Contracts and Commercial Manager

Elegancia Arabia is seeking a highly experienced and commercially astute Contracts & Commercial Manager to lead the contractual and commercial management of large-scale construction projects in Saudi Arabia.
The ideal candidate will have a strong engineering background, with 10–15+ years of experience in contracts, commercial management, and project delivery across the GCC, preferably in KSA. Candidates with proven experience working directly with major Saudi clients and developers such as Nesma, Red Sea Global, and similar Tier-1 organizations will be strongly preferred.
The successful candidate must possess extensive knowledge of FIDIC contract conditions, strong contractual negotiation skills, and a proven track record of protecting the company's commercial interests while maintaining strong client relationships.

• Lead the overall contracts and commercial management of large-scale construction projects from pre-award through completion and final account.

• Manage contractual relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, and other project stakeholders.

• Review, interpret, and administer contracts in accordance with contractual obligations, commercial requirements, and applicable Saudi regulations.

• Provide expert advice to project management and senior leadership on contractual risks, entitlements, liabilities, and commercial exposure.

• Prepare, evaluate, negotiate, and administer:

  • Variations and change orders
  • Extension of Time (EOT) claims
  • Interim and final payment applications
  • Claims and counterclaims
  • Loss and expense claims
  • Delay and disruption claims
  • Subcontract agreements and amendments
  • Commercial settlements and final accounts

• Ensure timely identification and notification of contractual events and commercial risks.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive claims, variations, commercial risk, and contractual correspondence registers.

• Review project costs, commitments, forecasts, and cash flow in coordination with Project Controls and Finance teams.

• Monitor project profitability and identify opportunities to improve commercial performance.

• Lead commercial negotiations with clients, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers.

• Ensure that contractual notices and correspondence are issued within the required contractual timelines.

• Support project teams in resolving contractual disputes and commercial issues.

• Review and provide guidance on subcontractor and supplier contracts to ensure appropriate back-to-back contractual provisions.

• Participate in tender and pre-contract activities, including contract reviews, risk assessments, commercial qualifications, and negotiations.

• Ensure proper contract close-out, including final accounts, outstanding claims, warranties, and commercial settlements.

• Provide regular commercial and contractual reports to senior management.

FIDIC Expertise

The candidate must demonstrate strong practical knowledge and experience in administering FIDIC contract forms, including where applicable:

• FIDIC Red Book
• FIDIC Yellow Book
• FIDIC Silver Book
• FIDIC Green Book
• FIDIC Gold Book
• FIDIC White Book
• FIDIC Conditions of Subcontract
• Knowledge of FIDIC 1999 and 2017 editions is highly desirable.

The successful candidate should be capable of interpreting contractual provisions and applying them practically to claims, variations, EOT, delay, payment, risk allocation, notices, and dispute resolution.

1. Currently be based in Saudi Arabia or have strong recent KSA project experience.
2. Have a proven track record with major Saudi clients, developers, consultants, or Tier-1 contractors.
3. Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related Engineering discipline.
4. 10–15+ years of relevant experience in contracts and commercial management within the construction industry.
5. Proven experience managing large-scale construction, fit-out, hospitality, mixed-use, infrastructure, or mega projects.
6. Minimum 5+ years of GCC experience, preferably with significant experience in Saudi Arabia.
7. Strong preference for candidates who have previously worked with or managed contracts for major KSA clients/developers such as Nesma, Red Sea Global, and comparable Tier-1 organizations.
8. Proven experience working on projects with high contractual and commercial complexity.
9. Strong practical knowledge of FIDIC contracts and contract administration.
10. Demonstrated experience in claims preparation, evaluation, negotiation, and settlement.
11. Strong knowledge of commercial management, project cost control, variations, EOT, and final accounts.
12. Excellent understanding of construction contracts, subcontracting, procurement, and commercial risk management.
13. Strong negotiation, communication, analytical, and stakeholder-management skills.