Commercial Manager

About the Role

A growing civil construction company is seeking an experienced Commercial Lead with a strong background in commercial construction to drive revenue growth, client acquisition and the expansion of our construction portfolio.

This is not a general Business Development or Sales role. We are specifically looking for a commercial professional who understands the construction contracting environment and has demonstrable experience developing business, pursuing opportunities and winning contracts within the commercial construction sector.

The successful candidate will take ownership of the commercial pipeline - from identifying and developing prospective clients and construction opportunities through proposals, tenders, commercial negotiations and contract award.

The role will work closely with our Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Project Management teams to develop commercially competitive proposals that can be successfully delivered.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company's commercial growth and business acquisition strategy, with particular focus on commercial construction projects.
• Identify and pursue new construction opportunities with commercial property owners, real estate developers, government agencies, institutional investors and other organisations requiring construction contractors.

• Build, manage and continuously grow a strong pipeline of qualified commercial construction opportunities.
• Develop relationships with key decision-makers and convert those relationships into viable construction opportunities and contracts.

• Lead client acquisition from prospecting and initial engagement through proposal, negotiation and contract award.
• Take ownership of proposals, RFPs, tenders and Expressions of Interest, coordinating with Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Project Management teams.

• Lead commercial negotiations covering project scope, pricing and contract terms through to signed agreements.
• Develop business strategies and market-entry initiatives that increase the company's share of the commercial construction market.

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with developers, corporate organisations, government institutions, investors and other relevant stakeholders.
• Represent the company at relevant industry and stakeholder engagements to generate qualified construction opportunities.

• Establish effective CRM, pipeline management and opportunity-tracking processes.
• Track proposals, tenders and commercial opportunities from initial lead through to contract award.

• Provide the Managing Director with regular reporting on pipeline value, proposals submitted, contracts won, conversion rates and projected revenue.
• Work closely with project delivery teams to ensure commercial commitments are realistic and aligned with operational capacity.

• Build and lead the commercial/business development team as the function expands.

Essential Requirements

Candidates must have:

• 7-10+ years of progressive experience in commercial management, business development, contract acquisition or a related commercial role.
• Direct experience within commercial construction, construction contracting, or a closely related construction environment.

• A demonstrated understanding of how commercial construction projects are sourced, tendered, negotiated and awarded.
• A proven track record of identifying, pursuing and converting opportunities into construction contracts or significant project revenues.

• Hands-on experience developing and managing construction proposals, bids, tenders and/or RFP responses.
• Strong experience in B2B client acquisition and relationship management, particularly with developers, corporate organisations, institutional clients, government agencies or major property owners.

• Demonstrable experience managing a commercial pipeline and working towards measurable revenue and contract-win targets.
• Strong commercial negotiation, proposal development and stakeholder-management capabilities.

• Ability to work effectively with technical teams including Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Project Management.
• Strong leadership capability and the ability to establish and scale a commercial function.

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Real Estate, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related discipline.
• An MBA or relevant postgraduate/professional qualification will be an advantage.

Strongly Preferred

• Established relationships within Nigeria's construction, commercial real estate, development, government and institutional investment ecosystem.
• Experience winning commercial projects such as office developments, retail developments, mixed-use projects, institutional buildings or similar construction contracts.

• Experience building or leading a commercial/business development function within a construction company.
• Strong knowledge of the Nigerian construction and property-development market.

How Success Will Be Measured

• Value and number of commercial construction contracts won
• Growth in qualified commercial construction pipeline

• Revenue generated from new clients
• Proposal/tender win rate

• Client acquisition and conversion rate
• Development of strategic client relationships

• Achievement of quarterly and annual commercial revenue targets

Important Note to Applicants

This position requires relevant commercial construction experience. Candidates whose experience is primarily in general sales or business development without demonstrable exposure to construction contracting, construction proposals/tenders and commercial project acquisition may not be considered.

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