Procurement Manager - Construction
Confidential Careers · Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tailor my CV for this job — freeJob PurposeOwn construction-category strategy, sourcing and procurement execution for general contractors and associated works across multiple regional markets. Deliver competitive, well-defined contracts and supplier performance for development and other CAPEX projects.Independently manage third-party technical audits of design execution by contractors, evaluate reports impartially, drive verified closure of findings and recommend clearance to the designated approving authority, who retains final sign-off.Key Responsibilities1. Construction Category Strategy and Contractor Development
- Develop category plans, sourcing calendars, regional contractor panels and savings initiatives aligned with development and remodel programmes.
- Assess contractor capability, capacity, market coverage, commercial standing and delivery track record with relevant stakeholders.
- Build competitive supply options and support local sourcing, standardized packages and market benchmarking.2. Tendering, BOQ Scrutiny and Bid Evaluation
- Lead tenders using approved designs, BOQs and scopes supplied by Design/Development; identify ambiguities and obtain clarification before commercial evaluation.
- Normalize bids across quantities, inclusions, exclusions, provisional sums, assumptions, schedules and commercial terms to enable like-for-like decisions.
- Challenge pricing and scope economics and coordinate value-engineering alternatives with technical owners without taking over design authorship.3. Negotiations, Contracts and Commercial Changes
- Lead negotiations and prepare evidence-based contractor award recommendations under approved governance.
- Agree commercial milestones, rates, warranties, defects obligations, insurance and performance protections with Legal, Finance and project teams.
- Review commercial variations, claims and change pricing against contracted scope and supporting technical inputs; recommend outcomes through the approved process.4. Procurement Execution and Contractor Performance
- Provide approved sourcing outcomes to authorized PR/PO teams and coordinate commercial readiness, supplier commitments and contractual issue resolution.
- Monitor contractor performance with project owners, identify procurement-related bottlenecks and enforce commercial improvement plans or remedies.
- Maintain sourcing records, contract coverage and renewal/expiry visibility; Construction retains site management, execution and technical acceptance.5. Independent Third-Party Technical Audit Management
- Own the independent audit agenda: define scope, coverage, acceptance criteria, assignment instructions and reporting expectations for checks of contractor execution against approved designs and specifications.
- Source and manage qualified third-party audit providers and ensure audit deployment, evidence and reporting are independently managed.
- Evaluate reports objectively, challenge unsupported findings or responses, obtain clarification/reinspection and escalate deviations without bias or suppression.6. Audit Findings Closure and Clearance Recommendation
- Maintain an action register with accountable owners, due dates, severity and required evidence; drive relevant project teams and contractors to rectify findings.
- Validate closure through auditor confirmation, supporting evidence and reinspection where necessary; do not accept unsupported self-certification as closure.
- Prepare a complete clearance recommendation stating closed findings, residual risks and unresolved exceptions for final sign-off by the designated approving authority.7. Savings Reporting and Team Leadership
- Deliver measurable savings through tender competition, commercial benchmarking, contract optimization and approved value engineering.
- Report sourcing milestones, contractor risk, audit coverage, overdue findings and closure readiness to relevant senior stakeholders.
- Lead designated procurement team member(s), allocating tender, contract, audit-documentation and action-tracking support with clear accountability.Leadership
- Set the category workplan, savings priorities and supplier-performance expectations and remain accountable for delivery across markets.
- Lead negotiations and cross-functional decisions using transparent analysis, commercial judgment and documented recommendations.
- Manage designated procurement team member(s) through clear objectives, workload allocation, coaching and performance reviews.
- Uphold procurement ethics, confidentiality, segregation of duties and evidence-based decision making.Policies and Procedures
- Contribute to category-specific sourcing procedures, evaluation criteria, supplier governance and practical controls; implement approved Procurement Policy and delegation of authority requirements.
- Maintain auditable sourcing records and monitor team compliance without taking over PR/PO ownership or operational approvals assigned to other functions.Job context and major challenges
- Ensuring bid comparability when BOQs, exclusions and contractor assumptions differ across markets.
- Balancing time-sensitive openings with commercial discipline and robust contractor selection.
- Maintaining independence while sustaining productive collaboration with relevant stakeholders on technical audit findings.
- Driving prompt, verified rectification despite contested findings, incomplete evidence or pressure to clear projects.
- Managing multiple markets and projects without replacing Design or Construction responsibilities.Frameworks, boundaries and decision-making authority
- Lead construction sourcing, negotiations and commercial recommendations within Procurement Policy and approved delegation of authority; project awards and changes follow authorized approvals.
- PR creation, PO issuance and associated transaction approvals remain with authorized teams under segregation of duties. This role supplies sourcing outcomes and planning inputs and coordinates follow-up; it does not create PRs or issue POs.
- Manage and evaluate technical audits of design/construction execution, not conventional procurement audits. Construction owns execution, site supervision and remediation; Design owns design intent and approved technical requirements.
- Drive findings to evidence-based closure and recommend clearance. Final technical audit clearance sign-off rests with the designated approving authority.
- Escalate disputed findings, incomplete closure evidence and proposed exceptions; do not independently waive defects or issue final clearance.Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Architecture or a related discipline.
- Procurement, quantity-surveying or project-management certification is preferred.Experience
- 8–10 years of relevant experience in construction procurement, contractor sourcing or commercial management.
- Proven experience leading general-contractor, civil, MEP, fit-out or related tenders, negotiations and contract management.
- Experience scrutinizing BOQs, normalizing bids and evaluating commercial variations with technical stakeholder input.
- Experience managing technical inspections/audit providers, evaluating evidence and driving construction-defect or non-conformance closure.
- Multi-site restaurant, retail, hospitality or comparable regional project exposure and people-management experience.Job Specific Skills
- Contractor qualification, tender strategy, BOQ pricing and commercial bid normalization.
- Construction-contract negotiations, risk allocation and commercial change evaluation.
- Understanding approved drawings, specifications and construction/MEP interfaces for technical assurance coordination.
- Independent report assessment, evidence evaluation, action tracking and closure escalation.
- Cost benchmarking, savings analysis, Excel and management reporting.CompetenciesTechnical Competencies
- Construction category sourcing
- Contractor commercial management
- BOQ and variation analysis
- Independent technical audit governance
- Evidence-based closure and risk escalationBehavioural Competencies
- Ownership and results orientation
- Integrity and impartiality
- Constructive challenge
- Cross-cultural collaboration
- Decision discipline and timely escalationPerformance Measures
- Validated sourcing savings and competitive contract coverage
- Tender completion against project needs
- Contractor commercial performance
- Technical audit coverage and reporting quality
- Overdue findings, verified closure lead time and clearance-pack completeness