Commercial Manager

The Vacancy

WPS has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Commercial Manager to join our Responsive Maintenance team, supporting the delivery of high‑volume social housing repairs and maintenance contracts across the West Midlands.

This role is critical to the commercial success of the business, with responsibility for commercial performance, governance and team leadership across a diverse portfolio of responsive works. You will work closely with operational and client teams to ensure contracts are delivered safely, compliantly and profitably while maintaining excellent client relationships.

Scope of Works Includes:

• Internal responsive repairs and maintenance
• External responsive works
• Heating, gas and compliance-related works

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strong commercial leadership across responsive maintenance contracts
• Full responsibility for cost control, forecasting, valuations, variations and final accounts
• Manage and develop a team of commercial professionals / direct reports
• Work closely with Operations to support efficient and profitable service delivery
• Ensure robust commercial governance and adherence to company procedures
• Support the management of risk, change control and margin protection
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with social housing clients
• Contribute to contract reviews, client meetings and performance reporting
• Drive continuous improvement across commercial processes and performance

About You:

• Proven experience in a Commercial Manager role within social housing
• Strong background in responsive repairs and maintenance
• Experience covering internal, external, heating and compliance workstreams
• Demonstrable experience managing and developing a commercial team
• High level of commercial acumen with strong understanding of cost, risk and value
• Ideally from a Tier 1 contractor environment
• Confident communicator, comfortable working with senior stakeholders and clients

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunity to work on high‑volume, long‑term social housing contracts
• Exposure to complex, fast‑paced responsive maintenance environments
• Clear career progression within a leading property services business
• Supportive team culture with a strong focus on development

Why WPS?

WPS is a trusted partner to social housing providers, delivering essential responsive maintenance services at scale. This role offers the opportunity to play a key part in the commercial leadership of a major regional operation within a respected Tier 1 organisation.

Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant’s criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks.

To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.  Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer.  We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.