Contract Manager

Khatib & Alami; Dubai; On-site; AED 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Khatib & Alami seeks an experienced Senior Project Engineer – Contracts in Dubai to manage contractual correspondence and craft timely, well-substantiated contractual responses. You will coordinate with Project Manager, technical teams, planning, and site supervision to protect contractual interests, administer claims, variations, and notices.

You will review communications, interpret contracts (FIDIC), and support records, deadlines, and project closures while ensuring compliance with corporate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline.
• Master’s Degree or professional qualification in Construction Management, Construction Law, Contracts, or Claims Management is an advantage.
• Minimum 12 years of overall experience within the engineering, construction, project management, or consultancy sector.
• At least 8–10 years of relevant experience in contract administration, contractual correspondence, claims, or project delivery within a consultancy or major construction environment.
• Strong experience in preparing contractual letters, notices, responses, assessments, and formal project communications.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate contractual responses with project managers, engineers, planners, commercial teams, and document controllers.
• Sound knowledge of standard forms of contract, particularly FIDIC.
• Strong understanding of contract administration, claims assessment, variation management, extensions of time, delay notices, and dispute avoidance.
• Ability to interpret technical matters and translate them into clear and contractually appropriate correspondence.
• Good understanding of construction programmes, progress reporting, project records, and delay-related matters.
• Strong analytical, drafting, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to prepare concise, professional, and defensible contractual correspondence.
• Ability to manage multiple time-sensitive matters and meet contractual response deadlines.
• Experience within a multinational engineering consultancy is highly desirable.
• Previous project-delivery and site-supervision experience in Dubai or the UAE is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate contractual correspondence throughout the project delivery stage.
• Review incoming letters, notices, claims, requests, and submissions from Contractors, Clients, and other project stakeholders.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and contractually substantiated draft responses in coordination with the Project Manager and relevant technical teams.
• Ensure that contractual responses appropriately address the technical facts, project records, programme implications, and applicable contractual provisions.
• Maintain an effective correspondence and action-tracking system, including monitoring pending responses, contractual deadlines, notices, and required follow-up actions.
• Review and interpret the Contract, conditions of contract, specifications, scope of services, instructions, and other contractual documents.
• Advise the Project Manager and site supervision team on contractual obligations, entitlements, risks, notice requirements, and recommended courses of action.
• Prepare and review contractual notices relating to delays, non-performance, access, instructions, variations, claims, extensions of time, and other project matters.
• Coordinate with technical, planning, commercial, document-control, and site teams to collect the information and supporting records required for contractual responses.
• Ensure that all correspondence is consistent with verified project records, approved documents, meeting minutes, programmes, progress reports, site instructions, and previous communications.
• Support the assessment of Contractor claims, variations, extension-of-time submissions, and associated contractual entitlements.
• Assist in preparing contractual assessments, recommendations, position papers, chronologies, and management summaries.
• Identify potential contractual and commercial risks arising during project delivery and recommend suitable mitigation measures.
• Monitor compliance with contractual requirements, including submission deadlines, notification periods, reporting obligations, and response timeframes.
• Support the administration of Engineer’s Instructions, variation orders, change notices, requests for information, non-compliance matters, and other formal project communications.
• Assist the Project Manager in preparing responses to Client correspondence and reports on contractual matters.
• Support the management and resolution of contractual disagreements and disputes before they escalates.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and auditable records of contractual correspondence, notices, claims, decisions, and supporting documents.
• Coordinate with the corporate Contracts and Engineering Services teams whenever specialist contractual, legal, commercial, or technical advice is required.
• Support project close-out activities, including the review of outstanding claims, variations, final contractual matters, completion records, and handover documentation.
• Ensure compliance with corporate procedures, delegated authorities, document-control requirements, and applicable industry practices.

Skills

Contract administration

Contract drafting

Communication skills

Negotiation

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or related discipline

Master’s Degree or professional qualification in Construction Management, Construction Law, Contracts, or Claims Management

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Engineer – Contracts to support the delivery of ongoing supervision projects in Dubai. The role will focus primarily on managing contractual correspondence and preparing clear, timely, and well-substantiated contractual responses in close coordination with the Project Manager, technical disciplines, planning, commercial, and site supervision teams.

The successful candidate will review incoming Contractor and Client communications, assess their contractual and technical implications, and prepare appropriate letters, notices, responses, and recommendations that protect the Client’s and Consultant’s contractual interests. The role will also support the administration of claims, variations, delays, instructions, and other contractual matters arising during project execution, completion, and handover.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and coordinate contractual correspondence throughout the project delivery stage.
• Review incoming letters, notices, claims, requests, and submissions from Contractors, Clients, and other project stakeholders.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and contractually substantiated draft responses in coordination with the Project Manager and relevant technical teams.
• Ensure that contractual responses appropriately address the technical facts, project records, programme implications, and applicable contractual provisions.
• Maintain an effective correspondence and action-tracking system, including monitoring pending responses, contractual deadlines, notices, and required follow-up actions.
• Review and interpret the Contract, conditions of contract, specifications, scope of services, instructions, and other contractual documents.
• Advise the Project Manager and site supervision team on contractual obligations, entitlements, risks, notice requirements, and recommended courses of action.
• Prepare and review contractual notices relating to delays, non-performance, access, instructions, variations, claims, extensions of time, and other project matters.
• Coordinate with technical, planning, commercial, document-control, and site teams to collect the information and supporting records required for contractual responses.
• Ensure that all correspondence is consistent with verified project records, approved documents, meeting minutes, programmes, progress reports, site instructions, and previous communications.
• Support the assessment of Contractor claims, variations, extension-of-time submissions, and associated contractual entitlements.
• Assist in preparing contractual assessments, recommendations, position papers, chronologies, and management summaries.
• Identify potential contractual and commercial risks arising during project delivery and recommend suitable mitigation measures.
• Monitor compliance with contractual requirements, including submission deadlines, notification periods, reporting obligations, and response timeframes.
• Support the administration of Engineer’s Instructions, variation orders, change notices, requests for information, non-compliance matters, and other formal project communications.
• Assist the Project Manager in preparing responses to Client correspondence and reports on contractual matters.
• Support the management and resolution of contractual disagreements and disputes before they escalates.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and auditable records of contractual correspondence, notices, claims, decisions, and supporting documents.
• Coordinate with the corporate Contracts and Engineering Services teams whenever specialist contractual, legal, commercial, or technical advice is required.
• Support project close-out activities, including the review of outstanding claims, variations, final contractual matters, completion records, and handover documentation.
• Ensure compliance with corporate procedures, delegated authorities, document-control requirements, and applicable industry practices.

Specific Qualification, Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline.
• A Master’s Degree or professional qualification in Construction Management, Construction Law, Contracts, or Claims Management is an advantage.
• Minimum 12 years of overall experience within the engineering, construction, project management, or consultancy sector.
• At least 8–10 years of relevant experience in contract administration, contractual correspondence, claims, or project delivery within a consultancy or major construction environment.
• Strong experience in preparing contractual letters, notices, responses, assessments, and formal project communications.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate contractual responses with project managers, engineers, planners, commercial teams, and document controllers.
• Sound knowledge of standard forms of contract, particularly FIDIC.
• Strong understanding of contract administration, claims assessment, variation management, extensions of time, delay notices, and dispute avoidance.
• Ability to interpret technical matters and translate them into clear and contractually appropriate correspondence.
• Good understanding of construction programmes, progress reporting, project records, and delay-related matters.
• Strong analytical, drafting, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to prepare concise, professional, and defensible contractual correspondence.
• Ability to manage multiple time-sensitive matters and meet contractual response deadlines.
• Experience within a multinational engineering consultancy is highly desirable.
• Previous project-delivery and site-supervision experience in Dubai or the UAE is preferred.