Senior Cost Manager Contractual

KEO International Consultants; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international consulting firm based in Riyadh is looking for a Senior Cost Manager to oversee contractual and commercial aspects of large infrastructure projects. The ideal candidate will have 20 years of experience, a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering, and strong skills in contract administration, negotiation, and cost control. This position offers a competitive package and supports professional development within a dynamic team environment.

Benefits

Competitive package

Hybrid working arrangements

Health and well-being services

Career development opportunities

Athletic sponsorship

Qualifications

• 20 years of work experience in relevant fields.
• Excellent experience in a previous PMC in infrastructure roles.
• Membership to a professional body e.g. RICS, MICE.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all contractual and commercial aspects of major infrastructure projects.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations and effective risk management.
• Evaluate, negotiate, and resolve claims and cost-related disputes.
• Prepare Change/Variation Orders and assess cost impacts.

Skills

Contract administration

Negotiation

Claims management

Cost control

Project delivery

Budget control

Commercial risk assessment

Stakeholder coordination

Leadership

Education

Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering

Job description

Overview

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 51st largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2024 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you’ll discover more than just a job – you’ll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics. You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards.

Responsibilities

Our newest opportunity is for a talented Senior Cost Manager Contractual join our our award-winning team based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Senior Cost Manager will oversee all contractual and commercial aspects of major infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, effective risk management, cost control, and successful project delivery. The role requires expertise in contract administration, negotiation, claims management, procurement, and stakeholder coordination within large-scale infrastructure environments (e.g., transportation, utilities, roads, rail, water, energy).

We envisage success in this role to include;

• Expertise in reviewing, interpreting, and enforcing contract terms and conditions to ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and safeguard project interests.
• Demonstrating director level experience and capability in a wide range of Consultant Agreements and Construction Contracts.
• Demonstrating director level experience in complex projects from design through construction documents and implementation, including alternative forms of procurement.
• Evaluating, negotiating, and resolving claims, including Extensions of Time (EOT) and cost-related disputes.
• Proficiency in preparing counterclaims and ensuring alignment of supporting documentation with contractual requirement.
• Familiarity with arbitration processes and legal proceedings related to contract disputes, ensuring effective resolution and protection of project interests.
• Comprehensive knowledge of cost management, forecasting, and budget control throughout all phases of the project lifecycle.
• Capability to review, assess, and approve payment applications, variations, and final accounts, ensuring fair financial settlement and alignment with project budgets.
• Expertise in commercial risk assessment and the development of mitigation strategies to protect project financial interests.
• Proven experience in liaising with clients, contractors, and other stakeholders to support effective commercial decision-making and project success.
• Strong leadership in commercial negotiations, ensuring contract compliance and fostering positive, productive relationships among all parties.
• Up-to-date knowledge of market rates, procurement strategies, and cost benchmarking, ensuring competitive project cost-effectiveness and value for money.
• Well-versed in local regulations, industry standards, and contractual practices, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and norms.
• Assisting in the reviews, assessments and reports upon contractor’s claims including review of time extensions, delays, and penalties.
• Prepares Change/Variation Orders and reports upon cost impacts of such orders on the construction budget.
• Reviewing of projects’ proposals and plans to determine time frames, staffing plans, finding limitations and establishing procedures needed to accomplish the projects.
• Reviewing and monitoring project cost estimates, value engineering (VE) proposals and cost reconciliation.

Qualifications

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that your career journey to date will include 20 years work experience partnered with a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering or relevant.

Excellent experience in a previous PMC in infrastructure (roads / highways) role is essential as well as membership to a professional body e.g RICS, MICE etc

KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its’ contribution to client success wherever we work.

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.