Contracts Manager

To lead end-to-end contract management for infrastructure projects, ensuring contractual compliance, protecting the company's commercial position, managing claims/variations, and supporting successful project delivery through proactive risk management and effective stakeholder coordination.

•  Lead contract administration for major infrastructure projects (FIDIC/Employer bespoke forms), ensuring compliance with notice requirements, timelines, and contractual procedures.
• Review, negotiate and advise on contract terms, subcontracts, and supplier agreements, highlighting risks and proposing mitigation measures.
• Manage variations/change control: instruction review, entitlement assessment, pricing approach alignment with QS, and submission strategy.
• Oversee claims management: time/extension of time (EOT), disruption, prolongation, acceleration, and associated cost recovery with supporting records.
• Maintain a robust contractual correspondence system and ensure accurate, timely notices, approvals, and responses.
• Support project teams with contract interpretation, contractual training/awareness, and strategy during disputes or escalations.
• Coordinate with Planning, QS, Engineering and Site teams to ensure records (daily reports, progress, delays, resource logs) support entitlements.
•  Lead or support dispute resolution processes (negotiation, adjudication/DAB, arbitration preparation) with external counsel/consultants when required.
• Participate in tender and pre-award reviews: key contractual clauses, risk registers, qualifications, and commercial assumptions.
• Ensure effective subcontract management: flow-down clauses, payment mechanisms, claims/variations handling, performance security, and close-out.
• Monitor contract-related KPIs and provide management reporting on risk, exposure, claims status, and recovery forecasts.
• Ensure contractual close-out: final accounts support, release of securities, settlement agreements, and lessons learned.

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or related field 
• Professional memberships (RICS/CIOB/CIArb or similar) preferred 
• 12+ years experience in contracts/commercial roles within infrastructure projects (roads/utilities/marine/civil) 
• Proven experience managing claims/variations and high-value subcontract administration 
• UAE/GCC experience preferred 
• Commercial judgement and integrity 
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills 
• Clear written communication and attention to detail 
• Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure 
• Proactive risk identification and mitigation 
• Leadership and coaching of contract staff 
• Strong knowledge of FIDIC (Red/Yellow/Design & Build) and infrastructure contracting practices 
• Claims preparation/assessment (EOT, prolongation, disruption) and contract strategy 
• Change control and contractual correspondence management 
• Understanding of project controls, planning, and cost principles 
• Working knowledge of procurement and subcontract administration