Job Description

We are excited to invite applications for a Head of Commercial to join the Confluence Water Joint Venture, part of Downer’s Water business.

This is a critical leadership opportunity for an experienced, commercially astute professional who thrives in a complex, high value infrastructure environment and is driven to deliver strong financial outcomes across a large-scale, EPCM water services program.

As a key member of the Confluence Water Leadership Team, you will provide end-to-end commercial leadership across the full contract lifecycle. You will be responsible for shaping commercial strategy, managing risk, and ensuring alignment with budgets, contractual obligations, and broader business objectives.

Working closely with the Joint Venture Lead, the finance and operations teams, and senior stakeholders within Sydney Water, you will play a pivotal role in enhancing commercial performance, strengthening governance, and embedding best-practice commercial frameworks to meet the goals and targets of the Joint Venture.

This position is based in Chatswood, with engagement across the Northern Sydney operational footprint.

About the Role

In this role you will:

• Lead the commercial strategy and performance of the Confluence Water Joint Venture, ensuring delivery against budget, forecast and contractual obligations.
• Provide commercial leadership across the Head Contract with Sydney Water, including governance, compliance, and stakeholder management.
• Drive risk and opportunity management practices to protect against downside risk and maximise margin opportunities.
• Partner with finance and operations to analyse performance drivers, including revenue, cost and margin variances, and implement improvement initiatives.
• Oversee claims, variations and dispute resolution processes to ensure timely and favourable outcomes.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of commercial and contract management specialists.
• Ensure robust commercial governance, reporting, and adherence to Downer’s Delivery Management Methodology and governance frameworks.
• Support procurement governance and subcontract management in line with contractual and client requirements.
• Engage with senior stakeholders including the Joint Venture Board, Governance Committees, and client representatives to provide commercial insight and influence decision-making.
• Contribute to bid governance and pipeline opportunities by leveraging delivery insights to improve future performance.

This is a highly visible leadership role where you will influence strategic direction while ensuring strong commercial discipline and operational delivery.

Our Ideal Candidate

You are a commercially driven and a strategic leader with deep expertise in contract and commercial management within complex infrastructure or construction environments. You are confident working in complex organisations and interested in working in a joint venture structure with a strong ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive performance outcomes.

What You Will Bring

• Tertiary qualifications in construction management, engineering, accounting, quantity surveying or a related discipline.
• 10+ years’ experience in commercial or contract management within construction, infrastructure or services environments.
• Proven experience leading commercial functions on large, complex projects or programs and uplifting operational commercial acumen.
• Strong capability in commercial strategy, contract administration, risk and opportunity management, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in financial management, forecasting, and performance analysis.
• Experience managing claims, variations and dispute resolution processes.
• Proven experience delivering margin uplift initiatives across contracts and leading high-performance outcomes.
• Deep knowledge of contractual risk management principles and their practical application.
• Strong leadership skills with experience building and leading high-performing teams.
• Advanced commercial acumen with the ability to interpret contracts and apply legislative requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and communication skills.

What We Can Offer You

• A senior leadership role within a high-profile Joint Venture delivering critical water infrastructure.
• The opportunity to shape and influence commercial strategy across a complex operational program.
• A collaborative, high-performing environment within an ASX-listed organisation.
• Access to Downer employee benefits, development programs and wellbeing initiatives.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with a strong focus on mental health and wellbeing.

You want your work to matter and so do we. With over 26,000 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, our team is made up of individuals with unique perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas

We know that diversity makes us stronger and we actively celebrate it through our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

We’re committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we welcome people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities, and lived experiences. We especially encourage applications from those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented in our industry, including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pasifika Peoples, veterans, people with disability, and neurodivergent individuals. Even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with this role, we’d still like to hear from you. If it feels like the right fit, apply - potential counts, and so do you.

As a WORK180 Endorsed Employer, we support flexibility that works for your life, inclusive leadership that values your voice, and equitable access to opportunity so you can do your best work and bring your whole self to it.