Commercial Manager

The organisation

The Uniting Church in Australia (the Church) is a large uniquely Australian Christian denomination in Australia with heritage from historical reformed evangelical denominations. In Queensland, the Uniting Church has around 250 congregations and has early childhood, schools, colleges and large community services (such as UnitingCare Queensland and Wesley Mission Queensland).

The Uniting Church is multicultural, committed to reconciliation with First Peoples, calls for reconciliation across its communities and aims to use its people and property resources wisely and in the furtherance of God’s mission in the world.

Position purpose

The Commercial Manager exists to strengthen the commercial capability of the Synod Office by providing strategic and operational commercial advice, financial modelling,transaction support and leadership of the procurement function.

The role partners with leaders across the Synod to translate strategy into commercially sound decisions, ensuring opportunities are assessed through a consistent lens of mission alignment, financial sustainability, risk, return and long-term value.

The role contributes to stewardship of resources by identifying, assessing and progressing opportunities that generate sustainable income and enhance missional outcomes.

Key responsibilities

Strategic commercial leadership

Lead the provision of commercial advice and analysis to the Executive Director Finance, Property & Enterprises and Synod Leadership Team on significant business initiatives, investments, strategic opportunities and commercial matters.

Act as a senior commercial partner and trusted adviser to leaders across Synod Office, Property, Enterprises and Presbyteries, providing constructive commercial challenge and influencing decisions that impact organisational performance and financial sustainability.

Drive commercial rigour in organisational decision making, ensuring significant proposals are supported by clear evidence, robust analysis and an understanding of financial, strategic and commercial implications.

Lead the development and embedding of contemporary commercial disciplines across FPE, strengthening its contribution to organisational performance and strategic decision making.

Enterprise performance and growth

Provide commercial leadership and strategic oversight of enterprise performance, partnering with Uniting Early Learning, Raymont College and Alexandra Park Conference Centre to strengthen financial sustainability, performance and growth.

Establish and drive a consistent enterprise performance framework, incorporating P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, forecasts, operating drivers and appropriate performance indicators to support executive and board decision making.

Lead rigorous assessment of enterprise performance, identifying emerging financial risks, performance gaps, opportunities for improvement and areas requiring management intervention.

Shape and evaluate enterprise growth, investment and business model opportunities, ensuring proposals demonstrate strategic alignment, commercial viability and sustainable financial outcomes.

Drive improvements in enterprise planning, forecasting and commercial disciplines, lifting the quality of information available to management, boards and Synod leadership.

Financial sustainability, investment and commercial analysis

Lead the commercial and financial assessment of significant strategic initiatives and investment proposals, including financial modelling, business cases, investment appraisal, scenario and sensitivity analysis, funding options and risk assessment.

Establish and oversee consistent commercial evaluation methodologies to strengthen the quality and comparability of investment and resource allocation decisions.

Lead commercial analysis supporting the development and implementation of the 5-year Financial Sustainability Plan and 10-year Capital Plan, identifying financial risks, opportunities, trade-offs and strategic choices.

Identify and develop opportunities to strengthen and diversify sustainable Synod income, including new business models, partnerships, investment opportunities and alternative funding approaches.Establish and oversee post-investment review and benefits realisations process for significant initiatives, ensuring approved financial, strategic and missional outcomes are tracked, reported and address performance variations to plans.

Property and major transactions

Providestrategic commercial advice and commercial analysis on significant property transactions, including acquisitions, divestments, developments, leasing arrangements, partnerships and investment opportunities.

Partner with the Property leadership team shape the commercial strategy for major property opportunities, ensuring financial viability, risk, return, funding requirements and whole-of-life implications are understood.

Partner with the Property leadership teamin the development of funding and transaction structures for significant property and investment opportunities, including assessment of alternative commercial and partnership models.

Provide commercial leadership through major negotiations and transactions, including evaluation of commercial terms and advice on financial and strategic implications.

Lead commercial and financial due diligence for significant transactions and investments opportunities working with legal, property, risk and other specialised advisors as required.

Procurement leadership and management

Lead and manage the Synod Office procurement function, including its people, priorities, service delivery and continuous improvement.

Develop, implement and maintain procurement policies, procedures, frameworks, templates and systems that support transparent, ethical, efficient and mission-aligned purchasing decisions.

Establish and oversee proportionate sourcing and tender processes for significant expenditure, including market engagement, evaluation, negotiation, recommendation and contract award.

Provide commercial and procurement advice to leaders and governance bodies on purchasing strategies, supplier selection, value for money, whole-of-life cost, risk and appropriate approval pathways.

Lead strategic supplier and category management, including analysis of organisational expenditure, consolidation opportunities, preferred supplier arrangements and supplier performance.

Ensure procurement activity complies with Synod delegations, policies, contractual requirements and applicable legal, regulatory and probity obligations.

Strengthen contract lifecycle management by ensuring material contracts have clear ownership, performance measures, review dates, renewal decisions and appropriate escalation of commercial issues.

Promote responsible procurement practices that consider mission alignment, safeguarding, modern slavery risk, environmental and social outcomes, local participation and supplier diversity where appropriate.

Build procurement capability across the Synod Office by coaching budget holders and providing practical guidance, tools and training.

Organisational performance and commercial insight

Provide authoritative commercial insight on organisational performance, translating complex financial and operational information into clear advice, options and recommendations for senior decision makers.

Identify material trends, risks and opportunities, ensuring these are understood and reflected in organisational planning, forecasting and decision making.

Partner with Finance leadership to strengthen the connection between financial planning, commercial performance, strategy and resource allocation.

Drive improvements in business intelligence, management information and commercial reporting, ensuring leaders and governance bodies have timely and decision-useful insight.

Commercial capability and governance

Lead the development of commercial capability across the Synod Office, establishing fit-for-purpose frameworks, financial models, business case requirements, investment disciplines and decision-support tools.

Set standards for commercial analysis and investment evaluation, ensuring consistency, transparency and appropriate governance across significant initiatives.

Build commercial acumen across the organisation by coaching and influencing leaders and teams in business planning, investment assessment and commercially informed decision making.

Promote a culture of accountability, commercial discipline and continuous improvement, while ensuring decisions remain aligned with the mission, strategic objectives and stewardship responsibilities of the Synod.

Key performance indicators

• Demonstrable contribution to the Synod’s medium and long-term financial sustainability, including resource optimisation and income diversification.
• Significant business, investment, property and enterprise proposals are supported by robust, decision-ready commercial analysis, financial modelling and investment appraisal.
• Improved financial performance, sustainability and visibility of Synod enterprises through contemporary commercial planning, forecasting and performance disciplines.
• Material growth, revenue and commercial improvement opportunities are identified, evaluated and progressed through appropriate decision and governance pathways.
• Procurement activity is delivered through transparent, timely and proportionate processes that demonstrate value for money, appropriate probity and compliance with Synod policy and delegations.
• Material supplier and contract risks, renewal dates and performance issues are visible, actively managed and escalated through appropriate governance pathways.
• Measurable procurement benefits are achieved through improved sourcing, supplier management, demand management and whole-of-life cost decisions without compromising service quality or missional outcomes.
• Significant property, capital and investment decisions are supported by rigorous assessment of commercial viability, risk, return, funding requirements and long-term value.
• Consistent commercial frameworks, disciplines and decision-support tools are embedded across FPE and relevant areas of the Synod, improving the quality and timeliness of decision making.
• Material commercial risks and opportunities are proactively identified, communicated and managed, with appropriate recommendations provided to senior leadership.
• Achievement of relevant Synod strategic priorities, organisational KPIs and FPE performance objectives, as agreed annually with the Executive Director Finance, Property & Enterprises.
• Maintain alignment with the Office of the Synod purpose, culture and values (values referenced under additional requirements).

Reporting relationship and delegations

• This position reports to the Executive Director Finance, Property & Enterprises
• Direct reports: Commercial Analyst
• Exercises financial and other delegations as assigned to the position in accordance with Synod delegations.

Selection criteria

Qualifications

Tertiary qualification in Finance, Commerce, Business, Economics or related discipline.

CPA / CA / CFA (or working towards) highly regarded.

Experience and skills

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including financial modelling, business cases and investment analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial transactions, enterprise performance and business development.
• Strong strategic judgement, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced Excel, with experience in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Power BI.
• Ability to provide clear, influential advice to senior executives and governance bodies.
• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and accountability.

Additional requirements

• Current Driver’s license.
• Suitability Card for Child Related Employment (Blue Card)
• National Criminal History Check to be provided and assessed every three years. Presentation of a current National Criminal History Check must be made before appointment to the position can be confirmed.
• Professional membership.
• Occasional inter/intrastate travel required.
• The successful applicant must be eligible to legally work in Australia and proof of eligibility may be requested.
• Behave in accordance with the values of the Synod Office.

Requirements

Tertiary qualification in Finance, Commerce, Business, Economics or related discipline.

CPA / CA / CFA (or working towards) highly regarded.