Senior Consultant – Capital Projects (Civil Engineer) (GRC, Internal Audit, ERM, FIDIC)
by KPMG in Business Consulting
Senior Consultant – Capital Projects (Civil Engineer) role in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates within Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), supporting and executing GRC advisory engagements for large-scale capital projects including real estate developments, infrastructure projects and mixed-use assets. The role conducts internal audit engagements across the full project lifecycle covering feasibility studies, design management, planning and procurement, construction execution and project handover, and covers project management, contract administration, CAPEX controls and financial reporting. It supports enterprise risk management (ERM) initiatives including development of risk registers, risk appetite frameworks and control matrices tailored to capital projects; conducts gap analysis of processes and policies and designs to-be processes, SOPs and operating models for project delivery and operations functions; establishes and implements PMO frameworks and develops project dashboards, KPIs and MIS reporting to track cost, schedule, quality and investment performance; conducts cost benchmarking studies against market rates and supports value engineering to optimize project costs; assists in reviewing project management frameworks, stage-gate controls and decision-making structures; and supports assessments related to cost control, schedule management, change management and contractor performance. In construction and real estate risk advisory it identifies and assesses sector-specific risks including cost overruns and schedule delays, contractual and claims risks, procurement and vendor management risks, HSE governance, and quality assurance and compliance risks; supports governance and control reviews across design, construction, handover and asset management phases; reviews and advises on construction contracts particularly FIDIC-based contracts; and reviews contractor performance management, change order controls, progress monitoring and claims mitigation strategies. Compliance and controls responsibilities include supporting compliance assessments against applicable laws, regulations, contracts and industry standards; assisting in developing risk registers, control matrices and compliance checklists tailored to capital projects; and supporting internal control and assurance activities related to capital expenditure (CAPEX), project accounting and approvals. Client and stakeholder engagement includes supporting client interactions with project teams, engineers, PMOs and senior stakeholders, preparing clear reports and presentations for project steering committees and executive management, and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams including engineers, cost consultants and risk specialists. Team contributions include coaching and guiding associates, contributing to proposal development, methodologies and thought leadership for capital projects GRC services, and supporting internal initiatives within the Capital Projects / BCRE practice. Mandatory requirements include Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (Master’s degree advantage), 4–6 years experience in governance, risk, internal controls or advisory roles focused on capital projects, construction or real estate, mandatory Big 4 experience (KPMG, PwC, EY or Deloitte), and exposure to capital project delivery environments, PMOs or construction/project controls. Preferred certifications include PMP, RICS, CIA, CRISC or CISA and familiarity with international standards/frameworks such as IIA, ADAA, COSO and PMBOK, understanding of FIDIC Red Book, Yellow Book and Silver Book application in GCC/MENA, and knowledge of UAE construction and real estate regulatory environments (advantage). Tools include MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and project management tools Primavera and MS Project, with English fluency required and Arabic as an advantage.