Senior Contracts Manager - Claims and Governance

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 435,000 - 725,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Senior Contracts Manager in Riyadh to provide senior contractual oversight across high-value packages. You will manage administration, change, claims, negotiations, and closeout while ensuring compliance with Saudi requirements.

The role demands leadership, deep knowledge of FIDIC/NEC contracts, and a track record in major infrastructure projects. The position focuses on evaluating entitlement, mitigating exposure, and guiding project leadership through complex commercial

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree required in quantity surveying, construction law or closely related field.
• Minimum 15 years in contracts management, commercial management, or related construction functions.
• Extensive experience across major infrastructure and large-scale construction environments.
• Advanced practical knowledge of FIDIC forms of contract.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of contract management across assigned packages and ensure consistent administration.
• Govern FIDIC, NEC, and bespoke agreements per contract requirements and Saudi law.
• Establish contract administration strategies supporting milestones, objectives and value protection.
• Lead assessments of claims, variations, change orders, notices and disputes.
• Review clauses and evidence to determine contractual entitlement.
• Direct negotiations with contractors, consultants and stakeholders on major matters.
• Identify early contractual/financial exposure for informed mitigation.
• Oversee Change Requests, Engineers Instructions and Variations Orders.
• Ensure changes have substantiation for tech, schedule, cost and contract terms.

Skills

FIDIC contract administration

NEC contracts

Bespoke contracts

Claims assessment

Contractual entitlement

Contract interpretation

Contract governance

Variation management

Change Requests

Engineer's Instructions

Variation Orders

Dispute avoidance

Dispute resolution

Commercial negotiations

Contract risk assessment

Commercial risk mitigation

Construction procurement

Design-Build contracts

Contract compliance

Contractor administration

Consultant management

Supplier coordination

Commercial reporting

Budget coordination

Cost analysis

Contract documentation

Saudi Arabian contract requirements

PMO project delivery

Contract team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Law, or a closely related discipline

Job description

Job Snapshot

Role: Senior Contracts Manager - Claims and Governance
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Industry: Construction
Function: Contracts Administration
Experience: 15 years in contracts and commercial management across multiple construction sectors
Job Type: Full-time

Job Details

Country: Saudi Arabia
City: Riyadh
Industry: Construction
Function: Contracts Administration
Salary: 45000-65000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

This position provides senior contractual oversight where project delivery, commercial exposure, and regulatory obligations converge. The Senior Contracts Manager will establish the contractual discipline needed to manage high-value packages from administration through change, claims, negotiation, and closeout. A major focus will be anticipating entitlement and financial exposure before issues escalates, enabling project leadership to make defensible decisions while maintaining compliance with contract conditions and Saudi Arabian requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of contract management across assigned packages and ensure consistent administration throughout the portfolio.
• Govern FIDIC, NEC, and bespoke agreements in accordance with contractual requirements and applicable Saudi Arabian law.
• Establish contract administration strategies that support delivery milestones, commercial objectives, and value protection.
• Lead detailed assessments of claims, variations, change orders, contractual notices, and potential disputes.
• Determine contractual entitlement by reviewing relevant clauses, correspondence, records, schedules, and supporting evidence.
• Direct negotiations on significant contractual and commercial matters with contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders.
• Identify contractual and financial exposure early enough for project leadership to implement effective mitigation measures.
• Evaluate Change Requests and oversee documentation through Engineer 's Instructions and Variation Orders.
• Confirm that proposed changes contain appropriate technical, schedule, cost, and contractual substantiation.
• Maintain oversight of contractual obligations, notice periods, approvals, deliverables, and other critical requirements.
• Provide expert interpretation of contract provisions and advise teams on appropriate contractual responses.
• Develop commercial and contract management approaches that improve consistency across project packages.
• Coordinate with cost and commercial functions on budget implications, forecasts, claims exposure, and change impacts.
• Work alongside procurement teams to maintain alignment between contracting strategies, project requirements, and organizational procedures.
• Assess contractual performance of consultants, contractors, and suppliers and address material areas of non-compliance.
• Establish contingency approaches for significant contractual, commercial, or financial risks.
• Represent project interests during high-level commercial meetings, negotiations, and dispute discussions.
• Maintain effective coordination among Client representatives, contractors, consultants, procurement teams, commercial functions, and project leadership.
• Ensure contract records, correspondence, approvals, instructions, notices, and change documentation remain accurate and auditable.
• Prepare executive reports highlighting claims status, contractual exposure, negotiations, changes, and recommended management actions.
• Lead Contract Managers and provide technical guidance on complex administration, claims, and interpretation matters.
• Develop team capability through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and review of critical contractual deliverables.
• Escalate material contractual risks and disputes with clear analysis of potential financial and delivery consequences.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor 's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Law, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in contracts management, commercial management, or related construction functions.
• Substantial experience across major infrastructure, engineering, or large-scale construction environments.
• Advanced practical knowledge of FIDIC forms of contract.
• Strong familiarity with NEC and bespoke contract arrangements.
• Proven record managing substantial contract portfolios involving multiple stakeholders and delivery packages.
• Thorough understanding of claims assessment, variations, change management, contractual entitlement, and dispute resolution.
• Extensive knowledge of commercial management principles and construction procurement processes.
• Capable of assessing complex contractual matters from legal, commercial, cost, and project delivery perspectives.
• Familiarity with Saudi Arabian regulatory requirements, construction practices, and contractual environments.
• Experience supporting PMO, Delivery Partner, PMC, or major program structures is highly desirable.
• Strong command of project management and financial reporting tools.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate effectively while preserving professional stakeholder relationships.
• Able to produce accurate executive-level reports on complex contractual and financial matters.
• Strong strategic judgment, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving capability.
• Experienced in leading and developing contract management professionals.
• MRICS or equivalent professional accreditation is preferred.

Skills Set

• FIDIC contract administration
• NEC contracts
• Bespoke contracts
• Claims assessment
• Contractual entitlement
• Contract interpretation
• Contract governance
• Variation management
• Change Requests
• Engineer 's Instructions
• Variation Orders
• Change order management
• Dispute avoidance
• Dispute resolution
• Commercial negotiations
• Contract risk assessment
• Commercial risk mitigation
• Construction procurement
• Design-Build contracts
• Contract compliance
• Contractor administration
• Consultant management
• Supplier coordination
• Commercial reporting
• Budget coordination
• Cost analysis
• Contract documentation
• Saudi Arabian contract requirements
• PMO project delivery
• Contract team leadership

Why Join Us

Saudi Arabia 's large-scale infrastructure pipeline continues to increase the complexity and strategic importance of contract management. This position offers responsibility for high-value agreements and commercially sensitive decisions within a multidisciplinary Delivery Partner structure, including direct involvement in claims, change, negotiations, procurement interfaces, and contract governance. Senior professionals can apply their expertise at portfolio level while developing contract teams and supporting major Construction investments in Riyadh.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation delivers engineering, infrastructure, program management, and technology solutions for complex development programs worldwide. Its Saudi Arabian portfolio involves major projects where effective contract governance, commercial discipline, stakeholder coordination, and rigorous risk management are essential to achieving successful delivery.