Procurement & Contracts Manager

UEM Sunrise Berhad; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

UEM Sunrise Berhad in Melbourne seeks an experienced Procurement & Contracts Manager to lead end-to-end tendering for main building works and professional consultants across two development pipelines. You will structure procurement strategies, advise on contract forms, and run competitive tender processes to secure market-tested pricing and robust risk allocation.

The role combines commercial leadership with hands-on delivery, coordinating with finance, legal, and project teams, and delivering

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Law, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Experience within a property developer or quantity surveying environment.
• Exposure to mixed-use, residential apartment, or built-to-rent development projects.
• Familiarity with public-sector or institutional procurement frameworks (beneficial).
• Minimum 5–7 years experience in procurement, contracts, or commercial management within development/ construction.
• Demonstrated experience managing full-cycle tender processes for major building works packages (>S150M).
• Strong knowledge of construction contract forms (AS 4000, AS 4902, NEC, or equivalents).
• Experience negotiating with professional consultants for multi-residential projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a procurement strategy aligned to programme and risk appetite.
• Advise on contract structures for main works packages (lump sum, GMP, D&C, cost-plus).
• Coordinate tender timelines and resourcing; issue EOI and RFT packages.
• Lead tender evaluation including technical, commercial, and programme assessments.
• Prepare tender analysis reports and award recommendations for leadership.
• Maintain contract registers and governance frameworks; manage variations and claims.

Skills

Procurement

Contracts

Tendering

Negotiation

Stakeholder mgmt

Project management

MS Office

Education

Construction Management

Quantity Surveying

Law or Commerce

Tools

AS 4000

AS 4902

NEC

Contract management software

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and commercially astute Procurement & Contracts Manager to join our in-house development and projects team. This is a managerial, hands‑on role sitting at the intersection of commercial management, construction procurement, and consultant engagement. You will own the end‑to‑end tender and award process for two critical scopes:

• Main Building Works – the head contractor / D&C package / specialist trade sub‑contractors and suppliers for our development pipeline; and
• Professional Consultants – architects, engineers, project managers, and specialist advisers engaged across feasibility, design, and delivery phases.

You will be responsible for structuring, running, and executing competitive tender processes that protect the organisation’s commercial interests, ensure programme alignment, and deliver market‑tested pricing and risk allocation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a procurement strategy for each project, aligned to the development programme and risk appetite of the business.
• Advise the project team on appropriate contract structures (lump sum, GMP, D&C, cost-plus, construction management) for main works packages.
• Conduct assessment of best practices in the industry.
• Establish and maintain a preferred consultant panel and head contractor prequalification register.
• Coordinate with the development team to set tender timelines and resourcing requirements.
• Coordinate with external consultants including technical consultants and quantity surveyor to collate tender documents for tender issuance.
• Prepare developer documents for tender including Principal Project Requirements (PPR), tender return form, tender assessment criteria, pre‑tender estimates with the quantity survyor etc.
• Prepare and issue Expressions of Interest (EOI) and Requests for Tender (RFT) for head contractor / D&C / specialist subcontractors and suppliers packages.
• Manage the tender period including site briefings, RFI responses, addenda, and clarification registers.
• Lead quantitative and qualitative tender evaluation, including technical, commercial, and programme assessments.
• Prepare tender analysis reports and award recommendations for senior leadership and Board approval.
• Review and negotiate contract terms, preliminaries, and conditions of contract (AS 4000, AS 4902, or bespoke forms) prior to execution.
• Coordinate execution of contracts and ensure all conditions precedent are satisfied prior to mobilisation.

3. Tender Management – Professional Consultants

• Manage the engagement of the full consultant team (architects, structural, civil, hydraulic, ESD, cost managers, PM, and specialist advisers).
• Prepare scope of service briefs, fee proposal requests, and evaluation matrices for each appointment.
• Benchmark proposed fees against industry norms and prior project data; negotiate competitive outcomes.
• Review and negotiate consultant agreements to reflect project scope and risk.
• Maintain a consultant engagement tracker across all active projects.

4. Contract Administration & Governance

• Maintain contract registers across all projects, tracking key milestones, variations, payment terms, insurances, and expiry dates.
• Establish and enforce procurement governance frameworks, including approval thresholds and probity protocols.
• Support the project team in administering contracts post‑award, including variations, claims, and dispute escalation.
• Ensure all procurement activity complies with company policies, delegations of authority, and relevant legislation.
• Prepare monthly progress claims in conjunction with the quantity surveyor for construction loan / investor fund‑through drawdown.

5. Stakeholder & Supplier Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the head contractor, sub‑contractors, suppliers and consultant market.
• Conduct post‑tender and post‑project debriefs to support continuous improvement and market intelligence.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders including Finance, Legal, and Development/Projects to align commercial and programme outcomes.

Skills & Experience:

• Tertiary qualifications in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Law, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Experience within a property developer or quantity surveying environment.
• Exposure to mixed‑use, residential apartment, or built‑to‑rent development projects.
• Familiarity with public‑sector or institutional procurement frameworks (beneficial but not required).
• Minimum 5–7 years experience in procurement, contracts, or commercial management within the property development or construction industry.
• Demonstrated experience managing full‑cycle tender processes for major building works packages (>$150M preferred).
• Strong working knowledge of construction contract forms (AS 4000, AS 4902, NEC, or equivalent).
• Experience engaging and negotiating with professional consultants for multi‑residential projects.
• High‑level commercial acumen with the ability to identify and mitigate contractual risk.
• Excellent written communication skills – able to produce clear, concise tender documentation, evaluation reports, and recommendation papers.
• Strong negotiation skills with a measured, professional approach.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and contract/project management platforms.