M&E Commercial Manager

Our client is a leading mechanical, electrical and high-voltage engineering contractor delivering complex projects across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. They provide a genuinely integrated engineering service, combining electrical, mechanical and high-voltage capability with in-house design, offsite manufacturing and full commissioning support under a single delivery structure.

That integration is the basis of their commercial position. Where many contractors coordinate disparate specialists, this business self-delivers across the disciplines that carry the greatest technical risk, which gives clients a single point of accountability and gives the company far tighter control over cost, quality and programme than a fragmented model allows.

Scale has followed. The business has grown into a substantial engineering contractor with a well-secured multi-year pipeline and an established presence in several European markets. Growth of that kind places real demand on the commercial function, and the appointment reflects a deliberate strengthening of commercial capability to match the size and complexity of the workload being taken on.

Internally, the culture is engineering-led and pragmatic. Commercial staff are treated as delivery partners rather than as a reporting function, work closely with project and engineering leadership, and are given genuine ownership of their packages. Senior management is accessible and the business has a strong record of promoting from within as its European footprint expands.

You will take commercial ownership of major mechanical, electrical and high-voltage packages on complex projects, based in Berlin with the wider portfolio spanning mainland Europe. Work of this type is typically delivered in demanding environments — mission-critical, industrial and advanced manufacturing facilities — where technical scope is substantial and programme pressure is constant.

The commercial scope runs the full length of the package. You will manage subcontract procurement and letting, measurement and valuation, applications and payment, variation and change control, cost value reconciliation, cash management, risk and opportunity, and final account negotiation and settlement. High-voltage and specialist engineering packages bring their own commercial characteristics, including long-lead procurement, significant offsite manufacturing content and a change profile driven by design development and client-side requirement shifts.

You will work closely with project managers, engineering leads and the wider commercial function, and engage directly with main contractors, clients and the supply chain. In an integrated business, the commercial manager sits close to the technical detail; understanding what has actually been installed and why the scope moved is a substantial part of protecting the position.

The role operates on a rotational basis with living costs and travel covered by the business, allowing you to take on a significant European appointment without relocating a household. German market delivery brings its own considerations, including local contract forms, labour and compliance requirements and a supply chain with distinct commercial norms — exposure that is genuinely valuable and hard to acquire elsewhere.

Responsibilities

• Take full commercial ownership of major mechanical, electrical and high-voltage packages from procurement through to final account
• Manage subcontract procurement, package letting, terms negotiation and supply chain commercial performance
• Prepare and agree measurement, valuations, applications and payment certification
• Lead variation and change management, ensuring entitlement is identified, substantiated and recovered
• Own cost value reconciliation, forecasting, cash management and margin performance on your packages
• Maintain the commercial risk and opportunity register, escalating exposure early and accurately
• Manage long-lead procurement and offsite manufacturing commercial arrangements
• Negotiate and settle final accounts with both clients and subcontractors
• Work alongside project and engineering leadership to support delivery decisions with sound commercial advice
• Report commercial position, forecast and risk to senior management, and support the development of junior commercial staff

What You Need

• Proven experience as a Commercial Manager or Senior Quantity Surveyor within an M&E, electrical or building services contracting environment
• Strong track record managing the full commercial cycle on high-value packages through to final account
• Solid measurement and valuation capability across mechanical and electrical scope
• Demonstrable subcontract procurement, negotiation and supply chain management experience
• Sound understanding of change management, entitlement and claims substantiation
• Confident negotiator, comfortable holding a commercial position with main contractors and clients
• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management or a related discipline preferred
• Chartered status (MSCSI / MRICS) preferred
• High-voltage, mission-critical or industrial project experience is beneficial but not essential
• Familiarity with FIDIC, NEC or German VOB contract forms is beneficial but not essential
• Willingness to work on a rotational basis from a European project location

What You'll Get in Return

A salary of €130,000 is on offer alongside a rotational working pattern with living costs and travel between home and project location covered by the business, supported by a full benefits package. The structure is designed so the headline figure holds its value rather than being absorbed by the accommodation and travel expenses that usually accompany working abroad.

The wider return is the breadth of the commercial exposure. Managing M&E and high-voltage packages within an integrated contractor — where design, offsite manufacturing and commissioning all sit inside the same commercial position — develops a considerably more complete skill set than a conventional single-discipline surveying role. Adding European delivery and exposure to local contract forms to that profile makes for an unusually strong and portable commercial credential.

This is also a business with the pipeline to support progression. The European footprint continues to expand and there is a clear route towards senior commercial management and commercial leadership for individuals who perform consistently.