Lead Contracts Engineer – Offshore Island Project

KBR Careers; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR Careers is seeking a Lead Contracts Engineer for an Offshore Island Project based in the UAE with eventual relocation to Spain and return to Abu Dhabi. The role oversees all contractual and commercial activities across EPC/EPCM, marine, dredging, and civil works, ensuring compliance and optimal commercial outcomes.

The successful candidate will bring 18+ years in contract management for large-scale infrastructure, with strong expertise in FIDIC/NEC contracts and dispute resolution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering is a MUST.
• 18+ years of contract management experience in major infrastructure, marine, offshore, energy, or oil & gas projects.
• Experience with offshore island developments, dredging, reclamation, marine works or large-scale civil projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead administration of EPC, EPCM, construction, marine, dredging, reclamation, infrastructure, and service contracts.
• Review and interpret contractual rights, obligations, risks and opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with contract terms, project procedures and company policies.
• Develop and maintain contract management plans and registers.
• Support contract negotiations, amendments, variations and close-out activities.
• Manage variation orders, EOTs, claims, and disputes.
• Collaborate with project controls, procurement, engineering, construction and legal teams.
• Monitor contractor performance against milestones and deliverables.
• Review payment applications and commercial submissions.

Skills

FIDIC/NEC contracts

Contract administration

Change management

Project controls

Cost management

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Master's degree or MBA advantageous

Tools

Contract management systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Title: Lead Contracts Engineer – Offshore Island Project

Belong, Connect, Grow, with KBR! The KBR team of teams delivers future-forward science, technology and engineering solutions and mission-critical services that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most important objectives, while also helping achieve their sustainability goals.

KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design and engineering capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

Job Title: Lead Contracts Engineer – Offshore Island Project

KBR Abu Dhabi PMC Team is currently looking to fill a position of Lead Contracts Engineer for an Offshore Island Project to be based in UAE ( Abu Dhabi) as soon as the administrative processes are completed, will then relocate to Spain Office and then return to Abu Dhabi .

Key Responsibilities

Job Purpose

The Lead Contracts Engineer is responsible for managing all contractual and commercial aspects of a major offshore island development project. The role ensures that contracts are administered effectively throughout the project lifecycle, protecting the company's commercial interests while maintaining compliance with contractual obligations, project requirements, and applicable regulations.

Contract Management

Lead the administration of EPC, EPCM, construction, marine, dredging, reclamation, infrastructure, and service contracts.

Review, interpret, and advise project teams on contractual rights, obligations, risks, and opportunities.

Ensure compliance with contract terms, project procedures, and company policies.

Develop and maintain contract management plans and contract registers.

Support contract negotiations, amendments, variations, and close-out activities.

Claims & Change Management

Manage variation orders, change requests, and contractual correspondence.

Assess contractor claims related to extensions of time (EOT), disruption, acceleration, and additional costs.

Prepare entitlement assessments and commercial recommendations.

Support dispute avoidance and resolution strategies.

Maintain comprehensive contractual records to support claims and defense positions.

Commercial Support

Work closely with project controls, procurement, engineering, construction, and legal teams.

Evaluate commercial impacts of project changes and emerging risks.

Participate in tender evaluations and contract award recommendations.

Monitor contractor performance against contractual milestones and deliverables.

Review payment applications and commercial submissions.

Risk Management

Identify, analyze, and mitigate contractual and commercial risks.

Develop risk registers and recommend proactive mitigation measures.

Ensure adherence to project governance and contractual compliance requirements.

Stakeholder Management

Interface with clients, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, and joint venture partners.

Lead contractual meetings and commercial discussions.

Provide contractual guidance to project leadership and stakeholders.

Reporting

Prepare periodic commercial and contract status reports.

Provide management with updates on claims, disputes, variations, and commercial exposure.

Support audits and management reviews.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering is a MUST. Master's degree or MBA is advantageous.

Professional certifications such as MRICS, MCIPS, CCM, PMP, or equivalent are preferred.

Experience

Minimum 18+ years of contract management experience in major infrastructure, marine, offshore, energy, or oil & gas projects.

Proven experience with offshore island developments, dredging, reclamation, marine works, ports, or large-scale civil infrastructure projects.

Strong background in EPC/EPCM and construction contracts.

Experience managing complex claims and dispute resolution processes.

Technical Skills

Strong knowledge of FIDIC, NEC, EPC, and bespoke contract forms.

Expertise in contract administration, commercial management, and change management.

Strong understanding of project controls, planning, and cost management principles.

Proficiency in contract management systems and Microsoft Office applications.

KBR - Delivering Solutions, Changing the World.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives.

In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values:

We Value Our People

We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential.

We Deliver

We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

We Are People of Integrity

We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what's right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business.

We Empower

We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed.

We Are a Team of Teams

We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company.

We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries.

At KBR, We Deliver.