Operations Manager – Quantity Surveying & Contracts

Location: Ambattur OT, Chennai

Employment Type: Full-Time | Office-Based

Industry: Middle East Engineering / Construction

Experience: 12–18+ Years

Salary: ₹80,000 – ₹1,30,000 per month

Reporting To: Managing Director (MD)

Joining: Immediate / Short Notice Preferred

POSITION OVERVIEW

We are looking for a highly experienced, confident and result-oriented Operations Manager – Quantity Surveying & Contracts to lead and manage the Chennai operations supporting our Middle East projects .

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Contracts Management, Cost Control, Tendering, Estimation, Claims and Variations , combined with excellent managerial, leadership, communication, negotiation and client-management skills .

The candidate will report directly to the Managing Director (MD) and will be responsible for managing the QS/Contracts team, coordinating with Middle East project teams and ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of all commercial and operational requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operations & Team Management

- Lead and manage the Quantity Surveying, Contracts and Commercial team .
- Report directly to the Managing Director on operational and commercial matters.
- Plan, allocate and monitor daily, weekly and monthly team activities.
- Establish team targets, KPIs and performance standards.
- Monitor individual and team performance.
- Ensure all project deliverables are completed accurately and within deadlines.
- Provide technical and managerial guidance to team members.
- Train, mentor and develop junior and senior QS/Contracts professionals.
- Manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
- Identify operational issues and take corrective action.
- Ensure smooth coordination between Chennai operations and Middle East project teams .

2. Quantity Surveying & Commercial Management

- Manage overall Quantity Surveying and Commercial activities for Middle East projects.
- Review and validate BOQs, quantity take-offs, estimates and cost plans .
- Monitor project budgets and commercial performance.
- Prepare and review interim payment applications and valuations .
- Manage variations, claims, additional works and final accounts .
- Conduct quantity verification and commercial assessments.
- Review project costs against approved budgets.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities and commercial risks.
- Prepare commercial reports and management summaries for the MD.

3. Contracts Management

- Manage and administer main contracts, subcontract agreements and purchase orders .
- Review contract terms, conditions, scope, exclusions and commercial requirements.
- Identify contractual and commercial risks.
- Prepare and review contractual correspondence and notices.
- Manage subcontractor claims, variations and commercial issues.
- Support contract negotiations with clients, consultants and subcontractors.
- Ensure contractual obligations and deadlines are properly monitored.
- Assist management in resolving contractual disputes and commercial issues.

4. Tendering & Estimation





- Lead and supervise tendering and estimation activities .
- Review tender documents, drawings, specifications and BOQs.
- Coordinate with technical and engineering teams for quantity and cost assessment.
- Review material, labour, subcontractor and equipment costs.
- Analyze tender risks, exclusions, assumptions and commercial conditions.
- Review and finalize commercial proposals.
- Participate in tender negotiations and provide recommendations to management.

5. Middle East Project Coordination

- Act as a key coordination point between the Chennai office and Middle East project teams .
- Coordinate with Project Managers, Engineers, QS teams, BIM teams, Procurement and Finance.
- Attend regular online meetings with Middle East management, clients, consultants and contractors.
- Ensure timely submission of QS and commercial deliverables.
- Understand project priorities and communicate requirements effectively to the Chennai team.
- Maintain professional relationships with clients, consultants, contractors and subcontractors.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGERIAL SKILLS The candidate must demonstrate very strong managerial and leadership capabilities .

- Excellent people-management and team-leadership skills .
- Ability to manage and motivate a professional team.
- Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to take complete ownership of assigned responsibilities.
- Strong analytical and commercial thinking.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
- Solid conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to delegate work effectively and monitor results.
- Ability to identify underperformance and take appropriate action.
- Strong mentoring and team-development capabilities.
- Mature, professional and management-oriented personality.

COMMUNICATION & INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Excellent communication skills are mandatory.

The candidate should have

- Excellent English verbal and written communication skills .
- Strong professional email-writing skills.
- Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills.
- Confidence in communicating with senior management, clients, consultants and contractors .
- Ability to conduct professional meetings and discussions.
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Ability to clearly explain complex commercial and contractual matters.
- Ability to handle difficult conversations and commercial negotiations professionally.
- Strong listening and relationship-management skills.
- Professional communication with Middle East-based teams and stakeholders.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS

- Quantity Take-Off
- BOQ Preparation & Review
- Cost Estimation
- Cost Planning
- Cost Control
- Tendering & Estimation
- Contract Administration
- Subcontract Management




- Interim Payment Applications
- Valuation & Certification
- Variations
- Claims Management
- Extension of Time
- Final Account Settlement
- Commercial Reporting
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Risk Assessment
- Contractual Correspondence
- Commercial Negotiation
- Project Cost Monitoring
- Advanced Microsoft Excel

Experience with Bluebeam, AutoCAD, ERP systems and quantity take-off / estimation software will be an advantage.

MIDDLE EAST EXPERIENCE

Candidates with Middle East / GCC experience will be strongly preferred.

Experience in projects located in:

- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Oman
- Bahrain
- Kuwait

will be an advantage. Candidates should have a good understanding of Middle East construction practices, commercial procedures, contract administration and project coordination .

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

- Bachelor's Degree / Diploma in:
- Quantity Surveying
- Civil Engineering
- Construction Management
- Commercial Management
- or a related discipline.

Professional certification in Quantity Surveying / Contracts Management will be an advantage.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

- 12–18+ years of total professional experience.
- Strong experience in Quantity Surveying, Commercial and Contracts Management .
- Minimum 5+ years of managerial / team leadership experience preferred.
- Proven experience managing a QS / Commercial / Contracts team.
- Middle East / GCC project experience preferred.
- Experience with main contractors, subcontractors, consultants or engineering firms preferred.

KEY COMPETENCIES

Operations Management

Team Leadership

Quantity Surveying

Contracts Management

Commercial Management

Cost Control

Tendering & Estimation

Claims & Variations

Contract Administration

Negotiation

Client Management

Decision Making

Problem Solving

Strategic Thinking

Team Development

Middle East Project Coordination

Professional Communication

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

We are looking for a strong, mature and highly professional managerial candidate who can take ownership of the Chennai operations and effectively support our Middle East projects.

The ideal candidate should be capable of:

- Leading and managing teams
- Taking independent decisions
- Handling clients and contractors
- Managing commercial and contractual matters
- Reviewing QS and cost-related deliverables
- Handling negotiations
- Resolving operational and commercial issues
- Managing deadlines and priorities
- Reporting directly to the MD
- Building a high-performance QS/Contracts team

The candidate should demonstrate strong leadership, professional discipline, commercial awareness, excellent communication and the ability to take complete ownership of responsibilities.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

Position: Operations Manager – Quantity Surveying & Contracts

Location: Ambattur OT, Chennai

Employment Type: Full-Time | Office-Based

Industry: Middle East Engineering / Construction

Experience: 12–18+ Years

Salary: ₹80,000 – ₹1,40,000 per month

Reporting To: Managing Director (MD)

Middle East Experience: Preferred

Joining: Immediate / Short Notice Preferred

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📌 Operations Manager – Quantity Surveying & Contracts (Chennai)
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