Contracts Manager

Key Responsibilities

1. Contract Management & Administration

• Lead end-to-end contract administration from pre-contract through post-contract stages.
• Review, interpret, and administer construction contracts on behalf of the client.
• Ensure compliance with contractual terms, conditions, obligations, and project requirements.
• Review contract documentation, including agreements, general and special conditions, specifications, drawings, BOQs, and addenda.
• Demonstrate strong understanding of contract document hierarchy, order of precedence, and sequencing of contractual documents.
• Advise the client and project team on contractual risks, obligations, entitlements, and commercial implications.
• Manage contractual correspondence, notices, records, and documentation.

2. GMP Contract Management Mandatory

• Demonstrate strong hands-on experience in Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts.
• Review and administer GMP contract provisions, including scope definition, cost components, contingencies, allowances, and exclusions.
• Understand and evaluate GMP establishment, conversion, adjustments, and reconciliation mechanisms.
• Monitor contractor costs and commercial commitments against the agreed GMP.
• Review open-book costing, reimbursable costs, contractor fees, general conditions, contingency utilization, and cost transparency requirements.
• Assess change orders and their impact on the GMP.
• Review cost savings, shared savings provisions, and commercial risk allocation, where applicable.
• Support GMP negotiations, amendments, and final account settlements.

3. Pre-Contract & Tender Management

• Review tender documents, contract conditions, commercial terms, and procurement packages.
• Support development of appropriate contracting and procurement strategies.
• Evaluate different contract models, including Lump Sum, Item Rate, EPC, Design & Build, Cost Plus, and GMP contracts.
• Review commercial bid evaluations and contractor proposals.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, commercial clarifications, and contract negotiations.
• Provide recommendations to the client on contractual and commercial matters.
• Support preparation and finalization of contract agreements.

4. Claims, Variations & Change Management

• Review and evaluate contractor claims, variations, and change-order requests.
• Assess contractual entitlement, supporting documentation, cost implications, and time impacts.
• Manage change-control procedures and maintain variation registers.
• Review Extension of Time (EOT) claims, delay-related claims, disruption claims, and additional cost claims.
• Coordinate with planning and cost management teams for claim assessments.
• Advise the client on claim mitigation, dispute avoidance, and contractual resolutions.
• Support commercial negotiations and settlement of contractual claims.

5. Contractual Risk Management

• Identify and assess contractual and commercial risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Review risk allocation between the client, contractors, consultants, and vendors.
• Monitor compliance with contractual milestones, payment obligations, insurance, warranties, guarantees, and performance securities.
• Provide recommendations to minimize contractual exposure and commercial disputes.
• Maintain contractual risk registers and ensure timely escalation of critical issues.

6. Cost & Commercial Coordination

• Coordinate with the PMC Cost Manager and Quantity Surveying team on commercial matters.
• Review payment-related contractual provisions and support certification processes.
• Monitor contract values, approved variations, committed costs, and commercial exposure.
• Review contractor commercial submissions and contractual justifications.
• Support project cash-flow assessments, cost forecasts, and final account reconciliation.
• Ensure appropriate commercial governance and contractual compliance.

7. Data Center Project Contract Management

• Manage contractual interfaces between civil, structural, architectural, MEP, electrical, mechanical, HVAC, fire protection, and specialist data center packages.
• Review contractual obligations related to critical infrastructure systems and equipment.
• Coordinate contractual interfaces between multiple contractors, OEMs, consultants, and specialist vendors.
• Support contract administration for testing, commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and project handover.
• Monitor contractual requirements for performance testing, warranties, defects liability, and project closeout.
• Ensure effective contract management across technically complex and schedule-driven construction packages.

8. Stakeholder Management & Reporting

• Act as the key contractual interface between the client, PMC team, contractors, consultants, and vendors.
• Attend commercial, contractual, and senior management review meetings.
• Prepare contract status reports, claims registers, variation summaries, and contractual risk reports.
• Provide contractual recommendations and commercial updates to the Project Director and client.
• Support timely resolution of contractual issues to maintain project progress.

Candidate Profile & Qualifications

Education

• B.E. / B.Tech in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in Construction Management, Project Management, Contracts Management, or Quantity Surveying would be advantageous.
• Professional certifications such as MRICS, FIDIC training, or relevant contract management certifications would be an added advantage.
• 18+ years of overall experience in Contracts Management, Commercial Management, or Contract Administration.
• Hands-on experience in GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) contracts is mandatory.
• Strong experience in PMC / Project Management Consultancy / Client Representative roles is highly desirable.
• Experience in large-scale building construction projects, preferably Data Centers, Mission-Critical Facilities, Commercial Buildings, or Advanced Industrial Facilities.
• Prior Gulf region / Middle East project experience will be highly preferred.
• Thorough understanding of construction contract types, contract document sequencing, order of precedence, contractual clauses, and commercial risk allocation.
• Strong expertise in claims management, variations, EOT assessments, contract negotiations, and dispute resolution.
• Familiarity with FIDIC, bespoke construction contracts, and international contracting practices.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical skills, stakeholder management, and negotiation capabilities.