support:
  • Assisting the Project Management Business Units in Africa and the Middle East to build the required capability towards Contract Management and Controls functions.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain the Zutari project commercial management system, in accordance with industry best practice and standards.
  • Development of Project Executives to understand project commercial management through learning interventions.
  • Support governance processes on project commercial health and risk management.
• Delivery Model:
  • Assist Project Executive to select the correct delivery model and technical solution for the project (particularly with significant projects, major projects and framework agreements).
• • Ensuring that the project implementation methodology is executable and enabled by the project contract and financially viable and profitable.
• Contract Management:
  • Provide expertise and oversee negotiations of contracts with Clients, Contractors, Subcontractors, and Suppliers.
  • Ensuring that contract terms are favourable and in alignment with Zutari's objectives.
• Cost Control:
  • Have oversite and monitor project costs, budgets, and expenses on an ongoing basis.
  • Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency.
  • Track earned value and estimate to complete, ensuring timely interventions to ensure that the project financial metrics exceed the "as bid" parameters.
  • Pro-actively identify positive and negative variances and support the Project Executive to exploit or mitigate identified opportunities or risks.
• Risk Management:
  • Assist the Project Executive in identifying and mitigating risks, including financial, legal, and operational risks.
  • Developing risk management strategies to minimize potential negative impacts and maximize potential positive impacts.
• Pricing and Bidding:
  • Setting pricing strategies for the project during the pursuit or bidding stages to ensure that the proposal is competitive.
  • Ensuring that the project execution plan enables the Project Team to execute on the pricing strategy.
• Procurement:
  • Managing procurement processes, including internal and external vendor selection and negotiation.
• Client Relations:
  • Support project executive in Building and maintaining positive relationships with the Clients whilst protecting the commercial and contractual integrity of the project.
• Compliance:
  • Enabling that projects comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
  • Enabling that Project Executives consistently implement and monitor compliance procedures.
  • Assisting Managing Directors to apply consequence management for non-conformances.
• Reporting:
  • Preparing financial reports, forecasts, and presentations for the Project Management and relevant project governance functions.
  • Communicating financial performance and key metrics.

Minimum requirements

• Minimum years of experience in a similar role within the engineering or construction industry essential
• Degree in business, finance, quantity surveying, engineering, or a related field.
• A postgraduate qualification (master's degree) in contract or commercial management preferred
• Professional certifications in project management, finance, or related fields
• Exposure to projects from an Owner, Consultant, and Contractor perspective would be advantageous.
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Understand industry trends, pricing strategies, and competitive positioning.
• Understand project finances, forecasting, and reporting.
• Navigating complex agreements, claims, and dispute resolution.
• Identifying and mitigating financial and operational risks.
• Understanding legal frameworks governing contracts and procurement.
• CRM and ERP systems (Deltek)

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success.  We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience.  We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices.  In support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle, preference will be given to individuals from designated groups within South Africa.