Head of Contract Department

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.Job DescriptionIn a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Head of Contract Department — Luxury Hospitality Project to join our team!Strategic contracting & procurement Develop and implement the commercial and procurement strategy aligned with client objectives and project programme. Lead tender strategy, procurement of major packages (design, MEP, civils, specialist systems), bid evaluation, and commercial award recommendations. Prepare/approve contract types, commercial terms, and delegated authority matrices in coordination with Legal and Procurement.Contract administration & governance Own contract administration procedures: notices, correspondence, approvals, milestone tracking, performance bonds, guarantees and insurance oversight. Maintain and control master contract register, key dates, warranties and guarantees. Implement robust change-control processes and ensure timely documentation and approvals for variations and change orders.Claims, variations & disputes Proactively manage claims/variations: capture entitlement, quantify cost/time impacts, prepare claims packages, negotiate settlements and escalate to Legal when required. Maintain live claims and commercial risk register with mitigation actions and financial exposure reporting. Lead dispute avoidance strategies and, where necessary, dispute resolution in conjunction with Legal and senior management.Team leadership & stakeholder management Lead and mentor the Contracts Department (Contract Managers, Claims Specialists, Commercial Analysts) and set clear KPIs, workflows and SLAs. Manage and hold accountable the lead design consultant(s), sub-design companies and main contracting companies on contractual performance. Provide direct commercial advice to PD and Client; represent the Client in commercial meetings and negotiations.Commercial controls & reporting Deliver timely commercial forecasting, earned value insights, contract status, open claims, and cashflow impact reports for PD/Client. Validate payment certificates, retention releases, final accounts and ensure contractual compliance prior to payments. Liaise with Finance, Procurement, Project Controls and Legal to ensure integrated commercial management.Key deliverables Contracting & procurement strategy and execution plan. Master contract register, change-control log and claims register. Monthly/bi-weekly commercial dashboards and executive summaries. Negotiated settlements, fully documented variations and approved change orders. Final account bundles and contract close-out files. Procurement recommendation reports and commercial evaluation matrices.Required Qualifications & Experience Degree in Law, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Commercial Management or equivalent. Postgraduate qualification (MBA, LLM) is advantageous. 20+ years commercial/contract experience; preferably 20+ for flagship roles. Significant experience with PMC/client-side contracting in KSA/GCC. Proven PMC experience handling procurement and high-value claims on luxury hospitality or complex mixed-use projects. Strong knowledge of contract forms used regionally (FIDIC, NEC, bespoke EPC, local forms) and GCC procurement practices. Solid negotiation and claims settlement track record with demonstrable avoided/mitigated financial exposure. Experience with contract management and document systems (Aconex/Procore or equivalent) and integration with project controls/ERP. Excellent English; Arabic advantageous. Professional certifications (FCIArb, RICS, PMI, ICMS) are a plus.Leadership & behavioural competencies Client-first orientation with high commercial integrity. Strong negotiator and persuasive communicator; able to present to senior executives and boards. Process-driven, meticulous, but pragmatic under programme pressures. Resilient, calm in disputes, and decisive with a solution focus. Cultural sensitivity and experience managing multi-national teams and consultants in the GCC.Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!Parsons is aware of fraudulent recruitment practices. To learn more about recruitment fraud and how to report it, please refer to https://www.parsons.com/fraudulent-recruitment/.