Senior Commercial Manager - Programme

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager – Programme in Riyadh to lead contractual, cost, procurement, and claims management across a major construction programme. The role requires directing commercial activities, governance, and financial controls.

You will oversee budgets, cash flow, monthly cost‑value reconciliations, and risk mitigation, while negotiating major contracts and protecting the company position in disputes. Saudi Arabia experience and familiarity with FIDIC are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 15+ years in commercial management or contracts leadership.
• Experience leading commercial strategy, contract management, cost control, and claims on major projects.
• Strong knowledge of FIDIC contracts and variations, claims, and final accounts.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commercial strategies aligned with programme delivery and margins.
• Provide commercial leadership to project teams and ensure governance and controls.
• Support budget development, tender reviews, bid decisions, and strategic choices with commercial insight.
• Lead negotiations for major contracts, subcontracts, and variations, including claims and settlements.
• Review and finalize prime contracts and subcontracts, including FIDIC-based arrangements.
• Ensure robust contract administration with notices, change control, and approvals.
• Advise on contractual rights, risks, obligations, and recommended actions to leadership.
• Oversee budgets, cost plans, cash flow forecasts, and cost-to-complete reviews.
• Lead cost-value reconciliations, earned value analysis, and margin reviews.
• Monitor financial performance and implement corrective actions as needed.

Skills

Commercial management

Contract administration

FIDIC contracts

Construction contracts

Cost management

Project budgets

Cost planning

Cash flow forecasting

Variations management

Negotiation

Dispute resolution

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Law, Finance, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Contract management systems

Job description

Senior Commercial Manager – Programme

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Industry: Construction | Function: Contracts Administration | Experience: 15 years | Job Type: Full-time

Overview

Senior Commercial Manager – Programme in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a senior construction opportunity with Parsons Corporation for an experienced commercial leader who can direct contractual, cost, procurement, claims, and financial control activities across a major programme or portfolio of projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commercial strategies aligned with business objectives, project margins, cash flow targets, and programme delivery requirements.
• Provide commercial leadership to project teams and promote consistent application of company procedures, governance controls, delegations of authority, and best practices.
• Support business planning, budget development, tender reviews, bid decisions, and strategic project decisions with accurate commercial insight.
• Lead or support negotiations for major contracts, consultancy agreements, subcontract packages, variations, claims, settlements, and commercial resolutions.
• Review, negotiate, and finalize prime contracts, subcontracts, and consultancy agreements, including FIDIC-based contract arrangements.
• Ensure contract administration is robust, with proper control of notices, deliverables, change management, claims procedures, correspondence, and contractual approvals.
• Draft and review contractual correspondence to preserve entitlement, manage obligations, protect the company's position, and reduce dispute exposure.
• Advise project managers, procurement teams, commercial staff, and senior leadership on contractual rights, commercial risks, obligations, and recommended actions.
• Oversee preparation and management of project budgets, cost plans, cash flow forecasts, cost‑to‑complete reviews, and commercial performance reports.
• Lead monthly cost‑value reconciliations, earned value analysis, margin reviews, cost‑variance assessments, and financial recovery planning.
• Monitor project financial performance and recommend corrective measures where cost, margin, cash flow, or commercial exposure requires intervention.
• Validate major cost commitments, payment positions, variations, settlements, final accounts, and commercial closeout documentation.
• Establish and oversee change management processes to ensure variations, scope changes, instructions, and impacts are identified, valued, submitted, and negotiated on time.
• Review, prepare, and negotiate variations, extensions of time, loss and expense claims, disruption claims, and other contractual entitlements.
• Coordinate with planning, legal, technical, procurement, project controls, and construction teams to substantiate or defend claims.
• Manage dispute resolution activities including negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration support, and settlement discussions where required.
• Support or lead procurement strategies for key work packages, including tender planning, commercial evaluation, negotiation, recommendation, and contract award.
• Negotiate subcontractor and supplier terms to improve value, risk allocation, payment structures, performance obligations, and delivery certainty.
• Monitor subcontractor commercial performance, including payment applications, variations, claims, final accounts, and contractual compliance.
• Build professional and mutually beneficial relationships with strategic supply‑chain partners while maintaining strong commercial governance.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities throughout the project lifecycle and maintain risk registers, opportunity logs, mitigation actions, and escalation plans.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance, internal controls, audit requirements, delegation rules, and commercial reporting standards.
• Contribute to bid or no‑bid decisions and tender reviews by assessing contractual terms, commercial exposure, delivery risks, and opportunity value.
• Act as a senior commercial interface with clients, partners, joint‑venture entities, project directors, executive teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Present commercial performance, risk positions, recovery plans, claims status, forecast outcomes, and key decisions in management and client meetings.
• Support business development and pre‑contract teams with commercial input for proposals, negotiations, contract reviews, and pricing strategy.
• Lead, mentor, and develop commercial managers, quantity surveyors, contract administrators, and other commercial team members.
• Allocate commercial resources across projects, strengthen succession planning, and promote a culture of integrity, accountability, continuous improvement, and high performance.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Law, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in commercial management, contracts administration, quantity surveying, cost management, or project commercial leadership.
• Strong background in large‑scale construction, infrastructure, utilities, industrial, or major programme delivery environments.
• Proven experience leading commercial strategy, contract management, cost control, and claims processes on major projects or portfolios.
• Strong knowledge of FIDIC contracts, standard forms of contract, commercial principles, risk allocation, variations, claims, and final accounts.
• Experience working in a client, consultant, or Tier1 contractor environment on complex multi‑stakeholder projects is preferred.
• Exposure to joint ventures, PPP, P3, alliance contracting, or partnership‑based delivery models is desirable.
• Familiarity with project controls, planning, earned value management, cost forecasting, commercial dashboards, and performance reporting systems.
• Professional membership or relevant certification in quantity surveying, commercial management, contract management, law, or construction is preferred.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with advanced analytical, negotiation, and problem‑solving ability.
• Excellent understanding of contract law, dispute resolution mechanisms, contractual correspondence, governance, and internal control frameworks.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, manage challenging discussions, and present commercial positions clearly.
• Proven leadership capability with experience managing and developing commercial teams.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and commercial or contract management systems.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, contractual risks, negotiations, and stakeholder expectations in a fast‑paced environment.

Key Skills

• Commercial management
• Programme commercial leadership
• Contract administration
• FIDIC contracts
• Construction contracts
• Cost management
• Project budgets
• Cost planning
• Cash flow forecasting
• Cost‑value reconciliation
• Earned value analysis
• Margin analysis
• Financial control
• Commercial reporting
• Commercial strategy
• Contract negotiation
• Contractual correspondence
• Change management
• Variation management
• Claims management
• Extension of time claims
• Loss and expense claims
• Dispute resolution
• Risk allocation
• Risk registers
• Procurement strategy
• Tender evaluation
• Subcontract administration
• Supplier negotiation
• Final accounts
• Payment applications
• Project controls
• Forecast final cost
• Business planning
• Bid review
• Governance compliance
• Internal controls
• Audit support
• Stakeholder management
• Team leadership
• Microsoft Excel
• Contract management tools

Benefits

Salary: 50,000–70,000 Saudi Riyal (estimated range). Other benefits not specified in the initial description; they may include compliance with Saudi workplace regulations.