Senior Quantity Surveyor

Job description / Role

About company

Belong, connect, grow with KBR! The KBR team delivers future-forward science, technology and engineering solutions and mission-critical services that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most important objectives, while also helping achieve their sustainability goals.

KBR provides holistic and value-added solutions across the entire asset life cycle. These include world-class licensed process technologies, differentiated advisory services, deep technical domain expertise, energy transition solutions, high-end design and engineering capabilities, and smart solutions to optimize planned and operating assets.

The project scope encompasses project management consultancy (PMC) to provide services for fit-out, refurbishment, and construction projects related to buildings and warehouses (non-process related), within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The purpose of the PMC is to oversee all project execution activities on behalf of the client, and to provide project assurance for a timely completion of construction works within budget and to the required specification. The PMC is required to provide sound project management and controls, contract management, quality management, safety management, and environment management practices in accordance with recognized best practices.

Job responsibilities

The senior quantity surveyor will be responsible for managing financial and contractual aspects of construction projects, ensuring strict cost control and commercial compliance from the initial tender phase through to final accounts. This role may involve leading a team of quantity surveyors, managing procurement processes, and providing expert financial analysis and reports to the project manager. The senior quantity surveyor must be proactive in identifying commercial risks, negotiating contracts, and ensuring project profitability and accuracy in cost forecasting within the UAE construction market. The role demands high quality and cost-effective execution of all quantity surveying deliverables.

Key responsibilities

• Tender & contract preparation: Manage the preparation of comprehensive tender and contract documents, ensuring accuracy and compliance with project requirements and standard contract forms (e.g., FIDIC). This includes the review of tender documents, client requirements, scope of work, project preamble, drawings, and specifications.
• Cost management & control: Implement stringent cost control measures, review project costs regularly, and strive for improved cost forecasting accuracy across all project stages. Monitor projects with respect to budgeted cost, demand forecasts, and time overruns to ensure timely execution.
• Contract negotiation: Lead negotiations for contracts and schedules with relevant stakeholders, subcontractors, and suppliers to secure favorable terms and resolve commercial issues.
• Bill of quantities (BoQ): Prepare, verify, and manage detailed bills of quantities. Analyze design drawings and review quantity take-off from detailed design drawings to prepare BoQs and determine quantities of materials needed. Ensure quantity take-offs are as per standards and project requirements.
• Stakeholder representation & coordination: Lead discussions regarding project issues and attend monthly commercial and subcontractor meetings.
• Financial reporting & analysis: Analyze project outcomes and provide detailed budget, progress, and cost reports to the project manager.
• Procurement & payment management: Manage and process all payments and invoices, including final accounts. Monitor the flow of payments to contractors against budget quantities and actual progress done.
• Documentation & compliance: Ensure all quantity surveying activities oversee and ensure compliance with industry standards, prepare reports and maintain accurate documentation for audit purposes. This includes preparing deviation and variation statements for final payments of contractors.
• Site coordination & progress monitoring: Coordinate with site construction team and finalize and certify the actual physical work done at site to facilitate contractor payments. Conduct joint surveys with both parties for site visits and check actual work done progress measurement.
• Change work & variation management: Assess change work orders and variations (contractor and client) in line with the contract of agreement. Review and evaluate interim payment applications raised by the contractor during the supervision stage, conducting necessary verifications before issuing payment certificates on behalf of the client. Ensure that the contractor submits a new price if an activity is not included in the original scope of works and process this for approval. Evaluate site instructions against planned costs and submit for approval.
• Material & resource monitoring: Monitor the quantity of material received, issued, and used at site by contractors to facilitate weekly progress.
• Value engineering & process improvement: Review and assess contracts and scopes of works for possible value engineering.

Qualifications and experience

• Degree in quantity surveying, commercial management, or equivalent certification is preferred.
• 10 years of quantity surveying experience in large-scale commercial construction and refurbishment projects.
• UAE/regional construction experience with a strong understanding of local regulations and contractual practices is required.

Technical skills

• Extensive knowledge of construction processes, cost estimation, contract administration, and standard contract forms.
• Proven expertise in cost control, negotiation, and risk management related to construction variations.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks, and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and leadership skills including extra item rate analysis, certification, and approvals for payments.
• Proficiency in relevant quantity surveying and cost management software, as well as project management tools (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project).

About the Company

We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission critical roles in 34 countries.

KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.