Senior Position - Real Estate - Construction Contracts

Role & responsibilities:

1. Contracts Leadership & Governance

• Lead the Contracts function and manage a team of contracts professionals responsible for drafting, review, negotiation and administration.
• Establish and maintain robust contractual governance, processes, procedures and approval frameworks.
• Develop and periodically update standard contract templates, tender documentation, contract procedures, risk schedules and contract summaries.
• Ensure contractual practices are aligned with applicable UAE regulations, project requirements and industry standards.

2. Contract Drafting & Negotiation

• Draft, review, negotiate and finalize complex contractual documentation, including:
• Main Contracts
• Design & Build Agreements
• Consultancy Agreements
• Framework Agreements
• Letters of Appointment (LOAs)
• Letters of Nomination (LONs)
• Work Orders
• Subcontracts
• Other project-specific and commercial agreements
• Provide expert contractual advice to project, commercial, procurement and leadership teams.
• Review contractual terms and amendments to ensure commercial interests and project requirements are adequately protected.

3. Contractual Risk Management

• Lead contractual risk assessment and identify potential commercial, legal and delivery risks across projects.
• Develop appropriate mitigation strategies and ensure timely escalation of material contractual risks.
• Monitor contractual obligations, entitlements, liabilities and key milestones throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support resolution of contractual disputes, claims and variations in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

4. Contract Management Systems & Compliance

• Drive effective use of contract management systems for documentation, tracking, reporting and governance.
• Ensure accurate and timely maintenance of contractual records, correspondence, notices and approvals.
• Establish effective reporting mechanisms covering contractual risks, obligations, claims, variations and key exposures.

5. Stakeholder & Project Support

• Partner with senior project, commercial, procurement, finance and development teams on contractual matters.
• Provide strategic contractual inputs during tendering, procurement, project execution and close-out stages.
• Manage contractual relationships with consultants, contractors, subcontractors and other project stakeholders.
• Support senior management in major commercial negotiations and critical contractual decisions.

Preferred candidate profile:

• 20+ years of experience in construction contracts management, preferably across large-scale real estate and construction projects.
• Minimum 10 years in a leadership / managerial capacity, with experience managing multi-location contracts teams.
• Strong experience in overseeing contracts for high-value construction and real estate development projects.
• Strong technical expertise in:
• FIDIC 1987 & 2017
• NEC
• EPC
• Design & Build
• Bespoke contractual frameworks
• Demonstrated expertise in drafting, reviewing, negotiating and amending complex contractual documentation.
• Strong understanding of contractual risk assessment, contract administration and contract management systems.