Commercial Manager

Job Introduction

We are recruiting a Commercial Manager to join our Corporate Services business.

As Commercial Manager, you will represent Sodexo on commercial matters (legal, financial and risk management) both internally and externally.

You will also will take the commercial management lead on bids and contract management activity originating in Ireland (ROI & NI).

Role Responsibility

This will involve activity across the ‘5 pillars’ of commercial activity:

Sales Support and Contract Negotiations

• Negotiate contracts effectively in conjunction with Sodexo legal, Operations and Sales teams - to achieve beneficial contract terms, mitigate risks and maximise financial returns.
• Deliver support to sales activities including solution development, commercial overview, risk management, submission wording for bids and NDA / confidentiality agreement reviews.

Contract Management Review

• Responsible for the commercial lifecycle of assigned contracts including agreement of the best terms for Sodexo and management of contract changes to facilitate organic growth.
• To negotiate effectively with suppliers as required.  
• Support account teams to maximise organic growth opportunities and deliver effective dispute resolution with clients.

Trouble Shooting & Risk Management

• ‘Trouble shoot’ where directed, proactively analyse, find a solution for and resolve these issues, reducing losses, avoiding risks and by these actions increasing profitability.

Governance

• Ensure that all assigned contracts are managed in line with Sodexo delegations of authority

Education

• To deliver commercial education of operational teams aimed at improving the commercial effectiveness of the business
• Provide advice, education and assistance to the Corporate Services teams with a view to increasing their awareness of commercial issues and improving commercial outcomes (e.g. delivering more organic growth).
   

The Ideal Candidate

• Relevant experience of commercial management, procurement and / or quantity surveying, ideally in a facilities management environment.
• To be familiar with legal terms and conditions, comfortable around financial information and financial models and the ability to translate sales proposals into firm contracts.
• Excellent negotiation skills and experience of negotiation strategies to deliver the best possible contracts for Corporate Services.
• Experience and currently operating at senior level.
• Qualification to degree level (less important than relative business experience).
• Ability to manage own time and be accountable for the outcomes agreed. 
• This is a UK and ROI based role which will involve a degree of flexibility and travel where required.
• Strong IT skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to build rapport with clients to assist resolution of issues, and work effectively within the Corporate Services team.
• Ability to coach operational and sales teams to increase their commercial awareness
   

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 35,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process