What you will do

The Contract Specialist  is a key role reporting to the Legal Director for the Middle East and Africa region and will be based in Dubai. You will manage the contract lifecycle management process (from sales through execution and closure stages), provide guidance to the quantity surveying team, and advise on commercial risk management matters to the business and leadership teams.

You will be part of an agile team where work has strong business impact in nature with high leadership visibility, which represents a significant opportunity to contribute, learn and grow. 

How you will do it

As a Contract Specialist, you will be working in close collaboration with Business Units (Sales and Operations), Legal, and Finance teams within and beyond the MEA region and various stakeholders across the organization in ensuring appropriate contractual/legal risk management – identification and mitigation.

Management

• Lead the full lifecycle of an opportunity’s contract management from sales stage through to execution and closure stages.
• Develop and implement procedures for contract management and administration in compliance with company policy and in coordination with the JCI Legal Department.
• Develop, maintain, update (with approval from JCI Legal function) the standard contract agreements for use both with the customers and the vendors/subcontractors.
• Lead and manage the Contract Specialists/Administrators team to carry out contractual risk reviews for all opportunities as per organizational guidelines for all categories of commercial contracts.
• Support the business to understand and interpret our and the other party's obligations under the agreement.
• Provide risk management strategies and techniques.
• Support Field Operations and provide guidance to Quantity Surveyors in post-sales commercial matters to effectively manage payment applications and certifications, change orders, and contract claims.

Pre-sales

• Provide direction on all standard and nonstandard contracts within respective authority level, providing redlined recommendations.
• Identify, weigh up and define contractual/legal/business issues, risks, and mitigation actions; and effectively communicate them to appropriate internal decision-makers for discussion and resolution.
• Implement, and where necessary draft appropriate contractual documents related to outcome-based contracting models such as performance contracting, digital solutions, and cooling as a service.
• Write cover letters with appropriate Terms and Conditions for bid proposals based on the Bid Review and Analysis.
• Provide documentation to the customer to prove our insurance coverage.

• Act as “point of contact” between Business Units (Sales & Operations), Finance, Legal, and Procurement teams to ensure appropriate contractual/legal risk review and mitigation definition.

• Drive and monitor compliance with established procedures and DOA requirements in terms of liabilities (direct and indirect), indemnities, damages, appropriate credit management, and bid review policies.

• Collaborate with the JCI Legal department in the drafting, review, negotiation, and management of both in-house contracts and third-party contracts, including sale agreements, teaming agreements, master services agreements, SaaS agreements, statements or work, nondisclosure agreements, and one-off agreements.

Execution & Post-sales

• Advise on contractual, financial, and legal issues during the currency of contracts.

• Support commercial contracts novation needs, between Johnson Controls legal entities or as result of M&A activity.
• Strategize and execute all claims/damages and change orders related discussions with the customers in liaison with the Quantity Surveying and Operations teams. Guide, or lead as necessary, the preparation, submission, and negotiation of any contract claim.

• Participate in monthly backlog reviews of projects, with Operations, for revenue/cashflows and unbilled charges.

• Guide and support the Quantity Surveying team to ensure key commercial indicators such as accounts receivables, unbilled and variations/claims are under control and favorable.

• Act as “point of contact” between internal customers and the JCI Legal Department or outside law firm on litigation matters to assist with providing evidence required to defend the case.

What we look for

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, law, or relevant field. Legal background is an asset. (Masters Degree would be Preferred)
• Minimum 5-7 years industry experience (ideally with significant experience in building systems, manufacturing and/or services), of which more than 2 years of experience in similar role
• Proven track record working with standard contracting forms (e.g., FIDIC, NEC) and bespoke contracts with such industry standards
• Well-versed with legal principles and concepts
• Excellent knowledge of concepts/documents such as Warranty, Bank Guarantee, Insurance and Letter of Credit
• Exposure to dispute resolution processes (e.g., litigation, arbitration, and mediation)
• Highly organized and able to multitask, strong attention to detail, and excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access).
• Experience using CLM / Opportunity management software and tools, such as Salesforce
• High-energy, passionate, with a proven track record of delivering results and high resilience in a challenging environment
• Willing to challenge others and be challenged