Commercial Director

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 57th 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, mentoring and coaching programs and extensive in-house on demand learning courses.

Responsibilities

We envisage success in this role to include;

• Providing strategic leadership and oversight for all commercial, contractual, and financial matters across the mega project lifecycle.
• Directing and governing a wide range of Consultant Agreements and Construction Contracts, including bespoke and alternative forms of procurement.
• Leading commercial strategy for complex projects from concept and design through construction documentation, implementation, and close-out.
• Establishing and maintaining strong executive-level client relationships while safeguarding the professional reputation and commercial interests of the firm.
• Overseeing and coordinating communication with the client’s senior management, project management teams, and procurement departments.
• Ensuring governance, consistency, accuracy, traceability, and completeness of all commercial deliverables, including reports, valuations, measurements, progress claims, and Bills of Quantities in full compliance with contractual requirements.
• Ensuring compliance and assurance that agreed procedures, controls, and approvals are implemented in line with client policies, contractual obligations, and best practice.
• Directing and approving the project’s financial reporting frameworks, processes, and systems, ensuring transparency, auditability, and timely decision-making.
• Reviewing and validating monthly incurred costs, vendor (contractor and consultant) estimates, and interim payments for accuracy, continuity, and commercial integrity.
• Leading claims management and dispute avoidance by reviewing, investigating, validating, and negotiating claims, assessing time and cost impacts, and providing strategic recommendations to the client.
• Directing contract change management by overseeing change notices, management of change registers, logs, and databases, and governing the assessment, approval, rejection, or recommendation of Variations in accordance with contract scope and authority levels.
• Managing and mentoring commercial and cost management teams, ensuring capability development, performance excellence, and consistent application of commercial controls across the project.
• Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial and contractual risks while advising the client on risk exposure, opportunities, and value optimization strategies.

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 in Civil Engineering and Masters in Construction Law, LLB or similar is preferred.

Chartered Registration will be viewed favourably.

Mega projects experience is a must.

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.

We envisage success in this role to include;

• Providing strategic leadership and oversight for all commercial, contractual, and financial matters across the mega project lifecycle.
• Directing and governing a wide range of Consultant Agreements and Construction Contracts, including bespoke and alternative forms of procurement.
• Leading commercial strategy for complex projects from concept and design through construction documentation, implementation, and close-out.
• Establishing and maintaining strong executive-level client relationships while safeguarding the professional reputation and commercial interests of the firm.
• Overseeing and coordinating communication with the client’s senior management, project management teams, and procurement departments.
• Ensuring governance, consistency, accuracy, traceability, and completeness of all commercial deliverables, including reports, valuations, measurements, progress claims, and Bills of Quantities in full compliance with contractual requirements.
• Ensuring compliance and assurance that agreed procedures, controls, and approvals are implemented in line with client policies, contractual obligations, and best practice.
• Directing and approving the project’s financial reporting frameworks, processes, and systems, ensuring transparency, auditability, and timely decision-making.
• Reviewing and validating monthly incurred costs, vendor (contractor and consultant) estimates, and interim payments for accuracy, continuity, and commercial integrity.
• Leading claims management and dispute avoidance by reviewing, investigating, validating, and negotiating claims, assessing time and cost impacts, and providing strategic recommendations to the client.
• Directing contract change management by overseeing change notices, management of change registers, logs, and databases, and governing the assessment, approval, rejection, or recommendation of Variations in accordance with contract scope and authority levels.
• Managing and mentoring commercial and cost management teams, ensuring capability development, performance excellence, and consistent application of commercial controls across the project.
• Identifying, assessing, and mitigating commercial and contractual risks while advising the client on risk exposure, opportunities, and value optimization strategies.

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 in Civil Engineering and Masters in Construction Law, LLB or similar is preferred.

Chartered Registration will be viewed favourably.

Mega projects experience is a must.

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.