Senior Project Engineer - Contracts

Job Summary

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate contractual correspondence throughout the project delivery stage.
• Review incoming letters, notices, claims, requests, and submissions from Contractors, Clients, and other project stakeholders.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and contractually substantiated draft responses in coordination with the Project Manager and relevant technical teams.
• Ensure that contractual responses appropriately address the technical facts, project records, programme implications, and applicable contractual provisions.
• Maintain an effective correspondence and action-tracking system, including monitoring pending responses, contractual deadlines, notices, and required follow-up actions.
• Review and interpret the Contract, conditions of contract, specifications, scope of services, instructions, and other contractual documents.
• Advise the Project Manager and site supervision team on contractual obligations, entitlements, risks, notice requirements, and recommended courses of action.
• Prepare and review contractual notices relating to delays, non-performance, access, instructions, variations, claims, extensions of time, and other project matters.
• Coordinate with technical, planning, commercial, document-control, and site teams to collect the information and supporting records required for contractual responses.
• Ensure that all correspondence is consistent with verified project records, approved documents, meeting minutes, programmes, progress reports, site instructions, and previous communications.
• Support the assessment of Contractor claims, variations, extension-of-time submissions, and associated contractual entitlements.
• Assist in preparing contractual assessments, recommendations, position papers, chronologies, and management summaries.
• Identify potential contractual and commercial risks arising during project delivery and recommend suitable mitigation measures.
• Monitor compliance with contractual requirements, including submission deadlines, notification periods, reporting obligations, and response timeframes.
• Support the administration of Engineer’s Instructions, variation orders, change notices, requests for information, non-compliance matters, and other formal project communications.
• Assist the Project Manager in preparing responses to Client correspondence and reports on contractual matters.
• Support the management and resolution of contractual disagreements and disputes before they escalate.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and auditable records of contractual correspondence, notices, claims, decisions, and supporting documents.
• Coordinate with the corporate Contracts and Engineering Services teams whenever specialist contractual, legal, commercial, or technical advice is required.
• Support project close-out activities, including the review of outstanding claims, variations, final contractual matters, completion records, and handover documentation.
• Ensure compliance with corporate procedures, delegated authorities, document-control requirements, and applicable industry practices.

Specific Qualification, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline.
• A Master’s Degree or professional qualification in Construction Management, Construction Law, Contracts, or Claims Management is an advantage.
• Minimum 12 years of overall experience within the engineering, construction, project management, or consultancy sector.
• At least 8–10 years of relevant experience in contract administration, contractual correspondence, claims, or project delivery within a consultancy or major construction environment.
• Strong experience in preparing contractual letters, notices, responses, assessments, and formal project communications.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate contractual responses with project managers, engineers, planners, commercial teams, and document controllers.
• Sound knowledge of standard forms of contract, particularly FIDIC.
• Strong understanding of contract administration, claims assessment, variation management, extensions of time, delay notices, and dispute avoidance.
• Ability to interpret technical matters and translate them into clear and contractually appropriate correspondence.
• Good understanding of construction programmes, progress reporting, project records, and delay-related matters.
• Strong analytical, drafting, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to prepare concise, professional, and defensible contractual correspondence.
• Ability to manage multiple time-sensitive matters and meet contractual response deadlines.
• Experience within a multinational engineering consultancy is highly desirable.
• Previous project-delivery and site-supervision experience in Dubai or the UAE is preferred.