Job Description

We currently have an opportunity for a Senior Commercial Manager Join our Downer Professional Services (DPS) team and play a key role in providing strategic commercial leadership across DPS, supporting business growth, market positioning, commercial strategy and governance.

Reporting to the Head of Commercial Defence, you’ll help deliver high-quality outcomes across the Defence portfolio.

What You’ll Do

This role offers a broad scope, with key responsibilities including:

• Lead commercial workstreams across the Defence opportunity lifecycle, including EOIs, bids, opportunities and contract formation.
• Provide commercial leadership, governance and assurance to the DPS commercial team and senior leadership team.
• Oversee commercial positions, risk allocations, pricing assumptions and handover from tender to delivery.
• Review key contractual correspondence, claims strategies, variations and commercial recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, clients, suppliers, subcontractors and strategic partners.

What You’ll Bring

• Extensive commercial or contract management experience across complex, large-scale projects.
• Advanced commercial acumen across precontracts, bid development, contract administration and delivery support.
• Strong expertise in contract law, commercial risk allocation, governance, pricing models and negotiation.
• Leadership capability, including coaching, mentoring and developing commercial professionals while managing competing priorities.

• Demonstrated Defence industry experience working with prime contractors in above the line or below the line role is preferred.

• Eligibility to obtain and maintain am AGSVA Security Clearance.
• This position is based on site from our Downer Canberra office

More than anything, you’ll bring a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes for our clients.

Why Downer?

At Downer, we plan, create, and sustain essential public services across Australia and New Zealand. From hospitals to data centres and defence partnerships, we manage critical infrastructure that keeps communities thriving.

What It Means to Belong at Downer

We’re proud of our high-performance culture and commitment to diversity, offering:

• Training and development to support and diversify your career.

• With 30% of vacancies filled internally you’ll find real opportunities to advance your career.

• Perks@Downer: healthcare discounts, great savings on retail purchases, car purchases and much more.

• Employee Assistance Program: professional support for you and your family when you need it most.

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.

If you need support or adjustments through the recruitment process, just let us know, we’re here to help you put your best foot forward.