Commercial Manager (Client/Owner's Representative)

Why Join Grucon?

Grucon is a specialist consultancy providing project, commercial, and cost management services across the digital infrastructure sector.

Our team brings deep technical expertise, strategic insight, and executional excellence to the most complex and capital-intensive projects globally.

We operate as a trusted advisor at the most critical stages of project delivery, providing project and program management, owner’s representation, and commercial advisory on some of the most technically demanding data centre developments in the world. Our approach is deliberately hands-on, with senior involvement throughout, ensuring clarity, control, and consistently high standards of execution.

At Grucon, we offer the opportunity to work on major projects from an early stage, with real influence over delivery and outcomes. Our senior team is hands-on, collaborative, and focused on building a high-performing, low-bureaucracy environment where experienced professionals can make a tangible impact.

We are building a team of experienced professionals who value ownership, quality, and straight-talking delivery, and who want to be part of a growing consultancy helping to deliver the future of digital infrastructure.

Overview:

As Commercial Manager at Grucon, you will take a senior role representing a confidential strategic client in the delivery of a major hyperscale data centre programme in the Alentejo Litoral region of Portugal. Acting as an extension of the developer’s organisation, you will lead the commercial function on behalf of the client, providing the oversight and governance typically expected from a developer’s in-house commercial function, while informing and supporting the client’s decision-making team.

Your role is to lead the commercial function on site on behalf of the developer, setting direction at project level, holding the PMO to account, and ensuring the wider delivery team is meeting the developer’s commercial objectives.

This is a hands-on, high-ownership position for a commercial professional who is comfortable operating at the client-side table, setting commercial direction, and driving accountability across contractors, consultants and internal stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

About the Role:

• Act as the senior commercial lead on behalf of the developer, providing owner’s representation across all commercial matters on the programme.
• Oversee the performance of the appointed PMO consultancy from a commercial perspective, ensuring their delivery aligns with the developer’s objectives, controls and governance standards.
• Assist in defining and implementing the developer’s commercial governance, controls and reporting frameworks to protect the client’s position throughout delivery.
• Assist in contract strategy, structuring and negotiation across General Contractor, Owner Furnished Contractor Installed (OFCI) and professional services agreements, working alongside the developer’s procurement team who will have led on upfront strategy.
• Oversee end-to-end Capex management on site, with the PMO owning day-to-day budget setting, forecasting, cash flow, change control and variance reporting — ensuring outputs meet the developer’s standards and reporting needs.
• Oversee procurement and tendering activity on site across CSA and MEP packages — supporting bid evaluation, commercial workshops and award recommendations, with upfront strategy already defined by the developer’s procurement team.
• Oversee and direct the wider commercial team, consultants and cost managers supporting the programme, ensuring consistency, quality and pace of delivery.
• Provide clear, timely commercial reporting and risk analysis to enable senior client decision-making.
• Maintain strong commercial control and contractual discipline across all contractors and vendors, proactively managing risk, claims and disputes.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with the client’s executive team, design consultants, contractors and supply chain partners.

Skills and Experience:

• 10+ years’ experience in commercial management, quantity surveying or cost management across major capital projects, with a demonstrable track record at senior / leadership level.
• Data centre experience is essential — ideally across hyperscale or AI-ready developments.
• Proven experience operating client-side or on behalf of a developer, with the gravitas and judgement to represent the client at executive level.
• Strong track record leading both pre- and post-contract commercial delivery on complex, fast-paced construction programmes.
• Deep expertise across contract strategy, negotiation and administration (FIDIC or equivalent international forms).
• Experience leading procurement and tendering strategy across CSA and MEP packages.
• Fluent English is required; working proficiency in Portuguese is a benefit.
• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• MRICS or equivalent professional accreditation is desirable.
• Strong leadership presence, with a collaborative, team-focused approach and the ability to influence at all levels.
• A proactive, delivery-focused mindset with the confidence to make decisions, set direction and hold others to account.

What We Offer:

• A senior client-side role on one of the most significant data centre programmes in Europe.
• Real ownership, influence and visibility at executive level from day one.
• A collaborative and supportive team environment with senior-led delivery.
• Exposure to complex, fast-paced projects with leading clients shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
• A strong support network within Grucon with the desire to encourage, promote and develop our staff.
• We are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices and workplace culture.

Compensation Package:

Competitive salary and benefits package.