Job Overview
alfanar is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel – Contracts to provide strategic legal and commercial support for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts, project development, and investment transactions across Saudi Arabia and international markets.
The role focuses on renewable energy, power generation, water, infrastructure, and industrial projects. The successful candidate will manage complex contract negotiations, assess legal and commercial risks, support project financing, advise on construction claims, and ensure compliance with applicable Saudi and international laws.
Working closely with project development teams, commercial departments, finance professionals, external legal advisers, and business leadership, the Senior Legal Counsel will help protect the company’s contractual interests while supporting commercially sound project execution and investment decisions.
Key Responsibilities
1. EPC Contracts, Tendering, and Construction Legal Support
- Provide legal support for EPC and project development tenders, including requests for proposals (RFPs), contract reviews, contractual deviations, clarifications, risk registers, and bid approvals.
- Draft, review, negotiate, and manage EPC, engineering and procurement (EP), construction, turnkey, supply, and operation and maintenance (O&M) agreements.
- Support projects involving renewable energy, power generation, water, transmission and distribution, and industrial infrastructure.
- Review FIDIC-based contracts and bespoke contractual agreements to identify legal, commercial, and project delivery risks.
- Advise on contractual risk allocation, performance guarantees, liquidated damages, indemnities, warranties, insurance, liability limitations, suspension, and termination provisions.
- Negotiate subcontracting agreements, supply contracts, consortium arrangements, joint venture agreements, and teaming agreements.
- Ensure subcontract terms and supporting agreements remain aligned with the main project contracts.
- Advise project teams on contract administration, notices, variations, extensions of time (EOT), delays, payment obligations, commissioning, project closeout, and contractual remedies.
- Review performance bonds, advance payment guarantees, parent company guarantees, and other security instruments, including potential calls and available legal defences.
- Support commercial negotiations and recommend practical strategies to mitigate contractual exposure.
2. Project Development and Investment Transactions
- Provide legal support throughout the project development lifecycle, from initial opportunity assessment and bidding to financial close and execution.
- Support renewable energy, power, water, and infrastructure development and investment transactions in Saudi Arabia and international markets.
- Draft and negotiate joint development agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholders’ agreements, consortium agreements, cooperation agreements, and memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
- Review and advise on power purchase agreements (PPAs), water purchase agreements, implementation agreements, concession agreements, land and lease agreements, grid connection agreements, and government support arrangements.
- Support public-private partnership (PPP), independent power producer (IPP), and independent water producer (IWP) projects.
- Ensure project development agreements are commercially and legally aligned with EPC and O&M contractual arrangements.
- Assist with project structuring, mergers and acquisitions, divestments, legal due diligence, and other corporate transactions.
- Identify material legal and investment risks and prepare relevant inputs for investment committee reviews and approval processes.
3. Project Finance and Financing Documentation
- Work with finance teams, lenders, and external legal advisers to support project financing transactions.
- Review and negotiate financing agreements, loan documentation, security documents, and related contractual arrangements.
- Advise on equity contribution obligations, sponsor support agreements, guarantees, direct agreements, and security packages.
- Support lender due diligence and the fulfilment of conditions precedent to financial close.
- Assess the bankability of project agreements and ensure consistency between financing documents, EPC contracts, O&M agreements, and other project documentation.
- Identify financing-related legal risks and recommend appropriate contractual protections.
4. Construction Claims and Dispute Resolution
- Provide legal advice on construction claims, contractual disputes, arbitration, litigation, and dispute avoidance.
- Review and support contractual notices, extension-of-time claims, variations, delay claims, disruption claims, and other project-related claims.
- Evaluate claims, counterclaims, potential liabilities, and financial exposure in coordination with technical and commercial teams.
- Recommend appropriate negotiation, settlement, and dispute resolution strategies.
- Coordinate with external counsel, claims consultants, technical experts, and quantum specialists.
- Support the enforcement of contractual rights and recovery of outstanding payments.
- Assist project teams in preserving contractual entitlements and maintaining appropriate documentation for potential disputes.
5. Corporate, Regulatory, and Compliance Matters
- Advise on applicable Saudi and international legal requirements affecting EPC contracts, project development, and investment activities.
- Support compliance with procurement regulations, local content requirements, Saudization obligations, contractor classification rules, licensing requirements, and foreign investment regulations.
- Assist with corporate structuring, joint ventures, project companies, branch registrations, and related legal arrangements.
- Prepare and review corporate approvals, board resolutions, powers of attorney, and other corporate documents.
- Support compliance with anti-bribery and corruption laws, sanctions requirements, and export control regulations.
- Identify regulatory and compliance risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
- Ensure legal advice and contractual practices align with company policies, professional standards, and applicable legal requirements.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Law or a relevant legal discipline.
- The original vacancy lists a bachelor’s degree in Legal Assisting; candidates should confirm the exact qualification requirements with the employer.
- Strong knowledge of contract law, legal research, commercial agreements, and contractual risk assessment.
- Familiarity with EPC contracts, construction law, project development, and commercial negotiations is highly relevant.
Work Experience
- 5–10 years of relevant professional experience in legal counsel, commercial contracts, EPC contracting, construction law, or project development.
- Experience reviewing and negotiating complex engineering, construction, supply, and infrastructure contracts.
- Exposure to renewable energy, power, water, project finance, or infrastructure investment transactions is advantageous.
- Experience with FIDIC contracts, construction claims, arbitration, and international commercial agreements is beneficial.
- Familiarity with Saudi regulatory requirements and cross-border transactions is preferred for roles covering Saudi Arabia and international markets.
Key Skills and Competencies
- EPC Contract Drafting and Negotiation
- Contract Law and Legal Research
- Construction and Infrastructure Law
- FIDIC Contract Management
- Commercial and Contractual Risk Management
- Renewable Energy and Power Project Development
- Project Finance and Financing Documentation
- Joint Ventures and Investment Transactions
- Construction Claims and Dispute Resolution
- Arbitration and Litigation Support
- Corporate Governance and Regulatory Compliance
- Saudi Legal and Commercial Framework
- Contract Administration and Claims Management
- Stakeholder Management and Negotiation
- Commercial Acumen and Independent Decision-Making
- Professional Ethics and Confidentiality
About alfanar
alfanar is a Saudi-based business group operating across electrical manufacturing, engineering, construction, energy, and related industrial sectors. Its project activities create demand for legal and commercial expertise in contracts, infrastructure development, and complex business transactions.