Sarah Townsley

Whilst there's a lot more to being Head of Commercial than this, I spend most of my time on just a handful of really important tasks, most of which revolve around payments, contracts and risk. I spend far more time than most people expect supporting the tendering team, reviewing contractual terms and identifying any commercial risks to the business before any works are actually priced. Putting the hard work in before a project starts on site can make all the difference later on, helping a job run smoothly. A good portion of my time is spent applying for payments, working on change management and producing cashflow forecasts.

No two days are the same! Typically, I'll review shift reports from the previous day or night to see if work has gone ahead as planned. My team prepares and submits applications for payment and cashflow forecasts in line with client timescales and follow these through to receipt of payment, as well as assessing and issuing payment notices for applications from our key subcontractor partners.

Attention to detail is key in this job - it's the smallest details that often catch you out so you need to be on your toes! Other than that, I'd say being a team player and taking a collaborative approach are both important - we're stronger together than as individuals so it's important to work as a team.

I enjoy meeting new people and building good relationships with the Amaro team, our clients and supply chain. When I joined Amaro, there wasn’t a dedicated commercial role, so I've enjoyed carving this role out and now developing that further into a growing team to continue to successfully support the business as it grows.

I joined Amaro in 2016 after a career break and coming from a previous career in the defence sector. I appreciated the recognition of transferrable skills that could be applied to a new industry and the support of the team to help with the transition.

Personally, I've been supported by being able to work flexibly and being able to increase my hours over time to allow me to work around family commitments in a really positive and supportive way. I've just completed an 8-month LEAD programme through Women in Transport which was fully supported by Amaro and I'm looking forward to implementing some of the tools in the business. Whatever training I want, either for myself or my team, is approved straight away.

I certainly would. The benefits provided are excellent and everyone is actively encouraged to look ahead and develop themselves to progress over time and to learn about other areas of the business. The whole team works well together and for myself, I always appreciate the effort that the site teams make to explain their work in terms that can be easily understood by a non-engineer!