Cost / Commercial Manager

Overview

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 51st largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2024 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you’ll discover more than just a job – you’ll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics. You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards.

Responsibilities

Our newest opportunity is for an accomplished Cost / Commercial Manager to join our Project Management Consultancy (PMC) team on one of Saudis landmark mega developments in Madinah. This role will provide commercial leadership across a portfolio of luxury hospitality assets, ensuring robust cost planning, commercial governance, contract administration and financial control throughout the project lifecycle.

The successful candidate will possess extensive experience managing the commercial aspects of large-scale construction projects, with a strong background working for Tier 1 contractors before transitioning into consultancy. Experience delivering 5-star hospitality developments within mega projects is essential.

We envisage success in this role to include;

Cost Planning & Budget Management

• Lead cost management activities across multiple hotel developments, infrastructure, enabling works, utilities, public realm, FF&E, OS&E and specialist packages.
• Monitor cost allocation across all project packages ensuring alignment with approved budgets and project objectives.
• Ensure budgets remain aligned with approved scope, design development, procurement strategy and construction packaging.
• Review and validate cost estimates prepared by consultants, contractors, cost consultants and specialist advisors.
• Identify cost risks, budget gaps, omissions, duplicated scope and opportunities for value optimisation.
• Maintain comprehensive cost control registers for each hotel, contract and major work package.
• Ensure cost plans reflect luxury hospitality brand standards and operator-specific requirements.

Cost Control & Financial Reporting

• Prepare and maintain detailed cost reports, cost forecasts, cash flow projections and cost-to-complete assessments.
• Monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets, commitments and forecast final costs.
• Identify potential cost overruns and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Review monthly commercial reports submitted by contractors, consultants and quantity surveyors.
• Produce cost variance analyses highlighting commercial risks and key financial indicators for senior Client and PMC leadership.
• Maintain accurate forecasts for design development, authority changes, operator requirements, contingency utilisation and project risks.

Commercial Management

• Review contractor payment applications and recommend certification.
• Assess contractor pricing using market benchmarks, project rates, productivity analysis, subcontractor quotations and current site conditions.
• Challenge unsupported or excessive commercial submissions and ensure contractual compliance.
• Evaluate subcontractor pricing, preliminaries, overheads, profit allowances, escalation and risk provisions.
• Provide commercial advice throughout procurement, construction and project delivery.
• Support negotiations with contractors, subcontractors and suppliers to achieve commercially balanced outcomes.

Variations & Change Management

• Establish and maintain project-wide variation and change management registers.
• Review, assess and negotiate variation submissions from contractors and consultants.
• Validate quantities, build-ups, rates and supporting documentation.
• Assess cost implications arising from design development, operator changes, authority requirements, site instructions, RFIs and construction constraints.
• Ensure all changes are contractually justified and supported by appropriate approvals before commercial recognition.
• Provide early commercial advice prior to the issue of project instructions.
• Monitor cumulative change against approved contingency allowances and project budgets.
• Prepare commercial recommendations and approval papers for Client decision-making.

Claims & Contract Administration

• Review contractor claims relating to prolongation, disruption, acceleration, escalation, loss of productivity and additional preliminaries.
• Assess contractual entitlement in conjunction with project records, progress, procurement status and programme impacts.
• Support delay and cost impact assessments in collaboration with Planning and Contracts teams.
• Provide commercially sound recommendations during claims evaluation and dispute avoidance processes.
• Ensure commercial decisions are supported by accurate records and contractual provisions.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary commercial interface between the Client, PMC, contractors, consultants and hotel operators.
• Present commercial updates to senior management and executive stakeholders.
• Support strategic commercial decision-making throughout project delivery.
• Promote best practice commercial governance across all project teams.
• Mentor and support junior commercial staff where required.

Qualifications

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that your career journey to date will include 18 / 20 years experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Cost Engineering, or a related discipline; MRICS or equivalent professional accreditation strongly preferred.

Bilingual communication skills in both English and Arabic are desirable but not mandatory for this role.

• Minimum 2–3 years' experience within an engineering consultancy or Project Management Consultancy (PMC).
• Proven experience delivering large-scale mega projects valued in the billions.
• Demonstrated experience on luxury hospitality and 5-star hotel developments.
• Strong understanding of complex mixed-use developments including infrastructure and enabling works.
• Previous experience working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or GCC is highly desirable.

KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its’ contribution to client success wherever we work.

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.