Head - Commercial -Desalination projects

Division: Water Projects (PPP Model)
Role Objective

To lead the overall commercial and contractual functions for Desalination projects under the PPP model, ensuring accurate budgeting, cost control, concession compliance, and robust risk management to achieve financial and strategic objectives of the organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Commercial Leadership

• Define and drive commercial strategies for desalination PPP projects (BOT, BOOT, DBFOT, HAM).
• Ensure financial viability of large-scale desalination EPC contracts and concession agreements.
• Guide bid preparation, financial modeling, and viability analysis for new projects.

2. Budgeting & Cost Control

• Approve and monitor EPC project budgets covering design, engineering, procurement, and construction phases.
• Establish cost control frameworks to track project expenditure vs. budget, ensuring zero overruns.
• Drive cost optimization initiatives across procurement, engineering, and construction activities.

3. Contract & Concession Oversight

• Lead negotiations for concession agreements and EPC contracts specific to desalination projects.
• Ensure contracts include watertight terms on technology warranties, performance benchmarks, and construction milestones.
• Administer concession compliance, milestone payments, and handle claims/variations/disputes with stakeholders.

4. Risk Strategy & Governance

• Develop a risk management framework specific to desalination EPC + PPP projects (power costs, technology dependencies, environmental approvals, schedule risks).
• Oversee risk registers, conduct risk-return analysis, and ensure proactive mitigation.
• Escalate high-impact commercial risks with corrective recommendations.

5. Stakeholder & Authority Engagement

• Serve as primary commercial representative with state/national water authorities, lenders, concessioning agencies, and regulatory bodies.
• Ensure compliance with concession conditions, statutory requirements, and government reporting.
• Represent company in tariff discussions, concession negotiations, and review meetings.

6. Financial & Business Reporting

• Present project-wise commercial status (budget, risks, concession compliance) to senior management.
• Provide board-level insights on desalination project economics and PPP frameworks.
• Support business development by providing commercial input for new desalination bids.

7. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary commercial team for desalination PPP projects.
• Build internal capability on desalination-specific financial modeling, risk management, and contract administration.
• Drive adoption of global best practices in desalination PPP contracts.

8. Compliance & Audit

• Ensure adherence to concession terms, EPC contract obligations, and statutory norms.
• Oversee internal and external audits of commercial/contractual activities.
• Implement governance processes to ensure transparency and accountability.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong expertise in PPP frameworks for water/desalination EPC projects.
• In-depth understanding of desalination project components (intake/outfall, marine works, pipeline integration, plant EPC).
• Proven expertise in contract management, concession agreements, budgeting, and cost control.
• Strong negotiation, risk analysis, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to engage with top-level government authorities, concessionaires, and financial institutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Engineering (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Chemical) or Commerce with MBA/PGDM in Finance/Contracts/Infrastructure or NICMAR.
• 20+ years of commercial/contract management experience in infrastructure; minimum 8-10 years in large-scale desalination/EPC PPP projects.
• Demonstrated experience in high-value concession agreements and EPC contract negotiations.

Reporting To: Chief Financial Officer