Senior Contracts Manager

About KEO International Consultants

KEO International Consultants is an AEP/PMCM firm recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. The company has over 60 years of experience in planning, design, and project delivery across built and natural environments. KEO is also ranked by World Architecture as the 51st largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2024 WA100 Survey.

Role Summary

KEO International Consultants is seeking a Senior Contracts Manager to join the site supervision team in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This full-time position requires over 10 years of experience. The Senior Contracts Manager will lead and manage all commercial, contractual, and financial aspects of enabling and early works packages, acting on behalf of the Client as part of the Site Supervision Consultant team. The role focuses on contract administration, commercial governance, cost control, change management, and claims management, ensuring the Client’s commercial position is protected while supporting timely and compliant delivery of the Works.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead contract administration for enabling and early works packages, including mass earthworks, stockpile removal, construction haul roads, utilities, and temporary works.
• Administer the Contract in accordance with the Conditions of Contract (including FIDIC-based forms), ensuring compliance with notice provisions, procedures, and time bars.
• Manage all contractual correspondence, notices, early warnings, claims, and determinations in coordination with the Engineer.
• Provide contractual and commercial advice to the Client and supervision team on entitlements, risks, mitigation strategies, and commercial exposure.
• Support procurement strategies, tender evaluations, commercial comparisons, and recommendations for contract award or amendment.
• Monitor, control, and report project budgets, cost forecasts, commitments, and cash flow for early works packages.
• Review, assess, and recommend certification of interim payment applications, dayworks, and final accounts.
• Manage change control processes including valuation of variations, compensation events, and instructed changes.
• Lead the assessment and management of contractor claims including extensions of time, prolongation, disruption, and acceleration claims.
• Maintain and update contract risk registers, proactively identifying and managing commercial and contractual risks.
• Support dispute avoidance strategies through timely administration, accurate records, and commercial negotiation.
• Coordinate with legal advisors and external consultants as required on contractual or dispute-related matters.
• Act as the primary commercial interface between the Client, Engineer, contractors, and other consultants.
• Lead, manage, and mentor commercial and quantity surveying team members within the supervision team.
• Participate in commercial meetings, negotiations, and high-level project reviews with the Client and contractors.
• Ensure compliance with governance procedures, audit requirements, and best-practice commercial controls.
• Prepare commercial reports, recommendations, determinations, and contractual correspondence for Client approval.
• Maintain accurate and auditable records of contracts, variations, claims, payments, and financial status.
• Support audits, reviews, and compliance checks undertaken by the Client or regulatory bodies.

Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience managing enabling works, early works, or infrastructure-led developments.
• Extensive experience administering FIDIC-based contracts on behalf of a Client or Engineer.
• Demonstrated capability managing contractor claims, variations, and commercial risk on fast-track programs.
• Strong understanding of contract administration, commercial governance, and cost control systems.
• High level of competence in claims assessment, entitlement analysis, and commercial negotiations.
• Ability to manage complex interfaces and commercial risk across multiple work fronts.
• Clear, structured communicator with strong written contractual drafting skills.

Work Environment

This role requires close coordination with the Engineer, Client representatives, project management teams, contractors, cost consultants, and legal advisors, with a strong focus on early works risk, productivity control, and dispute avoidance. KEO fosters a supportive environment that promotes professional development through internal global mobility and career development, alongside a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being.