Commercial Director - Specialist Construction Subcontractor
Cork City
Role: Commercial Director
Reports to: CEO
Team: Commercial Manager, Quantity Surveyors, Commercial Function
Sector: Specialist subcontracting / complex construction delivery
The Mandate
Our client is appointing a Commercial Director to own, lead, and future‑proof the commercial performance of the business. This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for commercial strategy, governance, risk, and capability across the complete project lifecycle.
The brief is clear: bring control, pace, and consistency, protect margin, strengthen contractual positioning, and build a commercial function that scales with the business.
This is not a hands‑on QS role. The successful candidate will operate at executive level while remaining close enough to projects to guide decisions, manage risk, and intervene where value or exposure is at stake.
Full ownership of the commercial lifecycle from contract review to final account
Set and drive commercial strategy across the project portfolio
Act as the business’s commercial authority on contracts, risk, and entitlement
Lead CVRs, forecasting, reporting cadence, and margin control
Embed disciplined execution of variations, notices, EOTs, and claims
Maintain clear, real‑time visibility of risk, exposure, and opportunity
Lead senior‑level negotiations and client commercial engagement
Build, lead, and coach a high‑performing commercial team
Drive adoption of systems, processes, and governance
Ensure commercial decisions actively support delivery and business objectives
What Success Looks Like
Improved margin protection and entitlement recovery
Strong, consistent commercial reporting and forecasting
Early identification and management of risk
A confident, capable commercial team operating with clarity and ownership
Commercial discipline embedded across delivery teams
Reduced dependency on individuals and increased organisational resilience
Required Background
Proven experience in a senior commercial leadership role, ideally within a subcontracting or complex project environment
Strong track record managing upstream and downstream commercial positions
Deep experience with CVRs, variations, final accounts, claims, and negotiation
Comfortable overseeing multiple projects with differing contract forms and risk profiles
Experience embedding systems, governance, and process discipline in a growing business
Technical Strengths
Expert knowledge of construction contracts (NEC, JCT, bespoke forms)
Strong commercial forecasting, cost control, and margin management capability
Highly confident reviewing contracts, amendments, and international conditions
Able to translate commercial data into clear executive‑level decisions
Leadership Profile
Credible, decisive, and commercially rigorous
Strong coach and developer of people
Comfortable challenging, influencing, and holding others to account
Clear communicator with non‑commercial stakeholders
Strategic thinker who can drop into detail when risk or value demands it
Calm under pressure; focused on outcomes, not noise
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