Commercial Engineering Manager

Company Description

VFS Southampton Ltd is a well‑established UK manufacturer specialising in high‑quality commercial vehicle bodywork solutions. Founded in 1995 and based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, VFS is a trusted partner to leading vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators across the UK

The company designs and manufactures a wide range of commercial vehicle conversions, including tippers, dropsides, luton vans and bespoke bodywork, supplying OEM and fleet customers with reliable, innovative and industry‑leading solutions. VFS is known for combining advanced manufacturing techniques with robust, practical designs that perform in demanding working environments.

Operating from manufacturing facilities in Southampton and Wakefield, VFS has built a strong reputation for quality, consistency and customer service. With over 30 years of experience in the automotive manufacturing sector, the business continues to grow while maintaining a people‑focused culture that values teamwork, continuous improvement and pride in workmanship

Role Description

The purpose of this role is to bridge the gap between technical operations and financial profitability, maximising margins, managing contracts, and mitigating risk across the project. They will oversee the commercial life cycle of engineering products, from initial tender to final delivery, working closely with internal sales, procurement and project engineering teams.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Financial & Margin Management:

• Conduct comprehensive feasibility studies for proposed projects to evaluate technical, financial, and operational viability prior to implementation
• Profitability Oversight: Monitoring project costs against budgets to ensure maximum margin on products and engineering services
• Cost Estimating: Producing or verifying cost estimates from engineering drawings for manufactured parts and assemblies
• Financial Reporting: Preparing monthly commercial reports, including cost reconciliation, valuation, and forecasting, for senior management

Supply Chain & Procurement:

• Supplier Negotiation: Sourcing and negotiating with suppliers for raw materials and outsourced processes (e.g., heat treatment, plating) in line with the internal procurement teams
• Subcontractor Management: Ensuring suppliers meet quality, schedule, and cost standards

Risk & Compliance Management:

• Risk Assessment: Identifying and mitigating commercial risks associated with new projects, such as export controls (e.g., ITAR/FAR in defence) or import regulations
• Compliance: Ensuring adherence to regulatory standards, health & safety policies, and company procedures

Operational Process Improvement:

• Continuous Improvement: Improving internal commercial processes, such as CRM usage and bid review procedures
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working with production, engineering, and quality teams to align production scheduling with customer deadlines

Everyday duties and responsibilities

• Managing key engineering deliverables comprising assigned projects and engineering tasks.
• Communicate with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure engineering activities are planned, coordinated, and completed to agreed timescales.
• Ensuring manufactured Products comply with Customer specifications and Group Engineering and Production standards of excellence and are delivered within the DOA.
• Ensure management procedures, standard operating procedures, and assembly information pertaining to engineering are documented and reviewed for accuracy and compliance.
• Support the development of production processes to ensure the best possible quality and reduce waste.
• Provide support to Production Teams in all technical matters, address technical issues, re-optimisation processes and troubleshooting.
• Support production teams in identifying training needs for new and current projects, preparing control plans and documentation that deliver controls on all production process characteristics

Special Requirements

• Personnel and project management skills
• Expert-level knowledge of sector technology and processes
• Strategic thinking
• Leadership, teambuilding, and mentoring skills
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Data analytics skills and experience
• Attention to detail.
• Flexible thinking, including the ability to pivot and try new approaches when faced with challenges.
• Organisational, planning, and documentation skills
• Proficiency in using presentation software to explain complex information to non-technical management personnel and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work on multiple projects in various stages simultaneously.
• Experience using computer-aided design (CAD) platforms. Solidworks 3D
• Experience using System Applications and Products ERP software.