Commercial Manager

Job Description

Wood is currently recruiting for a Commercial Manager to join its UAE business unit focusing on overseeing the contract commercial management tasks on 5/2 work schedule.

This is a full-time onsite position in Sharjah, UAE, with travel requirement.

Responsibilities

Remarkable people, trusted by clients to design and advance the world.

Wood is currently recruiting for a Commercial Manager to join its UAE business unit focusing on overseeing the contract commercial management tasks on 5/2 work schedule.

This is a full-time onsite position in Sharjah, UAE, with travel requirement.

#Wood #UAE #Sharjah #Engineering

The role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Commercial Manager to join our UAE Business Unit.

Our Clients and Projects

Designing the future. Transforming the world.

Wood is an integral part of operations in Iraq, and we are continuing to grow our footprint across the country. With a 90-year heritage, 10 major contracts and over 850 employees, we have the skills, expertise and asset knowledge to support clients to deliver energy security and decarbonisation ambitions.

Wood excels in supporting our clients to deliver complex upstream and midstream oil and gas projects in Iraq delivering maintenance, modifications and engineering solutions. We are committed to decarbonising existing assets, producing cleaner energy and developing a sustainable national workforce, ensuring the long-term growth of the region

What We Can Offer

• Meaningful and interesting projects Delivered to high profile clients and complex projects in Iraq
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion; we are an organisation actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business with employee networks committed to giving all employees a voice
• Competitive salary with regular salary reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
• Commitment to continued professional development; development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
• Global connections: join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
• Medical Insurance: Ensures inpatient and outpatient medical care is available should you require treatment.
• Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance: The company provides Life Assurance cover
• The Employee Share Plan: Gives you the opportunity to purchase Wood shares and receive a match from the company
• Long Service Award: Wood values the commitment and loyalty of our people. Celebrating Long Service provides an opportunity for the business to demonstrate their appreciation of the hard work, dedication and many years’ services of our employees at 5-year service milestones
  
  

Key Objectives

The Commercial Manager—Delivery is a project specific role within our Iraq business, supporting a significant key contract award.

This individual will oversee the contract commercial management tasks aligned with our Framework for Managing the Fundamentals (FMF). The responsibilities will be centred around managing the Contract, Risk, Change Management, Monitoring Returns, following Cash Must-does, and Supply Chain.

This requires a candidate with robust commercial acumen, adaptable skills, and the ability to manage oversight and direct contract management tasks as needed.

Overarching focus – critical

In this role, you will act as the central commercial point of coordination, ensuring that all activities align with our strategic commercial objectives. For that, you will be collaborating closely with other departments that handle the execution of this contract, allowing you to add value by fostering collaboration and commercial integrity across the project lifecycle. This approach ensures that resources are used efficiently, drawing on the expertise within each function to optimize outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Handover and Initial Setup

• Transition Management: Work closely with the Commercial Acquire representative to jointly lead a structured handover from pre- to Post-Contract Award, ensuring contracts are well understood and that all project team members are aware of and fully understand the commercial obligations that affect their work.
• Contract Review: Analyse contract remuneration mechanisms, set up Delegation of Authority (DOA), understand the anticipated return and other as-bid financial parameters, understand the Project Schedule, its anticipated deliverables, critical milestones, etc.… all to ensure alignment with project budgets and schedules.
  
  

Post-Award Contract Administration and Compliance

• Compliance Oversight: Establish commercial administration procedures in line with our existing policies/procedures to ensure strict adherence to contract terms. This includes handling responsibilities from initiating notices to maintaining detailed documentation.
• Commercial Deliverables: Oversee the maintenance of contract-required deliverables, including guarantees, insurances, change management plans, invoicing, and templates.
• Contractual Correspondence: Act as the primary commercial point of all contractual letters with the client or other third parties, managing all formal correspondences and addressing issues as they arise.
  
  

Risk Management

• Risk Handover from Pre to Post Award: Gain a thorough understanding of the risks identified during the Capture/Acquire phases, ensuring that all commercial risks and mitigation strategies embedded in the contract are clearly documented, communicated, and understood by the project team.
• Anticipated Mitigations and Contractual Safeguards: Review and validate all pre-identified risks alongside the mitigations included within the contract, such as indemnities, insurance requirements, liability limitations, and contingencies. Ensure these safeguards are in place and that project teams know their roles in maintaining them.
• Ongoing Risk Monitoring and Proactive Management: Actively monitor and manage evolving project risks by maintaining updated risk registers and conducting regular risk reviews with the project team. Ensure that emerging risks are promptly identified, evaluated, and mitigated, working closely with the project director/manager to ensure these are managed within the project’s risk appetite.
• Collaboration on Risk Strategy with Project Director/Manager: Support the project director/manager in implementing a robust, ongoing risk management approach. This includes encouraging proactive risk identification across functions, facilitating open discussions about potential risks and opportunities, and supporting the team in taking pre-emptive actions when possible.
• Ownership and Accountability: Ensure clear ownership of each risk across the project team, holding regular reviews to revalidate risk mitigation strategies, confirm adequacy of contingencies, and maintain alignment with contractual obligations and project objectives. Work to prevent scope creep and manage contractual boundaries to minimise risk exposure.
• Documenting and Communicating Risk Status: Keep senior management and stakeholders informed through regular reporting on risk status, mitigation progress, and any risk-related contractual compliance issues, providing transparency into the project’s risk position at each stage.
  
  

Change Management

• Understanding the Contractual Change Mechanisms: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the contract’s terms and conditions related to change, including notification periods, required formats, and timelines. Ensure that these mechanisms are clearly communicated to the project team and that they understand the processes required to comply fully with change-related contractual obligations.
• Compliance with Terms and Notices: Establish and enforce a change management protocol that ensures all change-related actions comply with contractual terms. This includes issuing timely and accurate notices, maintaining appropriate documentation, and rigorously following the notification requirements stipulated in the contract.
• Strategic Pricing and Placement of Change Orders: Collaborate with the project and commercial teams to carefully price and structure change orders to maximise entitlements and safeguard margins. Ensure that each change order is supported with detailed records, cost breakdowns, and any necessary supporting evidence to substantiate the company’s position.
• Maintaining Comprehensive Supporting Records: Maintain meticulous records of all changes, ensuring that all necessary documentation (correspondence, cost estimates, schedules, etc.) is organised and accessible to support ongoing negotiations and potential claims. This documentation ensures compliance, validates entitlements, and substantiates claims if disputes arise.
• Negotiating Change Outcomes: Lead or support negotiations with clients or third parties to achieve favourable outcomes, leveraging contractual knowledge and commercial insight to secure agreements that maximise the company’s entitlements and manage any additional risk exposure. Ensure that negotiated changes align with the contract’s terms and benefit the project’s financial and operational goals.
• Developing and Adopting a Strategic Change Management Plan: Design or adopt a tailored change management strategy aimed at maximising the company’s entitlements within the project scope. This includes establishing a structured approach for identifying potential change events early, assessing their impacts, and implementing proactive measures to manage or capitalise on these changes to benefit the project’s financial position.
  
  

Procurement and Subcontracting

• Compliance with Flow Downs: Ensure that all third-party agreements are compliant with contractual obligations and flow-downs.
• Performance Evaluation: Provide assistance to Supply Chain on all contractual matters related to Suppliers and Subcontractors including assessing subcontractor and supplier performance against contract terms and project schedules, addressing any risks or delays, maintaining financial instruments etc..
  
  

Financial and Cash Flow Management

• Cash Flow Compliance: Enforce adherence to “Cash Must-Do’s,” proactively managing cash flow, and ensuring accurate financial reporting.
• Commercial Contribution: Oversee commercial contributions to profitability, monitoring project returns and contingencies, ELF and implementing/recommending necessary adjustments.
  
  

Project Monitoring and Reporting

• Performance Review: Attend Project Management Reviews (PMRs), probing for risks or opportunities and evaluating project metrics (cost, schedule, productivity) against established benchmarks.
• Stakeholder Reporting: Prepare regular reports for senior management detailing project commercial performance, risk assessments, and contractual compliance.
  
  

Project Oversight and Supervision

• Team Supervision: Where appropriate, supervise Contracts Managers on projects, ensuring effective contract management, administration, and resource allocation.
• Project Leadership: As needed, act as Contracts Manager on high-priority or high-risk projects, coordinating all commercial aspects directly.
  
  

Commercial Closeout

• Closeout Processes: Lead commercial closeout processes, including managing the Defects Liability period and ensuring completion of outstanding commercial tasks.
• Issue Resolution: Support the resolution of claims, variations, and disputes, ensuring all are managed in alignment with FMF procedures.
  
  

Qualifications

What makes you remarkable?

At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

Expected

• Extensive Project Commercial Management Experience: 10-15 years of proven experience in commercial management of large-scale projects, ideally in engineering or construction-related industries.
• Contractual Knowledge: In-depth understanding of post-award contract management, including compensation models, risk mitigation, and change management.
• Strategic Communication: Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Financial and Analytical Skills: Proficient in financial analysis related to project cash flow, profitability, and return on investment.
• Organization and Detail-Oriented: Exceptionally organized, with a keen eye for detail and a methodical approach to managing tasks and coordinating resources.
  
  

Educational Background

• Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying (QS), Engineering, Business, or Law.
• Commercial Experience Requirement: Substantial experience in Project Commercial Management (10-15 years) will be a key selection criterion, particularly in roles involving contract negotiation, project delivery, and financial management.
  
  

Key Competencies

• Leadership and Influence: Strong presence and the ability to lead without direct authority, fostering effective teamwork and collaboration across project teams.
• Problem Solving and Resilience: Ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure, adapting to project needs and evolving situations.
• Relationship Building: Skilled at building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholders, from client representatives to senior project and company leadership.
• Adaptability: Versatile, with the capacity to pivot between oversight and hands-on contract management based on project demands.
  
  

Why Join Our Department?

Joining our Post Award Commercial Management team offers a unique opportunity to work at the heart of a key contracts success.

This role goes beyond standard contract management; it is designed for a commercial leader who can oversee various responsibilities, from coordinating with Contracts Managers and/or other functional representatives to directly managing a critical project. With the latitude to shape and enhance project outcomes, you will actively contribute to risk management, change strategies, and overall project profitability.

Working in our department means collaborating with experienced professionals across all functions, influencing project teams, and establishing robust commercial practices. Here, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking team that values versatility, strategic thinking, and cross-functional leadership. Join us to develop your career within a dynamic environment that supports both your professional growth and the commercial strength of our projects.

About Us

Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering, helping to unlock solutions to critical challenges in energy and materials markets. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in 60 countries, employing around 35,000 people. www.woodplc.com

Diversity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.