Head of Contracts & Claims

Terracotta is currently recruiting an experienced Head of Contracts & Claims on behalf of a leading organization within the UAE's power and energy infrastructure sector .

This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in the delivery of major capital projects, providing strategic contract management, governance, and commercial support across the project lifecycle. The successful candidate will work closely with senior stakeholders, supporting project delivery from both a corporate and project-level perspective.

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE (On-site)

Employment: Long-term Consulting Assignment (Until August 2027, with potential extension)

Key Responsibilities

  1. Contract Governance & Portfolio Oversight
  • Oversee and guide the Project Company's contract management framework and overall contractual performance across a portfolio of major infrastructure projects from the corporate/head office perspective.
  • Ensure effective sponsor/shareholder protections through proactive risk monitoring, governance, and escalation.
  • Review, challenge, and assess EPC contractor claims and dispute strategies to safeguard the owner's commercial and contractual interests.
  • Prepare governance-level reporting and provide contractual advice and decision support to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
  1. Interim “Fronting” Role (Project Company/Owner Contract Manager)
  • Act as the interim Project Company Contract Manager on the Owner's side, operating with a high degree of autonomy and seniority during the initial stages of project execution.
  • Manage the full lifecycle of contract administration, including:
  • Drafting and issuing contractual notices and correspondence.
  • Preparing, evaluating, and responding to contractual claims.
  • Managing contractual interfaces and ensuring compliance with contract obligations.
  • Maintaining accurate contractual records and supporting dispute resolution where required.
  • Thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure project environments with evolving priorities and limited structure.
  1. Business & Project Development
  • Support project development activities through the review of EPC term sheets and key contractual documentation.
  • Assess contractual risk allocation and project bankability, including:
  • Alignment between EPC and PPA/WPA agreements.
  • Liquidated Damages (LD) regimes.
  • Force Majeure (FM) and Excusable Delay (EGAI) provisions.
  • Interface management and performance risk allocation.
  • Lead or make significant contributions to project development and business development activities from a contract management and project delivery perspective.
Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Law, or a related discipline.
  • 15+ years of experience in contract management on large-scale infrastructure or energy projects.
  • Strong experience administering EPC contracts throughout the full project lifecycle.
  • Extensive knowledge of FIDIC contracts , contract administration, claims management, variations, and dispute resolution.
  • Experience representing the Owner, Developer, Sponsor, or Project Company is highly preferred.
  • Strong understanding of contractual risk allocation and commercial governance.
  • Experience supporting executive-level decision making and governance reporting.
  • Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to work independently in a fast-paced project environment.
Preferred Industry Experience We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in:
  • Power Generation
  • Utilities
  • Renewable Energy
  • Transmission & Distribution
  • Major Infrastructure
  • EPC Projects
Back to blog

Other Jobs To Apply

No other job posts for this day.

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...