Senior Business Manager

We are seeking an experienced Senior Business Manager to lead a high-performing engineering consultancy portfolio delivering work packages and project-based Engineering outcomes. This role is accountable for a project-driven P&L, where success is built on the consistent delivery of high-quality engineering outputs, strong commercial control, and disciplined performance management across multiple delivery streams. Working in close partnership with the Programme Manager (who leads day-to-day project governance and delivery execution), this role ensures that all elements of the business are aligned to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and profitable outcomes.

Your Key Responsibilities

P&L Leadership & Integration

• Own and deliver against a project-based P&L, ensuring revenue, margin, and cash targets are achieved
• Integrate performance across key pillars (Programme Management, Engineering, Commercial, and Sales) to ensure joined-up execution of the business plan
• Ensure that healthy project performance translates into sustained P&L success
• Prepare and manage budgets, resource plans, and business forecasts to support the achievement of business objectives
• Ensure proposed opportunities and commitments are rigorously assessed against business capability, resource availability, delivery capacity, and commercial objectives before acceptance

Delivery Assurance & Performance Oversight

• Work in close partnership with the Programme Manager to ensure effective governance, controls, and delivery standards are embedded across all work packages
• Maintain senior-level oversight of project performance, ensuring delivery against quality, schedule, and budget expectations
• Define and oversee portfolio-level KPIs and performance metrics, ensuring clear visibility of trends and risks
• Ensure early escalation and intervention where projects show signs of distress
• Note: The Programme Manager leads day-to-day delivery governance; this role ensures the system is working effectively and delivering outcomes.

Forecasting, Reporting & Financial Control

• Lead monthly forecasting, reporting, and financial reviews, ensuring outputs are accurate, insightful, and decision-ready
• Maintain a strong grip on cost, margin, revenue, and cash performance across the portfolio
• Ensure all reporting is high quality and suitable for senior stakeholder engagement
• Provide analysis and recommendations to support informed business decision-making and continuous improvement

Contract & Commercial Governance (NEC)

• Ensure appropriate oversight and assurance of NEC4 contract administration across the portfolio
• Work with Commercial and Programme teams to ensure robust management of change, risk, and commercial positions
• Support commercial teams in the negotiation and management of contract amendments, compensation events, variations, and associated commercial positions
• Maintain a balanced approach that protects the business while supporting collaborative and strategic client relationships

Client Engagement & Pipeline Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with client stakeholders at programme and commercial levels
• Support the development of a pipeline of work packages and framework opportunities in collaboration with Account Managers
• Support the development, review, and approval of proposals and quotations, ensuring alignment with customer requirements, delivery capability, and commercial objectives
• Support the establishment and growth of long-term framework agreements and strategic customer relationships
• Ensure that strong delivery performance leads to repeat business and long-term client partnerships

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure that effective processes, tools, and ways of working are in place across the business
• Drive continuous improvement in delivery performance, efficiency, and consistency
• Promote a culture of data-led decision-making and performance transparency
• Identify and champion improvements in engineering methods, systems, digital tools, procedures, and ways of working that enhance quality, efficiency, and delivery performance

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership across the business, working through direct teams and key functional leads
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and delivery excellence, tutoring Project Managers on the demands of the business and the wider context of their work
• Support the development of capability across project, engineering, and commercial disciplines
• Assess organisational capability and workforce requirements, supporting the development of skills, succession planning, and future resource capacity needs
• Ensure teams are appropriately structured, resourced, and developed to meet current and future business demands

Compliance, Quality & Safety

• Ensure alignment with HSEQ, regulatory, and security requirements
• Work closely with the HSEQ function to ensure customer quality requirements fully understood and appropriately implemented
• Provide assurance that quality standards consistently achieved across all work packages
• Support audit readiness and implementation of corrective actions where required
• Ensure all security requirements and obligations maintained across the portfolio