Overview

Reporting to the Head of Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC), as part of the DPC Management Team, the Commercial Lead for DPC Projects will play a critical part in enabling the wholesale business to deliver large scale, long term commercial contracts through Direct Procurement for Customers. The successful candidate will support the Head of DPC across multiple projects, initially the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy, delivering solutions to commercial challenges—from setting out underlying assumptions and evaluation methodologies during procurement to agreeing contractual positions such as risk transfer and liability caps. The role requires the ability to understand and produce cash flow modelling, challenge margins, contingency pots and risk premiums proposed by bidders, and to manage the commercial and financial aspects of the project as an intelligent client interface between Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (DCC) and external parties.

You will provide an outside-in perspective for the Directors to help the business make better commercial decisions, work more effectively and efficiently, and develop more robust solutions and contracts.

Responsibilities

1. Directly manage the engagement with the Financial Advisors to structure the procurement and evaluation process to deliver the best whole life cost solution for DCC, reduce waste, and achieve project objectives.
2. Work closely with Legal Advisors to develop the CAP agreement and all related contract documents for the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy, addressing regulatory finance implications of the project.
3. Play a significant part in delivering the Cwm Taf Water Supply Strategy procurement, including Business Case (OBC) submissions, Stage Gate approvals, and bid selection.
4. Deliver a diverse set of complex objectives, prioritise effectively, and coordinate work streams across multiple stakeholders internally and externally.
5. Work with the steering group to influence decision making, project direction and delivery.
6. Represent DCC at bidder days and in dialogue with industrial sponsors and funders.
7. Evaluate commercial models and contracts developed by bidders and challenge where necessary to identify opportunities and reduce costly risk transfer.
8. Identify and remove blockers to drive faster, better decisions throughout the procurement, prioritising the right issues to maximise VfM and accelerate contracts.
9. Assist DCC in evaluating innovative service delivery solutions proposed by bidders that may lie outside current practice but offer VfM opportunities.
10. Drive long-term value from DPC projects by selecting Competitively Appointed Providers (CAPs) capable of delivering assets that are fit for purpose and simple to administer contractually.
11. Ensure the team right-sizes and flexes with the skills needed to meet programme requirements.
12. As part of the DPC Management Team, ensure governance is complied with across internal and external processes and stakeholders to achieve programme milestones; assist in reporting to the DPC Steering Group and DCC Board to secure approvals to progress the scheme.
13. Develop robust budgets for each phase, work with the PMO to maintain risk registers and manage change to achieve desired outcomes within approved sums.
14. Support the Head of DPC and the wider DCC business in developing Dwr Cymru's PR29 strategy and producing supporting information for PR29 DPC submissions.
15. Lead on all aspects of health, safety, and wellbeing as part of the DPC Management Team.

Who you'll work with

Internal: MD of Water; MD of Commercial; Director of Water Services; Director of Procurement; Director of Strategy & Regulation; Director of Capital; Head of Water Capital Programme and DPC; Head of DPC Procurement; DPC Delivery Lead; strong cross-departmental relationships (Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Strategy & Regulation, Legal).

External: Financial, legal and procurement advisors; external Bid Teams including Industrial Sponsors & Lenders; OFWAT.

Qualifications

• A relevant degree level education
• Extensive commercial experience in infrastructure development with direct experience of strategic decision-making in a complex, regulated industry
• Demonstrable experience of OJEU procurement for large-scale infrastructure projects, including economics, tender documentation, evaluation and award
• Highly competent in MS Excel cashflow modelling for investment, with experience creating financial evaluation models and business plans to appraise risk, opportunities and trade-offs to determine value for money
• Ability to simplify complex commercial concepts and contracts into principles for senior leadership to digest
• Ability to work in a fast-moving environment with a collaborative approach to achieve common goals; strategic thinking with day-to-day delivery focus
• Track record of delivering PFI/PPP projects, interfacing between engineering, legal and finance on contracts for investment and construction (desirable)

Benefits

• Flexible with 3 days per week in Ty Awen office; some travel
• No shift patterns or standby requirements
• 37 hours per week; market-competitive salary
• Annual incentive scheme (bonus) up to 15% of base salary
• Employer pension scheme up to 11%
• Flexible working considered; relocation considered
• Onsite car park; 28 days annual leave plus public holidays
• Private healthcare; generous benefits and discounts