Commercial Director, Asia (Infrastructure and Energy)
About this role
The Commercial Director provides commercial leadership that enables sustainable growth, disciplined work winning and profitable project delivery for the SJ Group. The role partners with Sector and Sub‑Sector leaders, Project Directors and Project Managers to ensure the Business Line secures the right work on the right terms, with commercial risk managed in line with strategy and approved risk appetite. Across the Region of responsibility, the Commercial Director establishes the governance, operating cadence and commercial capability needed to support efficient, productive and safe delivery, while ensuring the business is commercially ready, well‑resourced and positioned to achieve financial targets and strong client outcomes. The incumbent will role model the SJ Group values, ethics and code of conduct and ensure all business activities are carried out in accordance with these guiding principles.
Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership to shape commercial direction, ensuring the portfolio’s commercial strategy, priorities and decisions align with organisational objectives and long‑term value creation.
Oversee commercial governance of bids and pursuits, ensuring robust due diligence, pricing discipline and risk management to secure profitable and sustainable work.
Establish and maintain strong commercial governance frameworks that enable delivery teams to execute projects effectively, compliantly, and in line with commercial expectations.
Lead the development, review and negotiation of commercial contracts to optimise risk allocation, protect commercial interests, and secure favourable terms.
Drive improved project and portfolio commercial performance by monitoring results, resolving issues early, and enabling teams to deliver targeted revenue, margin and cash outcomes.
Build organisational commercial capability by developing tools, training, coaching, and frameworks that uplift commercial literacy across teams
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, Law, or a related discipline; postgraduate qualifications (e.g., MBA) will be an advantage.
Minimum 10–15 years of relevant experience in commercial management, contract management, bid governance, or portfolio oversight within infrastructure, engineering, or professional services environments.
Proven experience in leading commercial strategy and governance frameworks at project and portfolio levels.
Strong track record in overseeing bids and pursuits, including commercial due diligence, pricing strategy, and risk assessment.
Extensive experience in contract drafting, review, and negotiation, with a solid understanding of risk allocation principles and commercial protections.
Demonstrated ability to drive financial performance, including revenue growth, margin optimisation, cash flow management, and early issue resolution.
Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret commercial data, forecasts, and performance metrics to inform strategic decisions.
Experience in developing and implementing commercial tools, frameworks, and governance processes to strengthen organisational capability.
Proven leadership experience with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, guide delivery teams, and build commercial literacy across diverse functions.
Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate confidently at executive level.
High level of integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to balance commercial outcomes with long-term organisational value creation.
At Surbana Jurong, we put talent, hard work, teamwork and a fun workplace together to approach problems and solve them creatively and collaboratively. Join us in making a positive impact on the world!
Company at a glance
Surbana Jurong Group is a global urban, infrastructure and managed services consulting firm, with over 70 years of track record in successful project delivery. Headquartered in Singapore, the group has a global talent pool of 16,000 across Surbana Jurong and our member companies AETOS, Atelier Ten, B+H, KTP, Prostruct, RBG, SAA, Sino-Sun and SMEC, based in more than 120 offices in over 40 countries. They include architects, designers, planners, engineers and other specialists driven by progressive thinking and creative ideas to help shape a better future.
Our technical experts deliver sustainable solutions that cover the entire project life cycle from planning and design, through to delivery and management, as well as decommissioning and closure. We provide a full suite of multidisciplinary consultancy services across a diverse range of sectors that includes aviation, healthcare, hospitality, transport, energy, water and environment.
Surbana Jurong has built more than a million homes in Singapore, created master plans for more than 30 countries and developed over 100 industrial parks globally. Our tag line “Building Cities, Shaping Lives” expresses how every project or undertaking is, for the Group, an opportunity to fulfil aspirations and enrich lives. By designing and delivering quality housing, work spaces, roads, rail, hydropower, dams, underground and coastal protections and other critical infrastructure needed by our clients, we are redefining cities and transforming them into sustainable and liveable spaces where communities and businesses, present and future, can thrive.
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