Contract Manager, Automated Solutions

VentureOne; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education allowance

Free on-site meals

Annual flight allowance

Health coverage

Relocation support

Well-being activities

Job summary

VentureOne seeks a Contract Manager to own commercial, contractual, and financial control for programs in the UAE. You will negotiate terms with suppliers, track milestones, and ensure compliance with import/export regulations while coordinating with Legal and Finance.

You will lead end-to-end procurement, monitor cash-flow, and maintain consolidated trackers for client and supplier financials. A background in defense/aerospace contexts is a plus, with strong UAE regulatory knowledge.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Law, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 10+ years in procurement, contract management, and financial control in industrial projects.
• Experience negotiating vendor contracts, including pricing, incoterms, payment terms, and warranties.
• Knowledge of UAE customs procedures and cross-border documentation.
• Experience tracking milestone-based payments and reconciling finances.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers and vendors, including pricing and terms.
• Maintain a clause-by-clause tracker of open commercial points with Legal and suppliers.
• Ensure vendor terms mirror client obligations, including payment terms and force majeure.
• Track payment schedules against invoicing and status.
• Flag financial or documentation risks to leadership before cash-flow impact.
• Maintain a consolidated financial tracker for client and supplier positions.
• Advise on UAE customs procedures and incoterms for cross-border shipments.
• Screen vendor terms for sanctions exposure and export controls.
• Raise contract observations to Legal and Finance for resolution.
• Lead end-to-end procurement activities from sourcing to award.
• Reconcile supplier invoicing with payment schedules and flag discrepancies.
• Support ROI monitoring and financial performance against business case.
• Assist budgeting and tracking across vendor contracts for review.

Skills

Vendor negotiations

Procurement

Financial control

Import/Export knowledge

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's Degree (Business/Commerce/Law/Supply Chain)

Job description

About Us

Are you ready to shape how cutting-edge technologies are positioned, understood, and adopted by real markets? At VentureOne, we build ventures and commercialize breakthrough technologies emerging from advanced research. Our focus spans Aerospace and Space, Security and Defense, Sustainability, Environment and Energy, and Transportation, with technologies across Cryptography, Secure Systems, Directed Energy, Advanced Materials, Autonomous Systems, and more.

About Us

Are you ready to shape how cutting-edge technologies are positioned, understood, and adopted by real markets? At VentureOne, we build ventures and commercialize breakthrough technologies emerging from advanced research. Our focus spans Aerospace and Space, Security and Defense, Sustainability, Environment and Energy, and Transportation, with technologies across Cryptography, Secure Systems, Directed Energy, Advanced Materials, Autonomous Systems, and more.

About The Role

The Contract Manager owns the commercial, contractual, and financial control layer of the program, negotiating vendor contract terms, tracking client and supplier financial obligations against the program payment schedule, and ensuring compliance with UAE customs, import/export, and trade regulations. The role provides day-to-day commercial and financial discipline so that Program Management can focus on delivery, while financial commitments and legal positions are escalated to the appropriate owner.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead or support commercial negotiations with suppliers and vendors, including pricing, payment terms, incoterms, warranty, and penalties
• Maintain a clause-by-clause tracker of open commercial and legal points per vendor, driving them to closure with Legal and the relevant supplier
• Ensure vendor contract terms are mirrored against client contract obligations, including acceptance mechanics, force majeure, and payment timing
• Track the program payment schedule against actual invoicing and supplier payment status
• Monitor client-side billing milestones and flag timing or documentation risk to program leadership before it becomes a cash-flow issue
• Maintain a consolidated financial tracker reconciling client billing, supplier payment obligations, and any retained or withheld amounts
• Advise on UAE customs procedures, import/export documentation, and incoterm selection for cross-border supplier shipments
• Screen vendor and shipment terms for sanctions exposure and export-control restrictions relevant to a regulated manufacturing program
• Surface delivery and commercial risks in vendor contract drafts to Legal as observations, supporting resolution of outstanding contract points
• Support Legal and Finance with commercial context needed to close open contract and payment items
• Lead end-to-end procurement activities for program vendor and supplier contracts, from sourcing through to award
• Track and reconcile supplier invoicing against the payment schedule, and flag discrepancies to Finance
• Support leadership in monitoring program ROI and financial performance against the business case
• Support budget allocation and tracking across vendor contracts, for Som's review and approval

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Commerce, Law, Supply Chain, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience combining procurement, commercial contract management, and financial control, ideally in industrial or manufacturing projects
• Demonstrated experience negotiating vendor and supplier contracts, including pricing, incoterms, payment terms, and warranty
• Working knowledge of UAE customs procedures and cross-border import/export documentation
• Experience tracking milestone-based payment schedules and reconciling client and supplier financial positions

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior exposure to UAE export control or sanctions screening, particularly in a defense or dual-use goods context
• Experience in defense, aerospace, or other regulated/high-security manufacturing environments
• Experience working alongside Legal and Finance functions without owning either
• Arabic language skills

We provide a competitive, tax-free salary and a comprehensive benefits package in a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive work environment. Our benefits include an education allowance, free on-site meals, annual flight allowance, health coverage, relocation support (if applicable), and access to well-being activities such as sports and recreational events. Join us to drive innovation and shape the future of technology!