Senior Commercial Manager

Location: Milan
Start Date: November
Contract Duration: 12 months
Working Hours: 40 hours per week / 8 hours per day

About the Job

We are currently recruiting for a Senior Commercial Manager to join a leading project and cost management consultancy in Milan. This is a fantastic opportunity to provide strategic commercial leadership across complex, high-value Data Centre projects throughout Italy and Europe.

The successful candidate will oversee the commercial performance of major mission-critical developments from feasibility and procurement through construction, commissioning, and close-out. This role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sectors in construction, helping to shape the commercial delivery of some of Europe’s most significant digital infrastructure projects.

The Role

As a Senior Commercial Manager, you will lead client relationships, commercial strategy, and project teams, playing a key role in driving cost certainty, mitigating risk, and ensuring successful project outcomes across a portfolio of large-scale developments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead commercial and cost management services across multiple large-scale Data Centre projects.
• Develop and implement commercial strategies that support successful project delivery and client objectives.
• Provide senior leadership on cost planning, benchmarking, budgeting, and financial control throughout the project lifecycle.
• Advise clients on procurement strategy, contract selection, and risk allocation.
• Oversee tender processes, tender analysis, and contract award recommendations.
• Lead negotiations and administration of contracts, including NEC and JCT forms where applicable.
• Manage variations, change control processes, claims, and commercial disputes.
• Review project financial performance, forecasts, cash flow, and commercial reporting across multiple commissions.
• Drive value engineering initiatives and cost optimisation strategies while maintaining project quality and performance standards.
• Provide commercial governance and assurance across project portfolios.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, contractors, and key stakeholders.
• Support business development activities, client pursuits, and proposal preparation.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Commercial Managers, Cost Managers, and junior team members.
• Support regional leadership with commercial reporting, resource planning, and operational performance management.

Requirements

• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Cost Management, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in commercial management, cost consultancy, or quantity surveying, with significant exposure to large-scale construction projects.
• MRICS, AssocRICS, or working towards chartered status preferred.
• Extensive experience managing complex commercial programmes and multi-disciplinary project teams.
• Strong understanding of NEC, JCT, and other standard forms of construction contract.
• Proven track record delivering Data Centre, mission-critical, industrial, infrastructure, or similarly complex projects.
• Strong knowledge of construction law, commercial risk management, and procurement strategies.
• Experience overseeing multiple projects and client accounts simultaneously.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to provide strategic advice to senior clients and project teams.
• Ability to operate effectively within fast-paced and technically demanding project environments.