Executive Commercial and Contracts Manager PRC

If you have client side project management experience, this is an amazing opportunity to join a blue chip Hong Kong based organisation, one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. Our client is seeking to appoint a strategic thinking Executive Contracts and Commercial Manager to lead the commercial and contracts function on all property related spend in PRC.

Project Details

You will be based in Guanzhou, PRC and manage circa RMB 3 billion of the organisation’s capital expenditure over the next 5 years.

The primary purpose of this role is to implement and lead the end to end Commercial and Contract Management department to support the Client’s property-related spend on all PRC projects. The Executive Commercial and Contracts Manager leads the commercial management, contract management and budget estimates and supports procurement strategies for all PRC property related Capex programmes and projects. The incumbent is accountable for expert strategies on how to achieve the Client’s targeted outcomes on its PRC Projects to deliver best value for the Client mitigate commercial risk.

The successful candidate is an experienced change leader who leads the ongoing development of the commercial and contracts team, building the team culture into one that is strong in corporate governance and compliance and has excellent internal and external stakeholders collaboration in order to create a Commercial and Contract Management Department which is highly efficient, possessing strong economic know how and, adopting industry leading best practices. He or she leads and mentors the commercial and contracts team members in a way that aligns with the industry best practice.

Key Challenges of the Role:

• Capability development of Contracts and Commercial Management team
• Ensuring corporate governance procedures are adhered to
• Stakeholder Management prioritisation and allocation of Team Resources to meet the demands of changes to the Property CAPEX programmes
• Building up the team resource for the China Projects to meet the accelerated programme needs as required

Responsibilities and Duties

• Deliver the client's PRC Property Capex programmes and projects to the best possible commercial outcomes:
• Develop and select appropriate commercial and contract strategies to deliver the client's objectives whilst taking account of both project and market conditions and in the interests of the PRC Projects
• Proactively assess and mitigate commercial risk on all programmes and projects
• Provide guidance for company audit and determine the possibility of project cost and Budget control
• Attend regularly design meetings organized by Property teams and manage the external QS consultants to provide advice on those areas of design that are over budget and in conjunction with the design consultants provide estimates on value engineering designs to bring back to or below budget.
• Working with Strategic Procurement to provide advice on the supplier bidding and selection process.
• Establish business cost evaluation standards, evaluate the suppliers participating in the tender process, select the appropriate tenderer and when required undertake post tender negotiation
• Lead the contract negotiation to ensure that the price and quality are in the best interests of the client
• Negotiate the terms of the contract, price and payment schedule to ensure that the agreement with the contractor is in the interests of the client
• Implement continuous cost control and supervision during the construction of the China projects, including preparation, review and approval of variations, trend review and reporting, submission of monthly cost reports and quarterly Holistic Project Estimated Final Cost reporting for the relevant Committees and Boards
• Expand the Contracts and commercial team on the PRC projects, including recruiting and guiding team members, and providing professional knowledge and skills training in contract field
• Working with the Contracts and Commercial, Engineering and Site Project Management teams and Finance to review claims from Main Contractor, NSCs, Direct contracts and consultants, and define claims strategy, structure and management of the claims process to ensure timely response to claims issues and advise on the need for external claims support if required.
• Identify, select and engage Quantity Surveying Consultants through the client's procurement process and proactively manage the QS Consultants
• Lead and demonstrate continuous improvement and a Plan Do Review approach in the development of the client's Commercial and Contract Management operations
• Protect the client's interests in all forms of commercial disputes and advise on the most appropriate route/mechanism to mitigate commercial exposure and liability and achieve satisfactory resolution
• Attract, develop and retain a core group of talented Commercial and Contract Management team members
• Ensure staff are organised effectively and have the required technical competencies
• Drive the development of soft skills especially within the Assistant Executive Team
• Mentor and Develop the Assistant Executives with an emphasis on succession planning (and looking to promote from within)
• Help in the establishment of a culture of training and development
• Develop expertise in Commercial and Contract Management; share knowledge and information

Desired Skills and Experience

• The Executive Contracts and Commercial Manager has a strong track record of leading a Commercial and Contract Management team in China for a leading property owning, development or contracting organisation. He or she has a reputation for being formidable in negotiating the best possible outcomes whilst still being fair, equitable, and above all highly professional.
• Work within a fast-moving commercial environment including Major Projects with at least 15 years’ experience
• Experience in leading major projects and programmes of work in PRC in construction or property industry as Client, contractor and or consultancy experience, with at least 10 years’ experience working in China.
• Working on PRC projects for Hong Kong developers is preferred
• Deep technical skills in the core competencies of Quantity Surveying, Commercial and Contract Management and Procurement
• Proven track record in driving a commercial and value agenda for major programmes of work
• Current knowledge of industry leading practices and a willingness to stay up to date
• Excellent commercial negotiation skills
• Track record of developing innovative yet practical commercial solutions
• Ability to build strong balanced benefits cases considering financial and non-financial factors across both Capex and whole life cycle aspects
• Used to operating at an Executive level
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team
• Excellent motivational and team-building skills
• Experience in developing and implementing KPIs
• Familiarity with PRC Construction Industry, PRC Construction Practices including statutory requirements and regulations, e.g. the construction permit requirements and Construction Government Regulatory Bodies and dealing with these Government Regulatory Bodies

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

• Recognised degree in Quantity Surveying
• Chartered Member of HKIS / RICS / AIQS or equivalent with at least 15 years’ post qualification experience
• Certified Cost Engineer with PRC qualifications
• Master’s Degree in Management, Business Administration

Employing Company Overview and Profile

A blue chip Hong Kong based employer with a signficant property portfolio and plans to expand its facilities in PRC

Additional Benefits Package and Incentives

An attractive salary and comprehensive suite of allowances are available for the successful candidate