Abu Dhabi Global Market - United Arab Emirates

JOB DESCRIPTION

Associate Vice President - Contracts & Procurement

1. Position Details

Position Title

Associate Vice President - Contracts & Procurement (ESMH)

Function: Programme Delivery - Contracts, Commercial & Supply Chain

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (functionally to the Programme Director on project matters)

Direct Reports: Commercial & Contract Manager; Senior Quantity Surveyors; Procurement Manager; Buyers; Contracts Administrator

Location: Abu Dhabi / Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Band / Grade: Executive Band - AVP

Employment Type: Full-time, permanent

2. Purpose of the Role

The Associate Vice President - Contracts & Procurement holds commercial custody of the client's capital programme. The role directs sourcing, contract formation, contract administration and commercial risk management across a Phase I-III bill of quantities of approximately AED 6.1 billion, the main construction contract of indicative value USD 500 million, the four trade-discipline work packages, a construction plant and equipment schedule of 123 line items, and the specialist packages including the UHPC / GRC / GRP manufacturing facility. The postholder protects the Group's commercial position - ensuring that every contract is enforceable, adequately secured, competitively priced and administered to a standard that will withstand lender, auditor and investor scrutiny in the run-up to the Q4 2027 listing.

3. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

A. Procurement Strategy and Sourcing

- Define and own the programme procurement strategy: packaging, contracting route (lump sum, remeasurable, design-and-build, EPC, construction management), risk allocation and procurement programme aligned to the construction critical path.

- Direct the full tender cycle - market sounding, prequalification, invitation to tender, technical specification issue, mid-tender queries, bid opening, commercial and technical evaluation, post-tender negotiation and award recommendation.

- Manage long-lead and critical equipment procurement, import logistics, customs and free zone clearance, and supply chain risk mitigation.

- Establish and maintain the approved vendor register, prequalification criteria, supplier performance scorecards and framework agreements.

- Deliver measurable value: benchmark pricing, competitive tension, value engineering savings and total cost of ownership analysis.

B. Contract Formation and Administration

- Draft, negotiate and finalise construction and supply contracts - principally FIDIC-based - together with particular conditions, and ensure back-to-back alignment across the main contract, packages, consultancy appointments and tenant / JV obligations.

- Secure a robust security package on every material contract: advance payment guarantees, performance bonds, retention, parent company guarantees, insurances, liquidated damages and warranties - with explicit review of security adequacy relative to exposure.

- Administer contracts post-award: instructions, variations, valuations, interim certification, extension of time and prolongation assessment, notices, and correspondence discipline.

- Lead the assessment, negotiation and settlement of claims and disputes; manage the escalation ladder from commercial negotiation through mediation, DAB / DAAB and arbitration, instructing external counsel where required.

- Manage default and termination scenarios with procedural rigour - ensuring notice requirements, cure periods and evidential records are impeccable before any step is taken, and quantifying recovery exposure realistically.

C. Commercial Control and Risk

- Own the programme cost and commitment register, reconciling contracted value, variations, forecast final account and cash flow to the approved BOQ and Group financial model.

- Maintain the commercial risk register with quantified exposure, mitigation owners and contingency drawdown control.

- Approve interim payment certificates and final accounts within the delegated authority framework; ensure payment discipline consistent with UAE law and contract terms.

- Provide the commercial input to Board, Investment Committee, lender and investor reporting, including committed capex, contingent liabilities and material contract disputes.

D. Governance, Compliance and Capability

- Establish and enforce the Group procurement policy, delegation of authority matrix, segregation of duties and tender committee protocols.

- Ensure full compliance with UAE and free zone law, sanctions and export control screening, anti-bribery and corruption standards, conflict-of-interest declarations and ESG / responsible sourcing requirements.

- Maintain audit-ready contract and procurement records suitable for IPO due diligence, reporting accountant review and lender technical audit.

- Build and mentor the contracts and procurement function; set standards for documentation quality, notice discipline and commercial judgement.

4. Key Performance Indicators

- Procurement savings and value engineering benefit realised against budget.

- Award of all packages within the procurement programme, with no procurement-driven delay to the construction critical path.

- Value of claims successfully defended or mitigated as a proportion of claims received.

- Percentage of contracts with complete and enforceable security packages in place.

- Audit and due diligence findings on contract documentation - target nil material findings.

- Accuracy of forecast final cost against outturn.

5. Qualifications and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Management or Law; Master's degree in Construction Law or Commercial Management advantageous.

- Professional membership required or strongly preferred: MRICS, MCIPS, MCIArb or equivalent.

- Minimum fifteen (15) years' commercial and procurement experience on major capital programmes, including at least five (5) years at head-of-function or AVP level.

- Direct experience of programmes exceeding USD 500 million in value; industrial, free zone, infrastructure or master-development experience preferred.

- Expert working knowledge of FIDIC suites (Red, Yellow, Silver) and of UAE contract, construction and free zone law.

- Demonstrated management of significant claims, contractor default or termination events.

- Fluent written and spoken English; Arabic advantageous.

6. Technical and Behavioural Competencies

- Authoritative contract drafting and negotiation.

- Forensic claims and delay analysis capability.

- Cost planning, estimating and commercial forecasting at programme scale.

- ERP and e-procurement systems (SAP, Oracle, Ariba or equivalent); advanced Excel.

- Sound commercial judgement under pressure, with the independence to hold a position against contractor or internal pressure.

- Impeccable record-keeping and notice discipline.

- Unimpeachable integrity in a high-value sourcing environment.

7. Key Working Relationships

Internal

Chief Operating Officer; Programme Director; Project Manager - Construction; Group CFO and Vice President - Finance; Group Legal; Chief Architect; Internal Audit; Senior Manager - Leasing, JV & Partnerships.

External

Main contractor and package contractors; suppliers, OEMs and equipment vendors; cost consultants and quantity surveying practices; external legal counsel and arbitration institutions; insurers, banks and bond issuers; lenders' technical advisers and auditors.

8. Terms of Appointment

Remuneration will comprise a fixed base salary, housing and transport allowances, and an annual performance bonus, together with a long-term incentive element linked to the Group's capital markets milestones for executive-band positions. The full package will be determined by reference to the successful candidate's experience and to prevailing UAE market benchmarks for comparable roles. Benefits include medical insurance for the employee and eligible dependants, annual leave and air passage in accordance with Group policy, and end-of-service gratuity in accordance with applicable UAE and free zone employment law. Appointment is subject to satisfactory references, verification of qualifications, background and integrity screening, and completion of visa and licensing formalities.