Senior Manager - Commercial Contracts

Senior Manager – Strategic Commercial Contracts

1. Contract Strategy & Management (40%)

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve
• strategic contract management frameworks, policies, and procedures
• .
• Manage the
• full lifecycle
• of strategic commercial contracts, including drafting, negotiation, execution, renewals, amendments, variations, and terminations.
• Lead and support negotiations for
• high-value and complex commercial agreements
• , including but not limited to:

• Ground Handling Agreements

• Strategic Partnerships and Commercial Concessions
• Manage and oversee strategic contracts with a cumulative value
• exceeding AED 600 million
• .
• Ensure all contracts are compliant with company policies, regulatory requirements, governance standards, and risk management guidelines.
• Support the Commercial Contracts team during
• commercial tendering processes
• , including preparation of RFPs, ITTs, contract conditions, commercial schedules, and evaluation documentation.

2. Stakeholder Management (20%)

• Partner with
• senior leadership, legal, finance, operations, procurement, and commercial teams
• to understand business needs and objectives.
• Act as a
• trusted advisor
• to internal stakeholders on contractual obligations, commercial risks, and negotiation strategies.
• Serve as the primary
• liaison with external commercial partners
• , ensuring collaborative and effective contract relationships.
• Influence outcomes by providing clear, well-reasoned contractual advice that balances commercial opportunity with risk mitigation.

3. Risk Management & Compliance (20%)

• Proactively
• identify, assess, and mitigate risks
• associated with strategic commercial contracts.
• Conduct regular
• contract performance reviews, audits, and compliance checks
• .
• Ensure adherence to
• local laws, regulatory requirements, and governance frameworks
• relevant to the airport and aviation-related commercial environment.
• Develop mitigation strategies and contractual safeguards to minimize financial, operational, and reputational risk.

4. Performance Monitoring & Issue Resolution (10%)

• Monitor contract KPIs, service levels, and financial deliverables to ensure contractual compliance by all parties.
• Address, escalate, and resolve
• contractual issues, disputes, and performance gaps
• in a timely and commercially pragmatic manner.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying lessons learned and opportunities to enhance contract structures and performance.

5. Leadership & Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Provide guidance and mentoring to commercial contracts team members.
• Promote best practices in contract management, negotiation, and governance.
• Encourage innovative thinking (“outside the box”) to respond to evolving business demands and market conditions.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience in
• strategic commercial contracts management
• , preferably within
• airports, aviation, infrastructure, or large-scale regulated environments
• .
• Proven expertise in
• contract negotiation, drafting, review, and administration
• of complex, high-value agreements.
• Strong background in
• commercial tendering, governance, and compliance
• .
• Experience managing contracts valued at
• hundreds of millions of AED
• .

Knowledge & Competencies

• Strong understanding of the
• airport business ecosystem
• , including concession-based and partnership models.
• In-depth knowledge of
• local laws, regulations, and governance frameworks
• applicable in the UAE.
• Exceptional analytical, commercial, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance
• commercial opportunity with risk management
• .
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in
• Law, Business, Commercial Management, Finance, or a related discipline
• .
• Professional certifications in

Contract Management, Commercial Law, or Project Management