Commercial Director

About the Commercial Director Role

Knight Frank MENA's Project & Development Services division is seeking a Commercial Director to provide strategic commercial leadership for a large-scale PMO commission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves overseeing a portfolio of high-profile tower developments and associated infrastructure. The position requires a commercially astute leader capable of operating at an executive level within a complex stakeholder environment, reporting to the Head of P&DS, KSA.

Role Purpose and Scope

The Commercial Director will be responsible for the overall commercial governance, contractual management, financial performance, and risk mitigation of the PMO agreement. This role acts as a trusted advisor to both Knight Frank leadership and the client, ensuring commercial excellence, robust contract administration, and effective programme controls throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic commercial leadership across the PMO programme, aligning objectives with project and business goals.
• Act as the senior commercial authority, advising leadership on commercial strategy, risk exposure, and contractual obligations.
• Develop and implement commercial governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and controls.
• Champion commercial best practice and drive continuous improvement initiatives within the PMO team.
• Establish and maintain the P&DS Commercial Framework and Commercial Golden Rules.

Contractual and Financial Oversight

• Lead all aspects of contract administration, interpretation, and compliance across the programme.
• Provide expert advice on contractual matters, including claims, disputes, change management, and risk allocation.
• Support negotiations with clients, consultants, contractors, and suppliers to achieve commercially advantageous outcomes.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial risks throughout the programme lifecycle.
• Lead the preparation and management of annual budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting for the P&DS business and PMO programme.
• Monitor programme financial performance, revenue forecasts, profitability, and cash flow.

Candidate Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will be a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in commercial leadership. Required qualifications include:

• Over 10 years of experience leading commercial functions on major developments.
• A strong understanding of PMO environments and consultancy services agreements.
• Demonstrated experience with large-scale mixed-use or high-rise construction programmes.
• Ability to operate at an executive level within complex stakeholder environments.

Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior client stakeholders, programme leadership teams, and key supply chain partners.
• Provide executive-level reporting and presentations to senior stakeholders and governance boards.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and commercial awareness across the programme.
• Lead, mentor, and develop commercial teams across the PMO portfolio.
• Support business development activities by providing commercial input into bids, proposals, and client presentations.