Manager - Procurement (CAPEX-MEP)

Role Overview

The Manager of CAPEX Procurement specializing in MEP is entrusted with comprehensive management of procurement and commercial activities for all MEP packages encompassing COWRKS CAPEX projects. This position involves strong collaboration with multidisciplinary teams including MEP Consultants, Design, Development, Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, and Procurement to ensure MEP designs, bills of quantities (BOQs), technical specifications, and budgets are thoroughly optimized from a commercial viewpoint prior to issuing requests for proposals (RFPs).

Primary Responsibilities

• Engage in early project phases alongside design and MEP consulting teams to align procurement inputs, assess potential risks related to cost, sourcing, and vendor dependencies before finalizing designs.
• Serve as the main procurement contact for MEP consultants, performing frequent reviews of design progress, BOQ development, technical requirements, and project timelines to ensure no constraints limit competition or create vendor dependency.
• Conduct detailed commercial evaluations of MEP BOQs before RFP initiation, comparing quantities, specifications, and rates across projects to detect discrepancies and cost-saving opportunities, while maintaining a BOQ library for benchmarking.
• Hold full ownership of procurement for major MEP categories, including electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire safety systems, building management, UPS, DG sets, ELV systems, and specialized equipment, devising procurement strategies in line with projected CAPEX expenditures.
• Assist with budget development by providing robust cost benchmarks, comparing budget estimates with vendor quotations, identifying potential overruns, and recommending proactive value engineering steps.
• Collaborate with consultants, OEMs, and vendors to investigate value engineering options that preserve quality and compliance while reducing costs, facilitating technical and managerial approvals as needed.
• Design and implement project-specific MEP procurement strategies, manage bid processes ensuring competitive vendor participation, cultivate multiple qualified vendors to minimize single-source dependencies, and enforce procurement policies and approvals.
• Coordinate thorough technical and commercial evaluation of bids in cooperation with project stakeholders, ensuring consistent comparisons and detailed analysis of terms, deviations, and conditions.
• Lead comprehensive commercial negotiations targeting all cost components based on project benchmarks and market data, securing OEM pricing advantages and aligning final terms within budget parameters or documenting exceptions for approval.
• Manage issuance and approval of letters of intent, purchase orders, and contracts, ensuring all legal and procedural documents including MSAs, SLAs, performance guarantees, and penalties are duly completed before project commencement.
• Oversee management of variations and additional costs arising during execution, validating changes against original BOQs and budgets, preventing unauthorized expenditures, and maintaining accurate tracking records for each project.
• Maintain detailed procurement schedules and risk assessments to identify bottlenecks related to lead times, supplier capacity, and project timelines, escalating issues proactively to maintain agreed handover dates.
• Develop strategic partnerships with key OEMs and vendors, implement OEM pricing arrangements, conduct vendor performance evaluations regularly, and expand the supplier base in key locations to optimize procurement efficiency and competitiveness.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering.
• At least six years of demonstrated expertise in MEP procurement, contracts, or commercial management within sectors such as commercial interiors, corporate fitouts, real estate, coworking spaces, hospitality, or significant CAPEX projects.
• In-depth technical and commercial knowledge of Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Fighting, FAPA, and BMS systems.
• Proven experience in detailed MEP BOQ analysis, cost benchmarking, value engineering, RFP lifecycle management, and line-by-line commercial negotiations.
• Strong understanding of OEM pricing frameworks, vendor development, contractual obligations, procurement practices, and risk management.
• Ability to constructively challenge MEP consultants and technical teams from procurement and cost-control standpoints to drive effective project delivery.