Senior Commercial Manager - Italy

Our client requires a Senior Commercial Manager to join their team in their Milan office. You will provide strategic commercial leadership across complex, high-value data centre projects throughout Italy and Europe. You will oversee the commercial performance of major mission-critical developments from feasibility and procurement through construction, commissioning and close-out. Leading client relationships, commercial strategy and project teams, you will play a pivotal role in driving cost certainty, mitigating risk, and ensuring successful project outcomes. This position offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sectors in construction while helping shape the commercial delivery of some of Europe's most significant digital infrastructure projects.

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.

Qualifications

• Education: Degree in Quantity Surveying, Cost Management, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in commercial management, cost consultancy, or quantity surveying, with significant exposure to large-scale construction projects.
• Professional Accreditation: 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