Associate Director - Cost & Commercial

C-QUEST: The Middle East’s No. 1 Cost Consultant of the Year. For over 24 years, C-QUEST has been a driving force in shaping iconic skylines and sustainable communities across the Middle East. As an award-winning project development and cost consultancy firm, we specialize in delivering tailored, innovative, and sustainable solutions that optimize cost efficiency and commercial excellence across construction and infrastructure projects. With a team of 100+ industry experts, we provide end-to-end project support, ensuring seamless execution from inception to completion. Backed by KEO’s legacy of expertise and integrated services, C-QUEST maintains an independent, client-first approach, ensuring projects are delivered on budget and aligned with sustainability goals.

Our newest opportunity is for an Associate Director to join our award-winning team. The Associate Director will be based out of our client offices in London and will represent the firm in its dealings with all relevant parties and act as an interface between the client and consultant offices. We are looking for a dynamic individual with extensive experience in Pre Contract Commercial & Cost Management with experience of working on a range of largescale and complex developments.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the interface between cost management consultant and lead design consultant.
• Attend design team meetings/workshops and comment/advise with respect to potential cost impact of key design decisions.
• Work with the lead design consultant to provide value add solutions through the design process whilst managing design to budget obligations of the Client.
• Ensure that design development progresses are in line with a pre-approved cost management plan (CMP).
• Notify cost management project leads of any risks/opportunities as design develops and incorporate cost impacts into a monthly coordinated cost management report.
• Working with the wider cost management team, compile the monthly coordinated cost management report, incorporating cost data provided by the wider cost management team into a pre-approved monthly reporting format.
• Report directly to the cost management teams Project Director/Deputy Project Director.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years pre-contract, cost and commercial management experience within a consultancy environment.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying and chartered, MRICS or equivalent.
• Extensive expertise in contractual, commercial, and financial matters, particularly in cost planning and estimation.
• Excellent communications skills across the board with the ability to write reports and presentations.
• The ability to make effective and persuasive presentations on complex topics to employees, clients, top management and/or public groups.
• Expert level analytical and quantitative skills with proven experience in developing strategic solutions with the ability to develop collaborative relationships across the firm, with clients and other key stakeholders, to achieve business results and improve client outcomes.
• In-depth knowledge of financial terms and principles with ability to calculate complex figures and forecast and prepare budgets.
• Knowledge of UAE and KSA markets would be highly desirable.

C-Quest International is a KEO Allied Practice. KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities. KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its contribution to client success wherever we work. We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.