Job Title
Commercial Engineer – Commercial & Contracts Department
Department
Commercial & Contracts
Reports To
Commercial Manager
Location
Gas Chill – Egypt
Job Purpose
The Commercial Engineer is responsible for supporting the Commercial & Contracts Department in the commercial administration and financial control of construction projects, ensuring that contractual entitlements, project costs, variations, claims, payments, and subcontractor commercial matters are properly identified, documented, evaluated, and followed up.
The role requires strong contractual and analytical capabilities, excellent Excel skills, attention to detail, and the ability to coordinate effectively with Project Management, Planning, Technical Office, Procurement, Finance, and subcontractors.
Key Responsibilities
1. Contract Administration
Review project contracts, BOQs, specifications, schedules, and relevant contractual documents.
Maintain awareness of contractual obligations, milestones, payment provisions, notice requirements, and commercial risks.
Monitor project correspondence and site events for matters that may have commercial or contractual implications.
Maintain organized records of contractual notices, instructions, approvals, submissions, and responses.
Support the Commercial Manager in identifying and protecting the Company's contractual rights and entitlements.
2. Payment Applications & Certification
Prepare and review interim payment applications and supporting commercial documentation.
Verify quantities, rates, previous payments, deductions, retention, advance payment recovery, and other applicable adjustments.
Coordinate with Project Management, Planning, Technical Office, and Finance to ensure payment applications are properly substantiated.
Track submitted, certified, and paid amounts and highlight outstanding issues.
Assist in preparing payment-related correspondence and resolving certification/payment discrepancies.
3. Variations & Change Management
Identify and register potential variations arising from changes in scope, instructions, omissions, design changes, or other project events.
Review variation submissions and supporting documents.
Prepare commercial evaluations and cost build-ups for variations.
Verify whether proposed rates are comparable with existing contract rates and identify the appropriate pricing basis where new rates are required.
Maintain a comprehensive Variation/Change Register and monitor the status of each item through approval and payment.
Support preparation and review of NOCs, PCQs, variation orders, and related commercial documentation.
4. Claims & Entitlement
Assist in identifying events giving rise to contractual entitlement.
Review supporting documentation for claims relating to delays, disruption, additional costs, prolongation, changes, and other commercial impacts.
Assist in preparing cost substantiation and detailed claim calculations.
Coordinate with Planning and Project Management to ensure commercial claims are properly linked to the relevant project events and records.
Maintain claim registers and monitor submission, evaluation, negotiation, and settlement status.
5. Subcontract Commercial Management
Assist in the administration of subcontract agreements, purchase orders, and commercial arrangements.
Review subcontractor payment applications and supporting documents.
Verify subcontractor quantities, rates, variations, deductions, retention, advance recovery, and other contractual adjustments.
Review commercial submissions for works performed outside the original subcontract/PO scope.
Prepare and maintain subcontractor payment and variation registers.
Identify potential subcontractor claims and commercial risks and escalate them to the Commercial Manager.
6. Cost Control & Project Commercial Reporting
Maintain project commercial records and cost-control data.
Monitor committed costs, actual costs, forecast costs, approved variations, pending variations, and potential liabilities.
Assist in preparing project cost reports, budget reports, and commercial forecasts.
Track project revenue, cost, gross profit, and changes to forecast profitability.
Identify commercial deviations and emerging cost risks and report them promptly.
Support the preparation of management reports and commercial dashboards.
7. Commercial Analysis & Excel
Develop and maintain commercial analysis spreadsheets and project registers.
Perform detailed analysis of quantities, rates, costs, variations, claims, and financial impacts.
Prepare cost breakdowns and build-ups based on project-specific requirements.
Ensure all commercial calculations are accurate, traceable, and properly supported.
Demonstrate advanced practical knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, data analysis, and structured commercial models.
8. Documentation & Commercial Records
Maintain an organized commercial filing and document-control system.
Ensure that commercial submissions are supported by appropriate contractual, technical, financial, and documentary evidence.
Maintain registers for:
Payment Applications
Variations
Claims
NOCs/PCQs
Subcontractor Payments
Subcontractor Variations
Contracts/POs
Bonds & Guarantees
Commercial Correspondence
Outstanding Commercial Issues
9. Coordination
Coordinate closely with:
Project Managers
Planning Engineers
Technical Office
Procurement
Finance
Engineering
O&M
Subcontractors and suppliers
Obtain the necessary technical, planning, procurement, and financial information required to properly evaluate commercial matters.
Follow up pending actions and ensure commercial issues are not left unresolved.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Education
Bachelor's degree in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related engineering discipline.
Engineering background is preferred, particularly for MEP, HVAC, or electromechanical construction projects.
Experience
3–6 years of relevant experience in commercial, contracts, quantity surveying, cost control, or project commercial management within the construction/MEP industry.
Experience with contractors rather than purely consultants is strongly preferred.
Experience with lump-sum contracts and subcontract administration is preferred.
Exposure to FIDIC contracts, particularly the 1999 Red Book, is highly desirable.
Technical Competencies
The candidate should have practical—not merely theoretical—knowledge of:
Contract administration
FIDIC principles
Payment applications
Variations / Change Orders
Claims
Cost build-ups
Quantity and rate analysis
Subcontract administration
Cost control
Budget vs. actual analysis
Commercial forecasting
Contractual correspondence
Excel-based commercial analysis
Construction project documentation
Microsoft Excel
Advanced Excel capability is a key requirement.
The candidate should be comfortable building and checking commercial models rather than simply entering data into pre-existing templates.
Behavioral & Professional Competencies
Strong analytical and numerical ability.
Excellent attention to detail.
Commercially minded and capable of identifying financial consequences of technical/project decisions.
Strong contractual awareness.
Able to challenge unsupported quantities, rates, costs, and claims professionally.
Strong documentation and record-keeping discipline.
Good written and verbal communication skills.
Able to work under pressure and manage multiple projects/issues simultaneously.
Proactive in identifying commercial risks rather than waiting for instructions.
Strong follow-up and coordination skills.
Professional, firm, and objective when dealing with subcontractors and internal stakeholders.
High level of integrity and confidentiality.
