Role Summary
The Key Account Manager (KAM) serves as the senior on-site representative for a major corporate client in the UAE, acting as the primary interface at both strategic and operational levels. The role holds full accountability for a multidisciplinary portfolio of projects, ensuring alignment with UAE regulatory requirements, client expectations, and contractual obligations. The KAM provides programme-level governance, leadership, and reporting while overseeing project managers and on-site delivery teams. The position requires strong engineering and fit-out expertise, a hands-on approach, and the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, multicultural stakeholder environments typical of the UAE market. The role reports directly to the Head of Division and contributes to broader commercial, operational, and strategic leadership forums within the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
1. Account, Contract & Stakeholder Management:
- Acts as the primary on-site liaison between the organization, the client, and all key internal and external stakeholders
- Builds and maintains strong, trusted relationships with senior client representatives, landlords, authorities, and internal leadership
- Lead contract and commercial management activities
- Supporting contract renewals, extensions, and long?term framework agreements
- Contributing to bid submissions, proposals, and variations
- Monitoring and managing SLAs, KPIs, and performance metrics in line with UAE FM standards
- Ensure clear, consistent, and culturally aware communication across all parties
- Proactively manage, escalate, and de?escalate issues to protect client satisfaction, commercial outcomes, and delivery performance
- Oversee a portfolio of projects across multiple service lines, including fit-out and general works, Facilities Management, technical maintenance, and engineering services
- Coordinate and manage several Project Managers and their respective project portfolios
- Ensure all projects are delivered in accordance with scope, schedule, budget, quality, safety, and contractual requirements
- Provide hands?on leadership, strategic direction, and practical problem?solving support to project teams
- Intervene when necessary to resolve delivery challenges, resource constraints, or performance issues
- Ensure all works comply with UAE authority approvals, permits, and inspection requirements
- Develop, maintain, and continually enhance a robust programme management framework tailored to the expectations of UAE clients
- Process and interpret complex, multi?stream information to provide clear priorities and direction to delivery teams
- Prepare and present high?level program reports for senior management and client leadership
- Lead monthly performance reviews, governance meetings, and follow?up action planning
- Ensure risks, issues, dependencies, and opportunities are identified, tracked, and effectively managed
- Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and sustainability initiatives aligned with the UAE market trends
- Directly manage approximately 10 Project Managers and on?site project leads
- Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring, and structured performance management
- Promote a process?driven, solution?oriented, and disciplined approach to delivery
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high?performance culture across all teams
- Ensures all teams operate in alignment with organisational values, processes, and standards
- Support Emiratisation initiatives where applicable
Requirements
- A Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in business administration, a postgraduate certificate in Facilities Management or Project Management (e.g. IFMA, BOMA) or related qualifications
- A Minimum of 10 years of proven experience in Facilities Management, Fit-Out & general works, or the Technical industry
- Proven track record in Program and Project Management within a complex, multi-project environment; Demonstrated experience managing senior client relationships and large stakeholder groups in the UAE
- Strong background in contract and commercial management within long-term client frameworks; Experience working with UAE authorities, regulatory bodies and compliance requirements
- Ability to analyse, prioritise, and interpret complex and conflicting information with strong leadership and people?management capability
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder?management skills across multicultural environments; Proven ability to escalate and de?escalate complex operational and commercial situations
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels
- Strong understanding of the UAE FM market dynamics, authority processes, and client expectations
*Only applicants meeting the strict criteria outlined above will be contacted as part of the shortlisting process.