Senior Director - Commercial - SDU - 20012792 - CDU8

Job Overview

The Senior Director - Commercial (SDU) at Qiddiya Investment Company is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing commercial activities within the Strategic Development Unit (SDU). You will drive strategic commerciality (and safety) into every decision both in procurement and in contract administration. Setting up strategy and execution to the outset through PM/CM specific process and procedures to suit the task at hand whilst fully complying with internal governance and Delegation of Authority. Responsible for driving outturn cost within the agreed business plans and cost plans and feeding back commercial lessons learned and outturn to cost planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish, implement, and maintain the commercial management framework for the Construction Management vertical, covering procurement commercial strategy, contract administration, cost control, and commercial assurance.
• Define and embed commercial policies, processes, procedures, manuals, and templates tailored to Project Management / Construction Management delivery models, while ensuring full alignment with QDC governance and Delegation of Authority requirements.
• Drive strategic commercial decision‑making across procurement and contract administration, ensuring value for money, appropriate risk allocation, and integration of safety considerations into commercial outcomes.
• Lead development of commercial strategies at project and programme level, aligned with approved business plans, cost plans, and delivery strategies.
• Provide functional oversight and governance of procurement commercial inputs, including contract strategies, commercial terms, payment mechanisms, incentives, and risk provisions.
• Lead and oversee contract administration frameworks, including change control, payment certification, claims management, EOT assessments, dispute avoidance, and close‑out.
• Ensure robust cost management, forecasting, and reporting throughout the project lifecycle, driving delivery of final outturn costs within approved budgets.
• Monitor commercial performance, risks, and exposures, and implement mitigation strategies in coordination with Delivery, Procurement, Finance, and Risk functions.
• Act as the commercial authority within the Construction Management vertical, providing guidance, challenge, and escalation support to project teams in a matrix capacity.
• Establish and maintain clear commercial governance checkpoints aligned with stage‑gate approvals and executive decision forums.
• Support preparation and review of commercial inputs to Board and N‑1 papers, including cost summaries, risk positions, commercial strategies, and recommendations.
• Ensure alignment between cost planning, commercial execution, and outturn performance, and provide structured feedback to cost planning teams on variances, trends, and lessons learned.
• Capture, analyse, and disseminate commercial lessons learned, benchmarks, and best practices across the Construction Management vertical and wider QDC organisation.
• Support the build‑up and capability development of the Construction Management commercial function, including mentoring, standards setting, and skills development.
• Coordinate closely with the Project Director Design, Project Director Delivery, Project Director Procurement, and Finance functions to ensure integrated, end‑to‑end commercial control.
• Represent the Construction Management vertical in senior internal and external forums on commercial, contractual, and cost matters, as required.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Construction Management, Commercial Management, or a related discipline (minimum).
• Master’s Degree in a related field is preferred.

Specific Skills Required

• Strong experience in commercial management of large‑scale construction and infrastructure projects, preferably within CM or self‑delivery models.
• Deep understanding of procurement commercial strategies and contract administration across multiple delivery models.
• Proven ability to establish and operate commercial governance frameworks, controls, and assurance mechanisms.
• Strong knowledge of cost planning, budgeting, forecasting, and outturn cost management.
• Experience operating within strict governance and Delegation of Authority environments, ideally within giga‑projects.
• Ability to embed safety, risk, and compliance considerations into commercial decision‑making.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including executive‑level reporting.
• High level of professionalism, judgment, and commercial acumen.

Experience

• 15–20 years’ relevant experience in senior commercial leadership roles within large programmes, mega or giga‑projects, or complex construction environments.
• Experience within GCC is highly desirable.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package