Contracts Manager - Procurement

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE; Al Ruways Industrial City; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE is seeking a Contracts Manager - Procurement to manage contracts and procurement in the energy sector. The role requires minimum 12 years' experience in contracts management, ensuring compliance and timely delivery in line with business requirements.

Key responsibilities include managing tendering processes, contract negotiations, and claims analysis. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business Administration and fluency in Arabic and English.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of professional experience in contracts management.
• At least 7 years of managerial experience in contracts or procurement.
• Fluency in Arabic and English is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Manage contract activities covering pre-award and post-award.
• Oversee procurement services for timely and compliant delivery.
• Participate in contract negotiations and manage claims.

Skills

Contracts Administration

Contract Management

Procurement Management

Commercial Negotiation

Claims Analysis

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration

Tools

MAXIMO

SAP

Job description

Overview

Contracts Manager - Procurement in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is an Oil and Energy opportunity for an experienced contracts and procurement professional with strong expertise in tendering, contract administration, pre‑award and post‑award activities, commercial negotiations, claims review, risk mitigation, and contractor management. The role supports ADNOC Group by managing assigned services and works contracts in line with procurement policies, Delegation of Authority, cost objectives, contract cycle time KPIs, and end‑user business requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage assigned services and works contract activities covering pre‑award, post‑award, procurement, tendering, contract administration, and commercial requirements.
• Ensure procurement services are delivered in a timely, compliant, and cost‑effective manner to support successful completion of end‑user service and work requirements.
• Process acquisition requests in parallel with bidder list preparation, expression of interest, bidder shortlisting, screening, and tender strategy development in line with the annual procurement plan.
• Complete pre‑tendering activities efficiently and in line with approved procedures, business timelines, and procurement governance requirements.
• Guide end users on acquisition request checklist requirements to help them prepare complete contract requests covering all tendering needs.
• Manage the tendering process for assigned acquisitions and control its development to ensure timely award in line with end‑user requirements and procurement cycle time KPIs.
• Manage contract amendments, cap enhancements, variations, change orders, and claims while ensuring compliance with contractual terms and conditions.
• Review, evaluate, negotiate, and process change orders and claims in a timely and effective manner.
• Ensure contracts are signed on time and in accordance with relevant Delegation of Authority requirements.
• Maintain contracts, tenders, and awarded contracts visible, updated, and trackable in the ERP system during tendering and execution stages.
• Liaise between contractors and end users on contract clauses, interpretation, obligations, commercial conditions, and related contractual matters.
• Participate in commercial and financial negotiations for contracts, amendments, and variations with an optimum balance of price, quality, risk, and delivery value.
• Assess quotations submitted by contractors and conclude negotiations at the appropriate management level.
• Review contracting risks and recommend specialised solutions that protect company interests and align with commercial, legal, technical, economic, and strategic objectives.
• Assess the effectiveness of existing contractual practices against departmental and corporate objectives, with value for money as a key priority.
• Contribute to the preparation and updating of tender and contract policy guides, contract standards, clauses, models, manual of authorities, terms of reference, and contract management system requirements.
• Support smooth contract progress and issue resolution through regular communication and meetings with teams, departments, user divisions, and contractors.
• Visit end users when applicable to improve communication, review tender and contract processing matters, and resolve pending issues.
• Identify and analyse market and economic developments in coordination with market intelligence teams.
• Provide expert advice on contract prices, amendment values, variation rates, and commercial recommendations to safeguard company interests.
• Direct the bidder list approval process and ensure fair distribution of opportunities among registered contractors.
• Ensure bidder queries are handled in a timely manner in coordination with end users and issue necessary tender bulletins when required.
• Ensure departmental procedures, procurement processes, and HSE management system requirements are followed and implemented.
• Distribute workload properly across the team according to competencies, contract priorities, and business requirements.
• Perform related duties as assigned and deputise for the Contracts Manager during leave or absence when delegated by the appropriate management level.
• Plan and supervise department personnel and resources to achieve divisional objectives in a cost‑conscious manner.
• Develop employee knowledge, competencies, innovative thinking, personal development plans, succession planning, and talent pipeline activities in coordination with Human Capability.
• Support Emiratization objectives by contributing to the development of UAE nationals within the department.
• Compile and provide input for divisional budget preparation and monitor expenditure against approved department budget levels.
• Investigate, highlight, and reconcile significant budget variances to support effective cost control.
• Lead implementation of approved policies, processes, systems, standards, procedures, and internal controls in line with company and international standards.
• Implement the company performance management system and monitor department KPIs linked to the annual performance management contract and balanced scorecard.
• Review and recommend suitable organisational structure improvements to use human capital effectively and support business objectives.
• Encourage innovation, employee motivation, change management, and continuous improvement across procurement and contracts activities.
• Propose process improvements based on best practices and ISO standards to improve efficiency and resolve department‑level challenges.
• Support an HSE culture and ensure compliance with HSE policies, procedures, systems, controls, legislation, sustainability guidelines, and ADNOC Code of Practices.
• Ensure adequate HSE training and induction for department employees to meet required safety standards.
• Prepare department MIS reports, progress reports, procurement updates, and management information to support effective business decisions.
• Maintain regular communication with line management, commercial leadership, peer section heads, team members, end‑user directorates, legal, internal audit, finance, contractors, consultants, service providers, Group Companies, and affiliated entities.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Quantity Surveying), Business Administration, or equivalent professional qualification.
• Minimum 12 years of professional experience in contracts management, preferably in the Oil and Energy industry.
• At least 7 years of progressive supervisory or managerial experience in contracts, procurement, commercial management, or related functions.
• Extensive knowledge of tendering, contract preparation, contract administration, operations and maintenance contracts, and project‑related contracting.
• Strong experience in claims analysis, claims settlement, change orders, variations, amendments, and commercial negotiations.
• Knowledge of legal and statutory requirements, contract law, commercial practice, and contract conditions.
• Strong understanding of international contracts engineering, manufacturing standards, procurement standards, and commercial governance.
• Experience drafting terms and conditions of contract and reviewing key commercial areas such as indemnities, insurance, guarantees, warranties, and liquidated damages.
• Strong knowledge of tender development, tender preparation, tender evaluation, bidder qualification, and contractor selection.
• Demonstrated experience in contract management within a demanding commercial, projects, or business environment.
• Thorough understanding of Oil and Energy industry operations, business requirements, contractor interfaces, and service delivery expectations.
• Ability to interface effectively with legal, finance, insurance, internal audit, end users, contractors, consultants, and service providers.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, communication, team building, and problem‑solving skills.
• Capability to manage multiple contract interactions, handle a high workload, and work effectively in a demanding environment.
• End‑user focused, responsive, decisive, confident, commercially aware, and committed to high‑quality service delivery.
• Ability to work independently, lead issues proactively, and obtain timely resolution of complex and sensitive problems.
• Good organisational and project management skills with strong attention to compliance, documentation, and process control.
• Proficiency in office software and experience with systems such as MAXIMO or SAP.
• Fluency in Arabic and English is mandatory.
• Strong safety awareness with the ability to support department health and safety programmes, promote safe working practices, and identify, control, and report hazards or incidents.

Skills Set

• Contracts Administration, Contract Management, Procurement Management, Tendering Process, Pre‑Award Contracts, Post‑Award Contracts, Contract Amendments, Contract Variations, Change Orders, Claims Analysis, Claims Settlement, Commercial Negotiation, Financial Negotiation, Tender Strategy, Bidder List Approval, Expression of Interest, Bidder Shortlisting, Contractor Screening, Contract Requisitions, ERP Contract Tracking, Delegation of Authority, Contract Clause Interpretation, Contract Risk Review, Risk Mitigation, Value for Money, Contract Policy Guide, Contract Standards, Manual of Authorities, Terms of Reference, Contract Management System, Market Intelligence, Price and Rate Analysis, Contractor Management, Service Provider Management, Consultant Coordination, Legal Coordination, Finance Coordination, Insurance Coordination, MAXIMO, SAP, MS Office, Arabic and English Communication, HSE Awareness, Oil and Energy Procurement.

About the Company

ADNOC Group is a leading energy organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It focuses on safe, reliable, and responsible energy production while strengthening procurement governance, commercial excellence, operational efficiency, sustainability, and long‑term value creation. ADNOC Group offers contracts and procurement professionals the opportunity to support major business requirements and contribute to the continued development of the UAE energy sector.