Senior Estimation and Tendering Manager

Elegancia Arabia is seeking an experienced Senior Estimation and Tendering Manager to lead the preparation, evaluation, and submission of competitive bids for large-scale, mega, and giga projects in Saudi Arabia.

The successful candidate will manage the complete tendering lifecycle, from initial opportunity assessment and cost estimation through commercial review, bid submission, clarification, negotiation, and handover to the project delivery team. The role requires extensive knowledge of the Saudi construction and fit-out market, strong commercial judgment, and a proven record of securing major projects.

Key Responsibilities:

Tendering and Bid Management

• Lead the complete tendering process for large-scale, mega, and giga projects.
• Review invitations to tender, client requirements, drawings, specifications, bills of quantities, and contractual documents.
• Conduct bid/no-bid assessments based on technical capability, commercial viability, resource requirements, risks, and strategic alignment.
• Develop tender strategies, submission plans, responsibilities, and deadlines.
• Coordinate technical and commercial inputs from engineering, procurement, planning, operations, finance, legal, and commercial teams.
• Ensure all tender submissions are complete, accurate, competitive, compliant, and submitted within the required deadline.
• Manage tender clarifications, presentations, post-tender negotiations, and best-and-final-offer submissions.
• Maintain a structured tender register and provide regular reports on pipeline status, bid progress, and expected award dates.

Estimation and Cost Planning

• Lead the preparation of detailed cost estimates, including materials, labour, equipment, subcontracting, preliminaries, overheads, contingencies, and profit margins.
• Review quantities, rates, productivity assumptions, and pricing methodologies prepared by the estimation team.
• Ensure accurate quantity take-offs and alignment between drawings, specifications, bills of quantities, and scope requirements.
• Develop cost benchmarks using historical project data and current market intelligence.
• Prepare conceptual estimates, budget estimates, detailed estimates, and cost plans at different stages of the tender.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and develop value-engineering proposals without compromising quality, functionality, or compliance.
• Assess escalation, logistics, procurement lead times, currency exposure, and other factors affecting project pricing.
• Ensure all estimates and tender cost structures are prepared and maintained using Candy CCS.

Commercial and Risk Management

• Conduct comprehensive commercial, contractual, and technical risk assessments for each tender.
• Identify exclusions, qualifications, assumptions, discrepancies, and potential scope gaps.
• Review payment terms, bonds, guarantees, insurance requirements, liquidated damages, warranties, and other contractual obligations.
• Work closely with the contracts and commercial teams to minimize tender-related exposure.
• Develop competitive mark-up strategies in consultation with senior management.
• Present tender summaries, risk registers, cash-flow forecasts, and recommendations for management approval.
• Support commercial negotiations with clients, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers.

Procurement and Market Analysis

• Coordinate with procurement teams to obtain competitive quotations from suppliers and subcontractors.
• Evaluate quotations for compliance, completeness, price competitiveness, and commercial conditions.
• Establish and maintain a reliable database of subcontractors, suppliers, material rates, labour rates, and productivity norms.
• Monitor market trends, price fluctuations, competitor activity, and developments within the Saudi construction and fit-out sectors.
• Build strong relationships with key vendors and specialist subcontractors.

Systems, Reporting, and Data Management

• Use Candy CCS as the mandatory estimating and cost-planning platform for tender preparation, pricing, resource analysis, and cost reporting.
• Use SAP for relevant commercial, procurement, cost, and project-related processes.
• Ensure accurate integration and consistency of tender data across Candy CCS, SAP, and internal reporting systems.
• Maintain complete and auditable tender records, including quotations, pricing documents, approvals, assumptions, and correspondence.
• Prepare management dashboards covering tender values, success rates, margins, risks, and pipeline forecasts.
• Conduct post-tender reviews to identify reasons for successful and unsuccessful bids and recommend improvements.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop estimators, quantity surveyors, tender engineers, and bid coordinators.
• Allocate responsibilities and monitor team performance against tender deadlines and quality standards.
• Establish standardized estimating procedures, templates, rate libraries, and tender governance processes.
• Promote accuracy, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the department.
• Support workforce planning and recruitment for the estimation and tendering function when required.

Tender-to-Project Handover

• Lead the formal handover of awarded projects to the operations, project controls, procurement, and commercial teams.
• Clearly communicate the approved budget, scope, assumptions, exclusions, risks, pricing strategy, and contractual commitments.
• Ensure all supporting tender documents and supplier or subcontractor quotations are properly transferred.
• Participate in post-award meetings and provide clarification during project mobilization.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum of 12–15 years of progressive experience in estimation, bidding, and tendering.
• Strong experience bidding for large-scale, mega, or giga projects in Saudi Arabia.
• Demonstrable record of preparing and securing successful bids.
• Previous experience within major construction, interior contracting, or high-end fit-out organizations.
• Candidates currently based in Saudi Arabia are preferred.
• Experience working with big FITOUT organizations is highly desirable.

Mandatory Technical Requirements:

• Advanced hands-on proficiency in Candy CCS is mandatory.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP is required.
• Advanced knowledge of cost estimation, quantity take-offs, resource-based pricing, and cost planning.
• Strong understanding of construction and fit-out methodologies, materials, specifications, and productivity rates.
• Knowledge of the Saudi construction market, including local suppliers, subcontractors, labour rates, and regulatory requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and tender-reporting tools.
• Sound understanding of commercial terms, contracts, cash-flow forecasting, and tender risk management.