Senior Commercial Manager

Crown Estate Scotland has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Commercial Manager to join our Finance & Business Services team on a full time permanent basis. 

The role will be responsible for ensuring Crown Estate Scotland adheres to its core value of commercialism, applying and developing commercial acumen across the business to grow revenue and capital.  This primarily involves oversight and reporting of the performance of the Crown Estate Scotland asset portfolio and working with Board, Executive Team, Asset Management Teams and others to ensure that asset value and overall returns are maximised.  

By joining the Crown Estate Scotland team, you’ll be surrounded by dedicated and talented individuals who are passionate about what they do, giving you the opportunity to learn and develop.  You’ll be working alongside like-minded individuals who are working towards achieving the shared goal of making Scotland a better place.

About Us

We manage property – including buildings, land, coastline and seabed – on behalf of people of Scotland. Our purpose is to invest in property, natural resources and people to generate lasting value for Scotland. Our profits go to Scottish public spending.

We work in a way that:

• Generates prosperity and value for all of Scotland;
• Supports the growth of sustainable business and industry in Scottish seas and on the coast;
• Makes places better for those who live, work and visit there;
• Promotes sustainable ways of producing energy, food, and other products; and
• Creates opportunities for people to use and benefit from the Scottish Crown Estate

Our values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration and Commercialism help us to put our purpose into practice. They shape how we work, underpin our actions, and help to make Crown Estate Scotland a great place to work.

About the role

The successful candidate for this role within the organisation will be responsible for:

• The development of commercial policies.
• Leading commercial aspects of significant investments or transactions, including a portfolio of high value, complex property agreements.
• Overseeing all procurement activities.
• Reporting performance to Board Committees, monitoring, analysis and assessment, policy development/implementation and direct participation in significant transactions.
• Developing commercial approaches that deliver best value (within the context of Crown Estate Scotland’s wider public value, environmental and socio-economic goals).
• Representing Crown Estate Scotland externally with commercial tenants and key stakeholders, to Chief Executive and senior management level, delivering impact and influence where appropriate.
• Providing commercial leadership and advice across the organisation, driving commercial performance and managing key commercial risks. Maintain a longer-term strategic view (i.e. 5 years and beyond) about how the commercial aspects of the activities and property agreements might be developed and managed in a way which is sustainable in the long term.  Help develop CES’s strategic and corporate business plans.
• Working with Asset and Business teams and provide constructive challenge both organisationally and especially with regard to large and significant transactions and investments.
• Leading commercial aspects of significant transactions (whether investments, property agreements or other), including:
  • negotiation at Chief Executive and senior management level,
  • business case development,
  • engagement/ management of professional advisors and legal advisors,
  • Engagement with Executive Team, Investment Committee and Board.

• Participating in the development and implementation of Crown Estate Scotland investment funds, ensuring commercial aspects are given appropriate assessment weighting and attention.
• Coordination of the Less than Market Value Policy (LMV), ensuring commercial issues and legal/regulatory constraints are given due regard.
• Assessing, monitoring and reporting on financial performance of overall portfolio, individual asset classes and significant transactions or investments. Providing regular updates to Executive Team, Investment Committee and Board. Using the insight developed to play a significant role in the development and delivery of Crown Estate Scotland strategy and performance.
• Providing wider market analysis for Executive Team, Investment Committee and Board, delivering context and outlook for decision-making within the organisation.
• Ensuring Crown Estate Scotland adheres to its responsibilities as a Contracting Authority, providing oversight and leadership in this regard.
• Managing approvals process for significant transactions or investments. Facilitating robust assessment of business cases. Ensuring proposed investments achieve target returns as contained in Crown Estate Scotland Investment Strategy. Providing commercial leadership, support and advice as necessary for individual business case development.
• Managing the commercial and financial due diligence process for proposed investments and tenants (in any agreement leading to substantial income streams over a prolonged period). Ensuring financial and commercial risks for Crown Estate Scotland are appropriately managed as a result.
• Providing commercial and other support to the Director of Finance and Business Services, as required.
• Leading commercial aspects of Marine activities – e.g. option/ rent structure development for new leasing, overage calculations/ negotiations, variations to extant agreements.
• Ensuring Crown Estate Scotland colleagues have the necessary understanding of, and comply with the commercial and administrative requirements for, each contract and transaction.
• Leading the development of discrete commercial policies, business cases, commercial governance processes and business planning as necessary.
• Identifying opportunities for revenue and capital growth and commercialisation, as well as potential cost minimisation such that transaction margins are enhanced.

The contractual working location of this role is our Edinburgh office.  However, we believe work is something you do, not a place you go to, and we are committed to supporting employees to work flexibly and in a way that suits their role and preferences. 

About You

You should:

Essential

• Extensive experience of working with legal teams to prepare commercial contractual documentation to the highest standards.
• Be experienced in managing projects involving high capital expenditure (typically £10-20m).

• Have practical experience of risk assessment, mitigation and management.
• Hold experience of carrying out due diligence on potential counterparties including financial capability and covenant strength.
• Have thorough knowledge of public policy in relation to procurement.
• Be numerate with a demonstratable understanding of commercial modelling in Excel (i.e. cognisant of NPV, IRR calculations and how they relate to commercial positions).

Desirable

• Have experience gained in utilities/renewable developers and/or real estate.
• An MBA, legal, financial, accounting or project management qualification or accreditation.

You will have the following qualities, which are key to success in this role:

• Proven ability to focus on key priorities when under time pressure, and to manage competing demands.
• Proven ability to work with colleagues and customers from a wide variety of different business backgrounds and to articulate, succinctly, complex commercial positions and requirements in a professional and appropriate way.
• Confidence and ability to engage and influence at a senior level.
• A dynamic and enthusiastic, hands-on professional approach.
• Embraces and actively seeks out opportunities for knowledge and learning.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• A high moral code and level of integrity, demonstrating Crown Estate Scotland’s business principles and values in all aspects of their day-to-day duties.To act in a confidential manner when dealing with Crown Estate Scotland activities whilst promoting and safeguarding the values of the organisation.

To apply

Crown Estate Scotland is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we encourage applications from people from all backgrounds. We want to ensure every candidate has a positive experience and can most effectively demonstrate their suitability for the role they are applying for.  Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to help you in your application or with our recruitment and selection process. 

We welcome requests to work on a job share basis and/or secondments.