Commercial Assurance Director

About the Role The Commercial & Revenue Assurance Lead owns the commercial and cash lens across the portfolio, including cash flow, work-in-progress (WIP), certification, and collections. This role is responsible for interrogating entity-reported commercial figures rather than simply relaying them and is often the first line of defense in identifying losses, uncertified earned-value gaps, and ageing receivables before they reach leadership unannounced. As a core member of the EPMO, this position provides independent commercial assurance, ensuring reported financial performance is supported by evidence and that emerging exposures are identified and escalated early. Key Responsibilities • Validate cash flow, WIP, and collections positions across priority projects by cross-checking reported figures against source documentation. • Identify uncertified earned value resulting from internal submission failures rather than genuine client disputes. • Own and manage commercial and contractual exposure items within the EPMO Tasks & Issues Log. • Investigate and escalate significant changes in reported commercial figures where no supporting explanation exists. • Challenge reported numbers and commercial assumptions to ensure accuracy, transparency, and accountability. • Provide independent commercial assurance across the project portfolio and highlight emerging risks before they impact business performance. Construction & Commercial Knowledge • Strong knowledge of IPC certification cycles, BOQ structures, variation orders, claims management, and cost-value reconciliation. • Sound understanding of GCOC/FIDIC-style contract mechanisms with the ability to assess the commercial substance of notices, rejection letters, and dispute correspondence. • Deep understanding of CPI and EAC metrics from a contractor's perspective, including what drives cost performance below 1.0 and what constitutes a credible recovery plan. • Strong grasp of WIP fundamentals, including distinguishing between genuinely disputed work and work that has been completed but not submitted for certification. • Knowledge of collections and receivables ageing, with the ability to differentiate between liquidity issues, payment-routing problems, and certification backlogs. Experience & Technical Skills • 10+ years of experience within a contractor-side commercial, quantity surveying, or commercial management environment. • Experience within a main contractor or PMO commercial team on major projects. • Exposure to international and/or multi-entity project delivery environments is highly desirable. • Demonstrable success in improving WIP, collections performance, cash flow, or overall commercial outcomes on live projects. • Comfortable working across multiple currencies, jurisdictions, and operating environments. AI Fluency (Non-Negotiable) • Genuine enthusiasm for using AI as a core professional tool through specific, real-life applications rather than general awareness of AI platforms. • Proven examples of using AI to identify cash flow anomalies, accelerate variation or claims reviews, improve commercial analysis, or support issue resolution. • Ability to explain practical outcomes achieved through AI-enabled decision-making. • Comfort collaborating with technical teams to build or enhance AI-assisted commercial and revenue assurance tools, even without direct software development expertise. Personal Attributes • Naturally skeptical and evidence-driven, approaching issues from a "show me the certification" mindset rather than accepting reported figures at face value. • Highly detail-oriented with the ability to translate complex findings into concise executive-level insights. • Confident challenging commercial teams professionally and constructively when concerns arise. • Strong commercial acumen combined with the ability to communicate in clear business language rather than technical quantity surveying jargon. • Analytical, inquisitive, and focused on identifying underlying causes rather than surface-level explanations.