Contracts and Claims Specialist

About the Positions

Were seeking Contracts and Claims Specialists of various skill levels to support large complex heavy civil infrastructure programs including highways roads bridges transit (bus and rail) aviation (international airports) and water/wastewater projects delivered through both traditional and alternative delivery methods. These are construction claims and disputes roles meaning contract claims rather than insurance adjusting. Youll evaluate claims and requests for equitable adjustment for entitlement and quantum test claimed cost and time against the contract and the contemporaneous record and develop a position that holds up in negotiation in front of a dispute review board and in whatever comes after that. Contract administration is part of the job but the center of it is what happens when the parties stop agreeing.

This post is for future roles and not for a specific opportunity that is available right now. We accept applications and conduct interviews in advance of upcoming hiring needs. When a candidate is selected their profile is activated in our talent pool for this specialty area. We notify our talent pool candidates first whenever we have a project need.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:

Note: We are seeking candidates of various skill levels and the following responsibilities represent the core of these roles. Scope and complexity increase with experience level.

• Analyze claims and notices of potential claim and lost productivity and evaluate entitlement against the contract provisions that govern each one.
• Evaluate requests for equitable adjustment and disputed change proposals for entitlement merit and cost reasonableness and recommend a position supported by the record.
• Review claimed costs including labor equipment materials extended field and home office overhead and markup against contract provisions force account records and submitted cost backup.
• Identify unsupported duplicated or misclassified amounts.
• Coordinate with scheduling staff to evaluate time impact analyses and time extension requests against the accepted baseline and the contemporaneous progress schedules.
• Assemble the contemporaneous record behind each claim pulling daily reports correspondence requests for information submittals inspection records and meeting minutes into a package that supports the programs position.
• Verify that notices meet the timing and content requirements of the contract and track responses so contractual response periods are met and the programs defenses stay intact.
• Develop independent cost estimates and quantity checks on roadway structures and utility work to test contractor pricing on disputed changes and claims.
• Prepare claim position papers findings of fact and recommendations for program decision-makers dispute review boards and mediation or arbitration panels.
• Support negotiation and settlement of disputed changes and claims by developing entitlement and quantum summaries cost comparisons and a documented basis of settlement.
• Evaluate claims arising in active operating environments including restricted service windows access limits and facility shutdowns.
• Coordinate with counsel claims consultants project controls and finance staff on claim strategy document production and responses to formal demands.
• Track open claims and disputed exposure by contract for program leadership.

Attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent multi-tasking and organizational skills.
• Collaborative mindset that fosters teamwork trust and positive relationships.
• Natural curiosity problem-solving abilities and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in construction management civil engineering quantity surveying or finance or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5 years of contract administration and construction claims experience for large (>$500M) complex heavy-civil infrastructure projects.
• Experience analyzing or supporting claims requests for equitable adjustment or disputed change proposals for entitlement cost and schedule impact.
• Working knowledge of standard construction contract terms and public agency contracting requirements including notice changes differing site conditions delay and disputes provisions.
• Ability to interpret construction contract documents plans specifications and cost and schedule records and to build an entitlement narrative from the contemporaneous record.
• Experience with industry standard contract administration document management and CPM scheduling software (e.g. Unifier Aconex e-Builder Primavera P6 etc.).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 (e.g. Outlook Teams Word PowerPoint etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in construction management civil engineering quantity surveying or finance.
• Active professional certifications such as CPCM (NCMA) CCM (CMAA) and/or CCP or CFCC (AACE).
• Experience serving as the owners lead analyst on a claim exceeding $10M in disputed value.
• Experience supporting contract administration and claims on a package exceeding $100M in construction value.
• Experience carrying a claim beyond the project level through a dispute review board mediation arbitration or litigation including document production and support to counsel.
• Experience preparing or reviewing time impact analyses as-planned versus as-built comparisons or windows analyses supporting delay claims including the treatment of concurrent delay.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Power BI Oracle Cloud Analytics or other dashboard KPI reporting software.

Compensation Details

Expected Salary: $90k-$155k/year ($43-$75/hour). Luster provides the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might offer for this position based on the successful candidates level and years of experience knowledge skills abilities education certifications licenses geographic location etc. Luster reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range depending on circumstances not related to any status protected by local state and/or federal law.

Just LOOK at the Benefits We Offer!

• Unlimited flexible time off
• Paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Health dental and vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts (healthcare and dependent or elder care)
• Long-term disability insurance
• Short-term disability insurance
• Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment
• 401(k) plan with guaranteed employer contribution
• Formal career planning and development program
• $2500 annually toward professional development
• Wellness program with monthly wellness stipend
• Company cell phone or cell phone plan reimbursement
• Free personalized meal planning and nutrition support with a registered dietitian
• Free personal financial planning services
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discounts
• Employee referral bonus

Specific plan details and coverage for each benefit noted above will be provided upon offer.