Head of Commercial

Head of Commercial

Location: Paisley, Scotland

Job Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Office Based

Sector: Social Housing | Repairs & Maintenance | Construction

Our client is a fast‑paced, growing multi‑trade contractor operating predominantly within the Public Sector and Social Housing sector, delivering Reactive Repairs, Maintenance, Voids, Planned Works and Refurbishment services for Housing Associations and Local Authorities across Scotland.

They are now looking to appoint an experienced Head of Commercial to take full ownership of the Commercial Department and commercial performance across the business.

This is a senior, hands‑on role requiring someone who can lead and develop the Commercial Team while also getting directly involved in the detail when required.

The successful candidate will take overall responsibility for ensuring completed works are accurately valued, commercially reviewed and billed promptly, while protecting profitability across customer frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Commercial Department and take ownership of commercial performance across the business.
• Ensure completed jobs are reviewed, correctly valued and billed accurately and promptly.
• Maintain and protect profitability across customer frameworks.
• Ensure all applicable Schedule of Rates (SoR) items are correctly identified, evidenced and claimed.
• Manage framework-specific SoRs, annual RPI/indexation increases and commercial changes.
• Monitor Sales versus Budget, WIP, margins and commercial performance across all contracts.
• Provide clear weekly and monthly commercial reporting to senior management and the Board.
• Identify commercial risks, underperformance and opportunities for improvement.
• Manage quotations, variations, valuations and additional works.
• Review labour, material, subcontractor and other Cost of Sales to ensure job profitability is understood and protected.
• Support Contract Managers in managing the financial performance and budgets of individual frameworks.
• Attend customer meetings and confidently manage commercial queries, cost challenges and negotiations.
• Work closely with Operations, Planning, Finance and Compliance.
• Support tender pricing, mobilisation and the commercial setup of new contracts.
• Ensure the company's job management system is maintained accurately and consistently throughout the commercial process.
• Develop and continually improve commercial controls, processes and reporting.

The Successful Candidate

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong commercial experience within Social Housing, Repairs & Maintenance, Construction or a similar contracting environment.
• Excellent knowledge of Schedule of Rates, ideally including M3NHF/NHF or similar.
• Proven experience managing commercial performance, profitability and Cost of Sales.
• Strong experience of valuations, invoicing, quotations and variations.
• Excellent numerical and analytical ability.
• Strong Excel and general Microsoft Office skills.
• Experience managing and developing a Commercial/QS team.
• Excellent customer-facing and negotiation skills.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• The confidence to challenge, make decisions and take ownership.
• A hands‑on, proactive approach suited to a genuinely fast‑paced environment.

Experience using simPRO or a similar job management system would be advantageous, although training can be provided.

The Opportunity

This is a key senior appointment with significant responsibility for protecting and improving commercial performance and profitability across the business.

Speed of billing is important, but accuracy, commercial control and ensuring the business receives the correct value for work delivered are equally critical.

We are therefore looking for an individual who combines strong commercial knowledge with attention to detail, pace, leadership and the ability to work collaboratively with operational teams.

If you are an experienced Head of Commercial, Commercial Manager, Commercial Director or senior Quantity Surveyor with a strong background in social housing, repairs and maintenance or construction, this could be an excellent opportunity to take ownership of a growing commercial function.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Paisley – Office Based

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