Commercial Lead

Role Overview

Commercial Lead at Wood PLC, based in the eastern peninsula region. This is a commercial leadership position focused on driving regional growth agenda and influencing major projects across the energy sector.

Company Overview

Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for the energy and materials sectors with 33,000 people in around 50 countries. Wood supports clients across the full asset lifecycle, delivering safe, predictable outcomes while enabling resilient operations and a lower carbon future. Wood forms the Energy & Materials pillar of Sidara, a global partnership uniting leading multidisciplinary engineering, design, and project management companies. Wood's Oil, Gas & New Energies business is the market-leading provider of integrated and innovative solutions across oil and gas upstream and midstream, onshore and offshore, gas to liquids, and decarbonization and electrification markets, with experienced teams, a proven delivery model, and a strong reputation for steady and predictable delivery.

Role Purpose

To drive commercial performance and regional growth by bringing together commercial insight, market knowledge and strategic thinking to identify opportunities, develop high-value client partnerships, shape winning strategies, and turn ambitious plans into measurable results while managing business and project risk across the eastern peninsula region.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Performance & Risk Management

• Maximize commercial performance while managing business and project risk in pre and post-contract phases.
• Develop robust project forecasts in conjunction with the project team.
• Conduct regular cost analysis to maximize recoverable costs, minimize disallowable costs, identify areas for cost saving, and ensure adequate cost accruals and provisions are in place.
• Pursue Wood's assertive claims or defend claims against Wood, including information and data gathering and analysis required to support claims and ensuring appropriate interface with in-house legal when required.

Pre-Award & Tender Activities

• Support the proposals team in performing commercial review of tender documents.
• Review commercial proposals prior to submission for internal approval.
• Prepare pricing and commercial qualifications.
• Direct all activities within the tender governance process within assigned business.
• Support the tender governance process for the sub-Business Group.
• Develop and maintain project-specific or sub-business group DOAs (Delegation of Authority) if required, ensuring all commercial-related DOA matters are correctly approved and documented.
• Coordinate contract reviews and development of qualifications and redlines in conjunction with the Contracts function to ensure the balance of risk is appropriate for the associated services and remuneration model.
• Develop contractual negotiation strategies in conjunction with contracts, bid team, and key stakeholders, and provide timely awareness to key stakeholders of significant risk items.

Post-Award Contract Administration

• Lead management of post-award admin including ensuring that the contract is set up correctly in the appropriate business system, ensuring that invoices are prepared in a timely and accurate manner and include full contract entitlement, ensuring commercial models and scope of delivery are understood by the contract management team, completing rate reviews, capturing change in contract variations or amendments, and establishing and maintaining commercial administration files.
• Approve and administer Bonds, Letters of Credit, Collateral warranties, Parent Company Guarantees, exclusive arrangements, and letters of intent in compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Deliver timely provision of commercial or contract deliverables including bonds, Parent Company Guarantees, and evidence of insurance.
• Coordinate risk management process including risk identification, mitigation planning, and administration of risk process in conjunction with operations.
• Prepare project cashflow forecasts, expenditure, invoice preparation, and expedite payments in accordance with client contract requirements and Wood processes and procedures.
• Deliver main contract and subcontract close-out requirements in full accordance with contract requirements while optimizing Wood's commercial recovery in conjunction with project stakeholders.

Subcontracting & Commercial Strategy

• Develop subcontracting commercial strategy in conjunction with Project Management, supply chain, and other functions as required.
• Compile subcontract documents including main contract flow downs, pricing, and payment prior to execution, and manage subcontract filing and retention of records.
• Support commercialization of sub-Business Group service offerings to support business growth and strategy.

Compliance, Governance & Reporting

• Ensure compliance with all relevant commercial and contracting policies, processes, and procedures within the assigned business including tender governance, financial instruments, and contracting policy.
• Embed effective commercial governance and assurance across the sub-Business Group, project, or portfolio of projects.
• Develop, implement, and maintain project commercial plans including commercial strategy, subcontracting commercial strategy, and profit improvement plans.
• Prepare, deliver, and analyze inputs to key contract and internal project reporting requirements.
• Champion and promote the application of the Financial Management Framework guidelines.
• Champion and follow the relevant DOA and commercial or contracting policies.
• Provide commercial representation in internal project reviews.

Team Development & Leadership

• Lead and manage team members with in-depth commercial and cross-functional expertise to support the assigned business.
• Develop team members to support business objectives.

Safety, Ethics & Integrity

• Promote and demonstrate safety leadership behaviors.
• Always act ethically and with the utmost integrity.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Law, or Business Studies, along with appropriate professional qualification (preferred).
• 6 to 10 years experience in a similar role with 5 years middle east experience.
• Proven experience in contract administration including change management.
• Awareness of all relevant corporate and project procedures.

Skills & Competencies

• Commercial insight and market knowledge.
• Strategic thinking.
• Leading and managing a team.
• Commercial acumen and governance.
• Risk management.
• Negotiation and relationship building.

Additional Information

• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Wood is an organization actively committed to diversity and inclusion across the business and welcomes all talented individuals regardless of race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with relevant governing laws.
• Meaningful and interesting projects: Delivered to high profile clients across the Energy Sector.
• Competitive remuneration package: With regular reviews to ensure competitive market rates.
• Medical Insurance: Ensures inpatient and outpatient medical care is available should treatment be required.
• Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance: The company provides Life Assurance cover.
• End of Service Gratuity: In line with UAE Labor Law, all employees are eligible for an End of Service benefit.
• The Employee Share Plan: Gives you the opportunity to purchase Wood shares and receive a match from the company.
• Long Service Award: Wood values commitment and loyalty of its people, celebrating Long Service at 5 year service milestones to demonstrate appreciation of hard work, dedication, and years of service.
• Commitment to continued professional development: Development plans tailored to your individual needs and interests.
• Global connections: Join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of the industry, shaping the standards of the profession.
• Energy Transition Academy: Join a community of experts sharing knowledge and gaining exposure to a variety of existing and emerging energy systems, delivered by experts in their field.